| Sardar Udham | |
|---|---|
 Official release poster | |
| Directed by | Shoojit Sircar |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | Vicky Kaushal |
| Cinematography | Avik Mukhopadhyay |
| Edited by | Chandrashekhar Prajapati |
| Music by | Shantanu Moitra |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Amazon Prime Video |
Release date |
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Running time | 162 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Languages | Hindi English Punjabi[1] |
Sardar Udham is a 2021 Indian Hindi languageepicbiographicalhistorical drama film directed byShoojit Sircar, and produced byRising Sun Films in collaboration with Kino Works. The screenplay is written by Shubhendu Bhattacharya andRitesh Shah, with Bhattacharya also writing the story based on team research, and Shah also writing the dialogues, while playing a supporting role. Based on the life ofUdham Singh, who assassinatedMichael O'Dwyer inLondon to avenge the 1919Jallianwala Bagh massacre inAmritsar,[2] the film starredVicky Kaushal in the title role, along withShaun Scott,Stephen Hogan,Amol Parashar,Banita Sandhu and Kirsty Averton in supporting roles.
The film was officially announced in March 2019, with principal photography began on April. In a marathon schedule of 7 months, the makers completed the shooting of the film in December 2019. Set in India and England, principal photography took place inRussia andIndia, with few sequences inUnited Kingdom andIreland.[3]Sardar Udham featuresmusical score composed byShantanu Moitra,cinematography handled byAvik Mukhopadhyay andediting done by Chandrashekhar Prajapati.
Initially being delayed multiple times due to theCOVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the makers headed for adirect-to-digital premiere through the streaming serviceAmazon Prime Video. The film released on 16 October 2021, during theDusshera weekend and eventually received widespread critical acclaim, with praise directed on Kaushal's performance, direction, screenplay and technical aspects. The film was also noted for its realistic portrayal of theJallianwala Bagh massacre, being depicted in an extended and graphic sequence.Sardar Udham was listed by several publications as one of the best Hindi films of 2021, and subsequently won fiveNational Film Awards includingBest Feature Film In Hindi, as well as nineFilmfare Awards.
The film follows a non-linear narrative, going back and forth from the present, whereSardar Udham Singh is inLondon, to his past when he was part of theHindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) and explores his reasons for assassinating an Irish officer in theIndian Civil Service (ICS) namedMichael O'Dwyer. Udham (known as Sher Singh) is released from prison atPunjab inBritish India. He is constantly being watched by the colonial authorities. He leaves India and goes to theUSSR during what appears to be winter. From there, he makes his way to London by ship. Even though theBritish authorities are on the lookout for him, he successfully evades them and lives in London, making a living as a salesman and then a welder. He is shown in front ofCaxton Hall, making his way inside where O'Dwyer is giving a speech on his time as Lt. Governor of Punjab and how he had suppressed a major uprising. Udham makes his way to O'Dwyer and shoots him, and is arrested.
Udham is appointed a lawyer who slowly gets Udham to tell his backstory. Udham is brought to court and in spite of a good lawyer, the judges sentence him to death. Upon hearing this, Udham makes an impromptu speech where he denounces British rule in India and reaffirms his support for theIndian freedom movement. Udham protests the conditions of his detention and goes on a 42-day fast, but is force-fed to break it. He slowly opens up to the investigating inspector and tells him the reasons for the assassination. Udham also got the title of Shaheed-E-Azam.
In 1919, Udham is a young adult working in a textile mill near Amritsar, with a girlfriend who is mute. On 13 April 1919, in favour of O'Dwyer,Colonel Dyer orders hisGurkhas,Baluchis andsepoys toopen fire on a crowd of 20,000 peaceful protestors inside Jallianwala Bagh. Udham is sleeping unaware of the massacre, until his friend wakes him up, mortally wounded and bleeding profusely. He hears about the massacre and rushes to the grounds to help. It is shown that along with a few other volunteers, Udham finds survivors and gets them to a makeshift hospital which is overwhelmed itself. He is later executed and shown to have a photo ofBhagat Singh, taken when Bhagat was inprison during his final days.
After the independence of India, Udham's ashes are brought to the country upon the request of Punjab Chief Minister GianiZail Singh, and were immersed in theSutlej river. His ashes were immersed in the same place as his idol, Bhagat. In the final scene, Dyer and O'Dwyer give their own accounts to theHunter Commission.
