POPCORN ENTERTAINMENT RATING – 4/5

Historically, we dont have enough knowledge and material about Subedar Tanaji Malusare, except the fact that he was a trusted lieutenent of Chatrapathi Shivaji and one of the valourous fighters who gave up his life battling against the Mughals in the Battle of Sinhagad, in quest of the Sinhagad fort near Pune. So its really heartening that despite being crippled with less material, the makers have fleshed out a solid material to showcase the ferocity and courage of Tanhaji and the Marathas . Creative liberties have been taken and much of the story is borderline fallacious, but there is so much to appreciate in Tanhaji, the Unsung Warrior that you can easily overlook its flaws and relish this sweeping extravaganza.

In one of the best period films in recent times, Ajay Devgan stars in the titular role of Tanhaji, a courageous braveheart who leaves his sons marriage in midway to stop the marauding Mughals to reconquer the Sinhagad Fort from the clutches of a maverick and cruel commander Udaybhan ( Saif Ali Khan) and his troops. First time director Om Raut enmeshes fiction with history proficiently and makes it a savage battle fraught with strategy and skill.

The makers have mounted the film on a humongous scale, adorned with beautiful aesthetics, lavish sets, and costumes. The intention of the makers is clear right from the opening scene – to stage a fervid and passionate saga of valor . A booming background music in every frame coupled with sweeping action sets adds up to the dexterous atmospherics created by the makers. Much of the focus has been invested in the strategy and brains behind the battle scenes, which is evident as they are literally jawdropping. The entry scene of Tanhaji and his coterie diving down through the narrow ravines towards the enemy, and finally annihilating them is spectacularly staged, and the climactic battle between Udaybhan and Tanhaji is nothing short of spellbinding. The film does suffer though from a brittle amount of artifice in its characterization of Mughals as sole invaders and crusaders and carries distinct favoritism in painting the Marathas as Swaraj protectors, with every dialogue celebrating the Maratha spirit.

But despite its minor shortcomings, Tanaji is actually an entertaining watch and is greatly benefited from a solid string of actors. Sharad Kelkar as Chatrapati Shivaji is brilliant, bringing out the innate humanity with sincere gravitas. Kajol as Tanaji’s wife Savithri is nicely cast. Her scenes with Ajay Devgan are fresh and endearing, with the real-life couple sharing an effortless camaraderie. Ajay Devgan nails the role of Tanaji with precision, channelizing his courage with mesmerizing intensity. The actor is particularly in ease in the film’s terrific action scenes. And in the principal antagonist role, Saif Ali Khan powers Udaybhan with a scrumptious vile, bringing out the devil within him with unrelenting brutality. His sadistic expressions on savage torture are pure gold, and the actor seems to be thoroughly enjoying himself in a role tailor-made for him.

Slickly made with a tight duration of 2 hours 15 mins, Tanhaji is a visual delight. Watch the visceral climax battle scenes between UdayBhan and Tanaji, and you will get bang of your buck. Its a classic example of robust and solid filmmaking. Go for it !