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23rd March 1931, Shaheed
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'23rd March 1931, Shaheed'

By ApunKaChoice Bureau
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

Bobby Deol and Sunny Deol starrer “23rd March 1931, Shaheed” is a gripping saga of the life and martyrdom of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Directed by Guddu Dhanoa (who is known for his action flicks), the film casts Bobby in the leading role of Bhagat Singh and Sunny as the famous revolutionary Chandrashekhar Azad.

Doe-eyed Aishwarya Rai and brawny Rahul Dev play cameo roles in the film.

The

film takes off in pre-independence Lahore. A young Bhagat Singh lives in an impoverished neighborhood where many freedom fighters live in disguise. Bhagat Singh’s first impressions of freedom struggle come from his Uncle, who is at large having run from British captivity.

He is deeply moved by the inhumane Jallianwalla Bagh carnage by the British. Seeing the corpses strewn all around, he is reduced to tears. He fills his school lunchbox with the bloodstained soil at the site and vows to fight the British hegemony. He even plants sticks in his backyard hoping that they would one day grow into rifles.

Time passes and a callow and naïve Bhaghat Singh grows to be an intelligent and excelling college student. He participates in Mahatma Gandhi’s 1921 non-cooperation movement but is soon disillusioned.

At last he decides to take a leap forward and leaves his mother (played by Amrita Singh, who is making an onscreen appearance after a long sabbatical) and his beloved (played by Aishwarya Rai) to join the revolutionary party of Chandrashekhar Azad (Sunny Deol).

He and his comrades participate in the boycott movement against the Simon Commission in Lahore. Although it was a non-violent movement British inspector Scott orders a lathi-charge in which renowned leader Lala Lajpat Rai is badly wounded and, later on, succumbs to injuries.

Enraged at this aggression by the British, Bhagat Singh, along with Chandrashekhar Azad, Sukhdev (Rahul Dev) and Rajguru vow to avenge inspector Scott. But due to mistaken identity they wrongly assassinate inspector Sanders. And as a final blow to the British they plan and successfully execute the bombing in the National Assembly.

As a result Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru are arrested and sentenced to death by the British court. And finally on 23rd March 1931 Bhagat Singh and his two comrades were hanged. Bhagat Singh had a smile on his face even at the gallows and calmly embraced martyrdom.

Bobby Deol does well in the role of Bhagat Singh, and impresses with his emotive range. Sunny too cuts a dash with his restricted performance as Chandrashekhar Azad. The only thing that distracts the viewer’s interest is Guddu Dhanoa’s sloppy direction.

Moreover, there are many ill-placed songs in the film that slows down the pace of the narrative.

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