A film based on the life of the Indian revolutionary Udham Singh was announced in March 2019, with Shoojit Sircar directing the film and hasVicky Kaushal playing the lead character.[4] Sircar decided to cast Kaushal in the lead, because he wanted an "actor who is ready to give his heart and soul to the film" and the latter, hailing fromPunjab, similar to Udham Singh, also a native of Punjab.[5] Kaushal stated it as his dream project as he admired of Sircar's filmography, further saying "The way he is looking at the character (Udham Singh) and the world is extraordinary as well as beautiful. Plus, it's also a big honour for me that finally, I am going to be directed by him. Honestly, that's something that will take time to sink in".[6] The film marked the second Indian project to be based on the life of the Indian revolutionary after theRaj Babbar-starrerShaheed Udham Singh (2000).[7]
The film's storyline traces from Singh's age of 20 to 40, showcasing the events of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, to the assassination ofMichael O'Dwyer, theGovernor of Punjab who was responsible for the incident.[5] The idea was initially pitched to be presented in the mid-1990s, after Sircar read about the events and life of Udham Singh, when he was a student at theShaheed Bhagat Singh College inDelhi, but had waited for two decades due to his extensive research about Udham Singh, with Sircar wanting to showcase Udham's life to the current generation of younger audiences.[10][11] Initially, the role was offered toIrrfan Khan,[12] and his sonBabil Khan was reported to play the younger version of Udham Singh.[13] However, due to the former's health issues, he stepped out doing the role and insisted Kaushal to play the lead.[14][12] Kaushal had undergone physical transformation to represent the younger version of Singh, losing 15 kilograms within two months.[15] In November 2019,Banita Sandhu who worked with Sircar inOctober (2018), confirmed her presence, saying that she would play an important role in the film.[16] Television and theatre actorAmol Parashar was assigned to play the role of Indian freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.[17][18] Parashar told in an interview withThe Indian Express, saying "I didn't have to copy any other actor's interpretation because nobody knows how tall he was, how he walked. It's only through the written accounts, which mostly are about his ideas and thought process. Now we needed to create a person who's believable. It was more about his energy."[17] The film also hasBritish actorsShaun Scott, Kirsty Averton andStephen Hogan playing prominent roles.[19] Originally titledSardar Udham Singh, the title was later changed toSardar Udham.[citation needed]
On thecentennial year of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, on 13 April 2019,principal photography began inLondon (with a 25–day schedule being filmed); the team then moved to Russia in late-April, filming several sequences inSaint Petersburg.[5][20] Since the film is set in the pre-independence era, Sircar wanted to recreate the settings, characters and other things related to that period.[2] Being his first period film, he noted the difficulty he had doing in research, saying "there are few records available and those there are were speculative".[5] He gained ideas on recreating that period by watchingAmerican andEuropean cinema, documentaries, and pictures from onlinearchives.[11] Four days before filming started, Kaushal faced injuries while shooting for another film and had 13 stitches on his cheek. But Sircar advised him to come with the shoot saying that Sardar Udham will also have stitches, and shot for his portions with a real scar in his face.[21]
The filmmakers shot a month-long schedule in Russia and the team headed to Ireland andGermany during mid-June 2019.[22][failed verification] With a three-month shooting in parts ofEurope and other countries, the team returned to India to commence a schedule inAmritsar,Punjab in October 2019.[23] The schedule went on for 25 days, where sequences featuring the massacre and its aftermath being shot.[24] Vicky Kaushal stated in an interview on the recreation of the incident that "it was physically exhausting, heart-wrenching and emotionally numbing as an individual, but as an actor, we have to be prepared at all sorts. To be thrown into that reality, almost a reality, to imagine yourself in that space. I had to react to dead bodies and all that bloodshed and bloodbath."[25][26] Since the crew were not allowed to shoot the incidents at Jallianwala Bagh, the makers recreated few portions in empty sets in Punjab. Some scenes were also shot atHoshiarpur.[11] The team later returned to Europe to shoot a few sequences in November.[27] Filmingwrapped up on 27 December 2019, after consecutively filming for 6–7 months.[28] The portions set in London were recreated in Russia, excepts for a few sequences which were shot in United Kingdom and Ireland.[11][29]
