Swatantrya Veer Savarkar REVIEW: The Randeep Hooda starrer is a very lengthy history class with too much happening

Film:
Swatantrya Veer Savarkar

Director: Randeep Hooda

Cast: Randeep Hooda, Ankita Lokhande, Amit Sial, Russell Geoffrey Banks, Mark Bennington

Platform: In theatres 

Duration: 2h 56m

Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Movie Review

What Works

Randeep Hooda’s dedication to telling the story of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar both behind and in front of the camera is commendable. From losing almost 30 kg for the role and facing a life scare to writing an intense narrative, Randeep has given his all

What Doesn’t Work

Being nearly 3 hours long, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is an intense, never-ending history lesson on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The appearance of several notable political figures, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose, Madan Lal Dhingra and Lokmanya Tilak amongst others, makes the film chaotic and too much to digest. Another drawback of the film is its attempt to showcase Savarkar by keeping him in the foreground.

Technical Analysis

Script & Dialogues

Written by Randeep Hooda and Utkarsh Naithani, the film is a drag. A 3-hour long film needs to be crisp and have a storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is neither crisp nor engaging – despite the makers trying to break the third wall at several points. Followers of Savarkar are sure to like the film. One of the major complaints with this film and its script is showing Savarkar being the man with all the ideas and not freedom fighters like Bose, Bhagat Singh and others.

Direction & Editing

Randeep Hooda has made use of shadows to capture the darkness that surrounded Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in his struggles. As a first-time director, Hooda has done a good job of capturing the rawness of the characters as well as their grey shades. Editors Kamesh Karna and Rajesh G Pandey needed to sit a little longer at the editor’s table and make the film a little shorter.

Cinematography

The visuals presented in Swatantrya Veer Savarkar are impressive be they of London, Paris, Kala Pani, the jails Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was kept in, the streets of Pune, Ratnagiri and more.

Music

The background music helps ease one’s mind a little from the heavy storyline. The film’s track, The Savarkar Rage, glories Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Dariya O Dariya captures Randeep Hooda’s character’s pain and loss beautifully. Anu Malik, Vipin Patwa and Sambata have provided the music for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.

Star Performances

The star of the movie is Randeep Hooda. Despite the long narrative, Randeep manages to keep the viewer’s attention. His dedication to bringing the character to life, including losing almost 30 kg for the role and facing a life scare, deserves mention and applause.

Ankita Lokhande as Savarkar’s wife Yamuna Bai has a small role – Gandhiji and the Kala Pani have more screen time than her. However, she still manages to steal some spotlight. Russell Geoffrey Banks and Mark Bennington as British officers also put on believable performances.

The remaining star cast – who play the different freedom fighters and other pivotal characters, do justice to their role.

Conclusion

Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is a very lengthy history class on activist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The unengaging script – despite its humorous dialogues, is sure to make the audience feel every single one of those 170+ minutes. Followers of Savarkar are sure to like the film, but others can definitely give it a miss. Pick up a book and read about him instead. It seems like the film could be used for propaganda in the upcoming elections.

Watch the trailer of Swatantrya Veer Savarkar

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