Swatantra Veer Savarkar: An Honest Insight Into India’s Freedom Struggle From A Different Perspective

The most interesting aspect of ‘Swatantra Veer Savarkar’ is the depiction of his ideological clash with Mahatma Gandhi.
Swatantra Veer Savarkar (Hindi)
22-03-2024, Drama, Biography, 2 hours 58 minutes, U/A, Theatre
  • Main Cast: Randeep Hooda, Ankita Lokhande, Amit Sial, and Rajesh Khera
  • Director: Randeep Hooda
  • Producer: Randeep Hooda
  • Music Director: Vipin Patwa
  • Cinematography: Arvind Krishna
  • Rating: 3/5

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is someone who does not need a particular introduction. Savarkar is a hugely polarising historical figure with more than one controversy.

He was the one who laid the foundation for the present Hindutva regime and has also been accused of having an indirect hand in killing India’s Father of the Nation — Mahatma Gandhi, the reason being the ideological differences along with Nathuram Godse being a student of Savarkar.

A biopic on a person like Savarkar is not easy to make, given his vastly turbulent life that is filled with many incidents.

Acclaimed actor Randeep Hooda not only plays the title role but also directs and co-writes the story.

The rawness of a first-time director is quite visible, particularly in the second half, but there is no denying the passion with which Randeep mounts the film.

Synopsis

In simple terms, the story of Swatantra Veer Savarkar is about the different stages in Savarkar’s long and turbulent life.

It starts with him losing his father at a young age. Then we see how the grown-up Savarkar decides to become a freedom fighter and does the things he does.

The major life-turning events of Savarkar are shown in great detail in the movie. This includes interaction with Gandhi, and his life imprisonment in the Andaman Islands aka Kaala Paani.

Stand out scenes

Ankita Lokhande in ‘Swatantra Veer Savarkar’. (X)

Among the many passages in the film, my favourite ones are the scenes featuring Randeep Hooda and Amit Sial as the supportive elder brother Ganesh Damodar Savarkar (Amit Sial.) The bond between the brothers comes out strongly and moves us.

For example, there is a scene in the second half when Veer Savarkar and Ganesh Damodar Savarkar unexpectedly cross paths in the Andaman jail, Damodar is surprised to see his younger brother there and, in that shock, he forgets to hug him.

The portions of how Abhinav Bharat was formed and the ideology behind it are well shown.

The most interesting aspect of Swatantra Veer Savarkar is the scenes of ideological clash with Mahatma Gandhi. Thankfully, the clash of ideologies has been handled with maturity.

There is an important scene when someone tells Savarkar that he hates Gandhi. In response, Savarkar says he doesn’t hate Gandhi but dislikes the ideology of non-violence.

We are also shown that Gandhi wrote letters to the British government seeking the release of Savarkar from the Andamans. He also praises Savarkar, though they have a different approach to the freedom movement.

When Gandhi dies, there is a genuine pain that we see. In fact, Savarkar condemns the act of Nathuram Godse and says that Godse shouldn’t have done this.

Randeep Hoods — The USP

Another major USP of Swatantra Veer Savarkar is its leading man Randeep Hooda.

Randeep Hooda has always been one of the most dependable actors going to any lengths to portray his characters with authenticity — physical and mental.

Here too, Randeep immerses himself into the role, whether it is the fiery freedom fighter of the first half or the prisoner in the long and elongated portions of Kaala Paani.

The physical transformation is, of course, brilliant. But the way he showcases the fighting spirit of Savarkar makes his performance even more admirable.

Among the other actors, Amit Sial stands out as both a supportive elder brother and a freedom fighter himself.

Ankita Lokhande does not have many dialogues but does a fine job in her limited screen time. She effectively portrays the inner strength of a freedom fighter’s wife.

Crammed narrative

Savarkar’s life is on a huge scale given the many incidents. There are times when, as viewers, you might feel that the movie is crammed with too much information and a web series would have been a better option.

The second half in particular needs some brevity. The portions of Savarkar being tortured both physically and mentally need some serious trimming.

Also, the vilification of Congress reaches the point of exhaustion. It does not add anything substantial to the narrative.

Talking about the technical departments, cinematographer Aravind Krishna does a good job of capturing the vast landscape through his lens.

The production design and the art design are also in complete sync with the era of the film.

Final take

Swatantra Veer Savarkar can be watched if you like detailed history lessons and, of course, if you are Randeep Hooda’s fan.

Year-End Roundup: Best Hindi Web Series Of 2022

The format of “web series” has given wings to several filmmakers to experiment more. A web series doesn’t necessarily need a big star.

Indeed, web shows have turned out to be a great platform for actors who generally don’t get the same scope in films.

For example, Delhi Crime Season-1 turned out to be a major boost for the career of Shefali Shah. It showed the actress in a different light.

Here’s the list of some of the Hindi web shows that caught our attention most this year:

CAT

In Hindi cinema, Punjab has been largely restricted to mustard fields, Bhangra dances and families living in big havelis. Thankfully, there have also been exceptions.