The film's post-production was scheduled to begin during mid-March 2020, but was delayed due to theCOVID-19 lockdown in India.[30] On 8 June 2020, the makers decided to begin post-production activities for the film, with Sircar activating a four-phase plan, starting with theediting process, which would go on for 15–20 days.[31][32] Chandrashkehar Prajapati was the editor of the film, and during the editing process, only the director, editor, and his assistants were allowed inside the editing room, working while strictly adhering tosocial distancing protocols, and had to complete all editing works before thenight curfew at 7:00 p.m.[33] He also felt grateful that the film industry has developed an app that allowed them to share edited content, frame by frame, with explanatory comments, back and forth through the internet.[34] Sircar wanted to resumevisual effects in the second phase of post-production, but this was pushed back, as this required a larger crew of about 150–200 people.[35][36]
ComposerShantanu Moitra worked on the film's score during June 2020.[32] During mid-September 2020, the filmmakers resumed work on visual effects.[37] Work on thesound design resumed in October, as the last phase in the post-production process. A part of the sound design was done in Europe, and another part took place in-house inKolkata.[35] Other activities such asdigital intermediate,color grading andpre-visualization eventually began during early-2021.[32] As per the suggestion of cinematographerAvik Mukhopadhyay and other crew members — executive producer Kumar Thakur, art directors Mansi Mehta and Dmitriy Malich — the filmmakers focused on the use ofcolour palettes with agray-colored theme during the foreign sequences, and asepia-colored theme for the sequences in Amritsar.[11] Vicky Kaushal completed dubbing for his portions in September 2021.[38]
Sardar Udham is a song-less film; its soundtrack featured sixinstrumental compositions used in thefilm score curated and composed byShantanu Moitra,[35] which was recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown period in June 2020, and were produced by George Joseph.[32][39] The soundtrack was released byZee Music Company on 2 October 2021.[40]
In June 2019,Shoojit Sircar announced that the film would be released theatrically on the occasion ofGandhi Jayanti (2 October 2020),[41] while also rumoured to be clashing withSatyameva Jayate 2 andJayeshbhai Jordaar.[42][43] However, the film was later rescheduled for release on 30 December 2020,[44][45] which was also postponed, sincepost-production was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.[46] Despite the delays, Sircar decided to release the film in theatres, unlike other major Hindi films, which debuted on digital streaming platforms ever since theclosure of theatres across the country due to the pandemic.[47]
In September 2021, the producers headed for a direct-to-digital release, considering that theatres were reopened but only in limited states,[48] and also the government did not allow permission to resume operations of theatres inMaharashtra until 22 October 2021.[49] The producers later sold the distribution rights of the film to Amazon Prime Video,[50] which scheduled for a release date of 16 October 2021, coinciding withDusshera weekend.[51] On 27 September 2021, the filmmakers released the teaser of the film, which introduced its theme and premise in a unique way.[52][53] Three days later, on 30 September, the official trailer of the film was launched at an event inMumbai, with the presence of Vicky Kaushal and Shoojit Sircar, along with the film's crew.[54][55] The trailer received positive response from fans.[56][57]
Kaushal shared his working stills of the film prior to the release, and also shared facts about Udham Singh, in hisInstagram account.[15][58] On 15 October 2021, a day prior to the release, a special screening of Sardar Udham was conducted to the press, critics and celebrities at a theatre inMumbai.[59][60] On the night of the same day, Amazon Prime Video released the film earlier ahead of the scheduled release of 16 October, in more than 240 countries and also inHindi,Punjabi andEnglish languages.[61]
The film received widespread critical acclaim, praising the performances of Kaushal and the supporting cast, realistic portrayal of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the setting of pre-independent India, technical aspects, script and direction. On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 95% of 19 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10.[62]
Shubhra Gupta ofThe Indian Express gave a positive review stating it as "a long, unhurried re-creation of a turbulent slice of India's colonial past, going back and forth from Punjab to London, with a few detours here and there".[63]Anna M. M. Vetticad ofFirstpost also gave a positive review stating "Shoojit Sircar has chosen to recount a remarkable (and painful) true story with a reliance on facts and facts alone", and further stated "The atrocities committed by the British colonisers in India are epitomised by the cruelty of Jallianwala Bagh. It is nothing short of a feat that Sircar has managed to chronicle that tragedy and its aftermath without turning his film into a call for vendetta. Both in terms of artistic merit and the political statements it makes,Sardar Udham is a landmark for Indian cinema."[64]
