Shoojit Sircar’s new flick is a homage to Sardar Udham Singh, an unsung Indian revolutionary who planned, executed, and finally assassinated Michael O’Dwyer in London during the year 1940, to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (of 1919). The former British colonial official was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab (British India) at the time, committing the heinous crime at Jalianwala.

Its a diabolical event, and an interesting piece to commemorate one of the valours of India.This period drama set during the pre-independence days is based on true events. But unlike the usual patriotic bollywood sagas, this film is everything minus the crackling dialogue baazi that we usually see. Its a cerebral representation of the protagonist ( Vicky Kaushal) who exudes melancholy and grief in his silence. His strength is powered by the loss he faced during this barbaric event. He was 20 then, and now after 20 years later, he avenges his pain and decides to bring down the man who shattered his life.

The concept is great, but the execution is not. Shoojit clearly sets the tone , of a revolutionary whose fortitude gears through his eyes . Set during the world war II, the film constantly shuttles between past and present, and is more inclined towards understanding the emotional journey of Sardar Uddham Singh, a boy from Amritsar who decides to take the cudgels on himself to take revenge for the atrocities he faced in the past. But the relentless pursuit of Udham in tracking down Dyer in this slow, observant way gets exhausting after a point. It was difficult to feel myself invested in the proceedings. Throughout the film, you feel a tickling bomb is about to explode, but it never does. The film’s inordinate length also doesn’t help. Udhams inner turmoil is amplified by solid amount of silence, but the past present narrative struggles to hold your attention. Subtlety which is Shoojit’s one of biggest strengths is in abundance here, and that backfires as the film tests your patience throughout. There is a scene where the JallianWala Bagh massacre is reenacted, and it unsettles you emotionally. It’s an extremely powerful scene , as the entire massacre sequence captures Avik Mukhopadhyay’s visually unblemished cinematography. From climbing over a hill of dead bodies, humans crumbling humans and running helter skelter amidst the barbaric firing by General Dwyer an Co, but eventually the effect of it subsides quickly because you are brought back to the solitude of Udham and his quiet struggle to achieve his goal.

Vicky Kaushal as the primary protagonist does a terrific job, as he charters through new territory. His eyes do most of the talking and he ensures he doesn’t go overboard. But rough edges are still there, and how you wish Irrfan Khan ( who was originally supposed to do the film) would have creamed through this tailor made role for him. Yet Vicky shines, especially in those portions where he plays the 20 year old. In his entire character arc from a 20 to a 40 year old, he brings out his poignancy brilliantly, and nails it in the climax . Banita Sandhu, in a minuscule role plays her part exceptionally well. She is the silent supporter of Udham, and provides a shoulder to him to lend him comfort. The actors playing the Britishers ( Stephen Hogan, Sam Redford) play out their part really well.

Shoojit’s direction purely focusses on the inherent fortitude of Udham Singh, and his harbored pain for almost 2 decades. You can correlate this film with Shoojit’s previous October, which again dealt with death, grief and silence. But October was a personal tragedy, and Udham Singh is set during the war time . Shoojit weaves out the grief well but its the butt numbing length of the film which exhausts you. Yet Sardar Udhham Singh deserves a watch, for his slient courage and his singular mission for equality with the Britishers. His pain and thirst to exact revenge takes him to several continents. I am going with 3 out of 5 for Sardar Udham Singh, currently streaming on Amazon Prime. If you want to witness a heroic tale of a man passionate about his country within his own confines, this film is for you!