The most important of them is Abhishek Chaubey’s Udta Punjab.

Though the movie faced a lot of problems with the censor, as it showed the menace of drug abuse, it eventually came out with flying colours.

CAT, directed by Balwinder Singh Janjua, tackles two dark aspects of Punjab. One is militancy and the other is drugs.

Its central protagonist, Randeep Hooda, plays Garry aka Gurman Singh. In the past, he was roped in by the Punjab police to spy against the militants. Hence the name CAT.

He quits that line of work and starts leading a peaceful life. But the peace is short-lived as his younger brother is doing drugs, much like several other young men of Punjab.

This leaves Garry with no option other than to become a CAT again. This time, the mission is busting the big trafficking gang run by a political leader.

However, this is just the surface of the story, as many things are happening simultaneously. Revealing anything more about the plot would be inappropriate.

The best thing about CAT is juxtaposing militancy and drugs. These are serious issues which need nuance both from the director and the writer. Thankfully, Balwinder Singh and Co did a fantastic job.

CAT is filled with many backstories. These stories continue to unfold even in the last episodes and make the plot more engaging.

The past and the present of Gurman have also been superbly done. The audiences constantly root for Gurnam to come out safe.

Special mention to Abhishant Rana who plays the younger version of Randeep. He is simply terrific.

CAT gave Randeep a vast platform to display his histrionics and the actor didn’t disappoint one bit. With this performance, he showed once again why he deserves so much more.

Delhi Crime 2

The first season of Delhi Crime was a big winner on several counts. It was based on the aftermath of the Nirbhaya case, but it was much more than just the typical police manhunt.

Director Richie Mehta made some subtle yet effective points on the socio-political conditions we live in and how these conditions influence the police force.

Richie Mehta was immensely successful in humanising the police force by showcasing their humane and vulnerable side.

Expectations from Season 2 of the web series were naturally bigger. Shefali Shah returned as DCP Varthika. Some of the faces from Season 1 were also in this series, like Rasika Dugal.

Delhi Crime 2 focuses on the crimes committed by the much-feared “Kachchha Baniyan” gang.

Senior citizens living in gated communities are their target. The reason for their name is their dress while committing these crimes. All the members of this gang are dressed only in underclothes.

Additionally, their bodies are smeared with oil. As a result, it is difficult to catch them during a chase.

Season 2 of Delhi Crime is directed by Tanuja Chandra, with Richie Mehta as the creative head. Tanuja Chandra highlights an important class issue through this “Kachchha Baniyan” gang.

The director makes a strong statement on the injustice done to the underprivileged tribes and the prejudices attached to them. The show also addresses the disparities in society and how it leads to such crimes.

The aspect of social discrimination is reflected through Tillotama Shome playing Lata Solanki. Her character is used to make a point about how no one is a born criminal.

As Varthika, Shefali Shah took off from Season 1. She continued her winning form with a performance that adds to her versatility.

Rocket Boys

As the title suggests, Rocket Boys is essentially about India’s two eminent scientists: Dr Homi Bhabha and Dr Vikram Sarabhai (Jim Sarbh and Ishwak Singh in the series). This web show looks at the journey of India’s nuclear and space programme.

Director Abhay Pannu spans his story across three decades starting from the events of 1942.

A young Sarabhai is forced to return to India on account of the war in Britain. He has an ambition of sending rockets into space someday. With this in mind, he joins Homi Bhabha’s atomic research unit.  A deep bond develops between them.

With a story like this, it is easy to get into the zone of jingoism but thankfully, Abhay does not commit that mistake.

Instead, he focuses more on the distinct personalities of the two scientists. While Jim Sarbh as Homi Bhabha is more of an extrovert, Ishwak as Sarabhai is more of a calm-going man.

The juxtaposing of these two qualities makes the screenplay more riveting. Their journeys and the dreams of making it big are well captured by the director.

The Rocket Boys series does not confine itself to just science. It also looks at the politics of those times. The technical departments of the film did a fantastic job of recreating that period.

Both Jim Sarbh and Ishwak live their parts. Jim in particular does a swell job of capturing the madness of Homi Bhabha.

The women characters are thankfully not relegated to the background.

Regina Cassandra brings an old-world charm and her scenes with Ishwak are wonderful to watch. Saba Azad as the lawyer brings a certain fire to her part.

The Great Indian Murder

The Great Indian Murder is based on the book The Six Suspects written by Vikas Swarup, who also wrote the book Q&A, which was later made into Slumdog Millionaire. The book explored the different aspects of our society like the rampant corruption that runs through all the systems.

Vikas Swarup used the mode of investigative thriller to highlight this issue. For those who have not read the book, the story focuses on the murder of a playboy called Vicky Rai.

He is the spoiled son of a politician in Uttar Pradesh. He gets embroiled in a murder case. but thanks to his social status, he comes out scot-free.

Vicky throws a party to celebrate his acquittal in which he gets killed by a gunshot. Six guests are arrested on the grounds of suspicion.