Namrata Joshi ofNational Herald India wrote "Shoojit Sircar's biopic of the patriot is a stunning slice of history mirroring our fractious present and cautioning us about the pitfalls of the future".[65]Saibal Chatterjee ofNDTV stated "The brilliantly lensed biopic also draws power from lead actor Vicky Kaushal's intense and intuitive performance. Sircar combines a portrait of shocking brutality with a depiction of one man's determination not to back off from his risky stratagem. There is a phenomenal degree of craft inSardar Udham but none of it is employed for mere effect. There is great deal of soul, too, in this magnificently crafted film."[66] Renuka Vyahare ofThe Times of India stated "This film is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode but beware; the wait tries your patience. The intention is to give a lull before the storm treatment to storytelling. The non-linear, non-verbose narrative struggles to hold your attention even an hour into the movie. The re-enactment of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre is unsettling to watch and that is the very reason why this story needed to be told."[67] Writing forThe Week magazine, Aishwarya Venugopal stated "For the biopic of a revolutionary, the film does not throw punch dialogoues or the over-used trope of jingoism. Instead, Sircar takes the viewer smoothly, yet painfully, through his turbulent life".[68] Anuj Kumar ofThe Hindu stated "Shoojit Sircar explores contentious definitions and concerns, as India continues to grapple with the idea of dissent, and Section 144 remains a repressive tool in the hands of the government of the day".[69]
Soumya Srivatsava ofHindustan Times wrote "Sardar Udham, if there was ever any doubt, also proves once again that Shoojit Sircar is in top form and among the most dependable filmmakers in Hindi cinema right now. From slices of lives to biographies on historical heroes, he has been able to give his distinct stamp to any idea he has picked up. Hope the streak continues another 20 years."[70] Nandini Ramanath of Scroll.in stated "Sardar Udham follows a handful of biopics about a historical figure whose colourful life readily lends itself to fictionalisation. The creators, bravely but also puzzlingly resist the temptation to include what might have been a shoo-in. The non-linear screenplay by Shubendu Bhattacharya (who also has a story credit) and Ritesh Shah is based on facts but takes creative licence with them."[71] On the other hand, Syed Firdaus Ashraf ofRediff gave a mixed review saying "You neither get goosebumps nor the adrenaline rush of desh bhakti (patriotism), which a film like Sardar Udham should give every Indian. But a story of an unsung hero is needed to be told and hats off to Shoojit Sircar for doing that."[72]
Several publications listedSardar Udham as one of the best Bollywood films of 2021, which includes:The Indian Express (Shubhra Gupta and Minnasa Shekhar),[73][74]Film Companion (Anupama Chopra),[75]Hindustan Times (Devarsi Ghosh),[76]The Hindu (Anuj Kumar),[77]India Today (Anandita Mukherjee)[78] andFirstpost (Subhash K. Jha).[79]Forbes named it 2021's Best Hindi film with a social message.[80]
A biopic was made on the revolutionary Udham Singh, asShaheed Udham Singh (2000) beforeSardar Udham was conceptualised.[7] The film's producer Iqbal Dhillon sent a public notice to Kaushal and Sircar claiming over the copyright of the film's biopic. The notice had stated "We, Surjit Movies and Iqbal Singh Dhillon are the producers and the sole, exclusive and absolute owners of copyrights and all other rights and to all the works of the Punjabi and Hindustani filmShaheed Udham Singh: Alias Ram Mohammed Singh Azad."[85] In defence, few sources had stated that team did not borrow anything from that film and further added that by 2000, all his life's work is copyright free and the team will not have any trouble for the film, unless the family of Udham Singh have any issue with the content.[85]
The film was shortlisted among14 other Indian films to be submitted at the94th Academy Awards under the nomination ofBest International Film category.[86][87] However, it was not selected. The jury members —Bengali music composer-directorIndraadip Dasgupta and production designer Sumit Basu — criticised the length of the film and its delayed climax, which was the reason for not being selected to the nominations.[88] The latter, however, stated that the film projects "hatred towards the British".[89][90] The decision from the jury members received some backlash, calling their reasons "baseless".[91] However, the director Shoojit Sircar and Vicky Kaushal respected the jury's decision as "a personal and subjective opinion".[91][92] They however supported the Tamil filmKoozhangal, which was selected as the official entry to the award ceremony, but that was also not nominated.[93][94][95]
Other films based on Indian Independence Movement:
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