Tigmanshu Dhulia adapted this story and did a good job for the most part. The best thing about his direction is his use of each character. Each one of them reveals a different side of our society.

My favourite one is the track by Shashank Arora. Though a thief, he has inherent decency in him and Tigmanshu did a very good job of exploring it.

The trajectory of his role has an emotional touch. His love for Vicky Rai’s sister and how he goes out of the way to help her leaves the viewers emotional.

Another track worth mentioning is that of Raghubir Yadav. His split personality gives the series some of its best moments.

The scenes where he plays Gandhian are very amusing. Tigmanshu takes several jibes through his character.

Needless to say, Shashank and Raghubir Yadav are the best performers in this ensemble.

Tigmanshu also made it effective by using the Rashomon approach. There is a lot of back and forth and the events keep on changing. Still, the tightness of the script makes sure that the audience does not get bored.

An underlining theme of the show is the manipulation of evidence for political mileage.

The Great Indian Murder web series has its share of flaws too. For example, Paoli Dam playing the actress is given a strong beginning but midway through, she disappears.

Also, the tying up of some subplots could have been better. Apart from these, it is a binge-worthy series.

CAT: Randeep Hooda Leads This Powerful Concoction Of Militancy And Drugs

Directors Balwinder Singh along with Janjua Rupinder and others present a Punjab that goes much beyond the mustard fields and Bhangra dances

CAT (Hindi Web Series)           4 out of 5

Starcast: Randeep Hooda, Hasleen Kaur, Survinder Vicky and others

Creator, writer and director: Balwinder Singh Janjua

Additional writers: Rupinder Chahal, Anil Rodhan and Jimmy Singh

Additional directors: Rupinder Chahal and Jimmy Singh

Producers: Balwinder Singh Janjua and Panchali Chakraverty

Production companies: Movie Tunnel Production and Jelly Bean Entertainment

Genre: Crime thriller/drama

No of episodes: 8

Streaming site: Netflix

The representation of Punjab in Hindi Cinema so far has been largely about mustard fields, Bhangra dances and families living in big havelis. However there have also been exceptions like Abhishek Chaubey’s Udta Punjab. Udta Punjab was a searing take on the heavy drug abuse and its aftereffects in Punjab. For obvious reasons it faced issues with the censor: however the film eventually came out with flying colors. CAT directed by Balwinder Singh Janjua tackles both militancy and drugs through its protagonist. The past of CAT aka Garry aka Gurnam singh was ravaged by militancy and his future is threatened by drugs.

For those who don’t know the word CAT it refers to people who were roped by the Punjab police to spy against the militants. Certain events force a young Gary to become a CAT. He later quits that line of work and starts leading a peaceful life as a mechanic. However things take a turn when he finds that his younger brother is doing drugs much like many young men of Punjab. This leaves him with no other option other than to become a CAT again, this time the mission is busting a huge drug trafficking run by a political leader Madam Aulakh (Geeta Agarwal).

Randeep Hooda has a vast platform to display his histrionic and the actor does not disappoint.

However, this is just the surface of the story as many things are happening simultaneously. For example there is a sportsman turned drug trafficker Laadi (Dakssh Ajit Singh). Another important character is that of police officer Babita (Hasleen Kaur). In a nutshell the series is about whether Gurman is able to bust drug trafficking and more importantly whether he is being used as a pawn by his superiors.

The best thing about CAT is how the director along with his writers use the backdrop of militancy and drugs. Both are serious issues which need nuance and the team does a mighty good job. All the central characters have got their own back stories and this helps in adding more intrigue. Some of the back stories continue to unfold even in the last episodes but as an audience you don’t complain.

Balwinder Singh also deserves credit for how he intersperses the past and the present of Gurnam. They add to the drama and as an audience you root for Gurnam. Special mention here must be made of Abhishant Rana who plays Randeep’s younger version. Abhishant is terrific in his portrayal of a young man who has lost his parents. There is a scene where Abhishant kills a man in the field and blood splashes all over his face. It is a scene that is going to stay with you for some time.

Another track worth mentioning here is that of Survinder Vicky who plays Gurnam’s handler. The scenes featuring these two give the show some of its best moments.

Balwnder Singh Janjua, director, tackles both militancy and drug menace.

Through the eight episodes the director weaves a narrative that packs in a lot. The nexus between politicians and police, along with the web of doping in sports, gun culture among other aspects could have easily become convoluted.  But thankfully it doesn’t because of the tight direction and writing.

CAT gives Randeep Hooda a vast platform to display his histrionics and the actor doesn’t disappoint. With this performance he shows once again why he is one of the most talented actors around who deserves much more.

He is supremely effective in bringing both the vulnerability and strength of Gurnam. Among the supporting actors Hasleen Kaur does a wonderful job in her de-glam avatar. Survinder Vicky as the handler is brilliant in showcasing the ambition, jealousy and lust for power.

Final word: CAT is a thrilling ride that keeps you invested in the emotional journey of its protagonist. It takes us a step ahead from Udta Punjab. Randeep Hooda is the icing on the cake.