Mangal Pandey - The Rising (2005) - Aamir Khan - Rani Mukherjee - Bollywood - Indian Cinema - Hindi Film [DVD] [NTSC]

This is an deeply engaging, colourful, entertaining, informative, and insightful film about an event in Indian history that we should all know more about: The First Indian War of Independence (1857) -- known to many of us as the Sepoy Mutiny. The acting is superb, with Aamir Khan a feast for the eye and soul, and Toby Stephens brilliant in a role where he speaks mostly Hindi -- and speaks it very well, too! He is quite extraordinary in the role of an officer of the East India Company with divided loyalties.

As well as entertaining us in great style, the film whets our appetites to find out more about the rich and complex history of India and of the Raj. As entertainment, there is music, colour, dancing, movie stars of enchanting beauty and grace on display -- let's face it, this is an entertainment! -- and some exemplary acting as well.

People who take a dim view of Bollywood movies will be quite surprised and astounded by this film for its depth of feeling, its scintillating acting, and the challenges it poses to the mind and heart. For those who saw Aamir Khan's earlier outing, Lagaan, and were hooked, this latest film will be a treat. For those who found Lagaan too black-and-white, too simply laid out with the moral high ground too easily won, be assured that there is are new-found depths and complexities to be experienced in Mangal Pandey...and yet the film never fails to entertain.

It seems to me that Aamir Khan is the man to watch where Indian cinema is concerned -- he has the 'common touch' and mass appeal, and his films are richly entertaining, but he is introducing a mass audience to the public and engaged examination of difficult issues arising from a colonial legacy. He also invites western audiences to a fresh look at the history of the Raj, to try to really get to some balanced understanding of the colonial legacy. Khan is getting a lot of people -- in India, the UK, the US, and anywhere there are cinemas or DVDs -- interested and engaged in colonial discourse. It's great! His next outing is, I believe, a new film of The Mahabharata. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to that one! Please do see Mangal Pandey: the Rising. After that, I hope you will look forward to seeing The Mahabharata, too!

Every History, Politics and Economics student should be shown this movie. It has important lessons for everyone. Aamir Khan confirms his position as probably the most important actor of his generation with an understated performance full of power and integrity. Rani Mukerji has never looked more beautiful and is growing as an actress in each one of her movies. I'm looking forward to seeing her in 'London Dreams'. Toby Stephens also puts in a fine performance as the British Officer. One piece of advice, however. Make sure you also watch the deleted scenes as they tie up several of the loose ends left dangling at the end of the movie. This film is a triumph for the Yash Raj studio which has succeeded in stretching the limits of what makes a Bollywood movie once again. It's also a triumph for Bollywood in general which continues to increase its audience worldwide with movies that matter like this one.

Before I begin my dissection of this epic, let me just remind you the image Bollywood has in the west is 3 hour plus long movies with more songs & dance sequences then actual narrative or action and little storyline, if this is your image of Bollywood I strongly advise you to watch this film. A Historical epic based on true evens and real people, this really does break the mould of your typical Hindi movie.

The story centres on events in 1857, during British Rule of India. Many historians believe the Indian Independence movement began here, almost 90 years before India actually received its independence from British rule. We begin the story be being introduced to the central character, Mangal Pandey (played brilliantly by Aamir Khan, a native sepoy (frontline British army soldier) working for the East India Company on behalf of the British Raj.

He begins a strong friendship with his commanding British officer, William Gordon (played by Toby Stephans), by saving him an a war with Afghanistan. The story accelerates from here introducing us to the way of life the Sepoy lives, totally loyal to the companies regime, loosing their tradition and culture. When the Sepoy's are asked to use a new gun cartridge greased with the fat of cows & pigs (against the religions of both Hindu's & Muslims) they all face conflict within, do they go against their faith & heritage or carry on to follow the "companies" rules?

When Gordon promise his friend Mangal that the cartridges will not damage his faith and are not greased with animal fat, Mangal believes him and trusts his friend but also warning if the facts are false and the rumour is true he will burn the entire company down to the ground ! You have to realise when your watching this spectacle these events really happened, and India was under the rule of the British who used over 300,000 native Indians in their armed regiments to control the Indian sub continent under an iron fist, and they promised to always have their best interests at heart. When the truth emerges about these controversial gun cartridges, Magal Pandey explodes and a mutiny begins within the ranks of the sepoys, the news spread fast. The movie has some romance too with Magal falling in love with a local prostitute hired to pleasure the British soldiers, and his friend Gordon even falls for an Indian girl.

The movie is well shot and has good narrative, it may not be to everyone's cup of tea as this is not your standard bollywood or even hollywood type film, and the music is definitely a plus point to me especially the title song "Mangal,a, Mangal, a, Mangal". Again this won't be to everyone's taste especially when the viewer is trying to sympathise with the plight of the Indian people only to see the characters burst into song and vibrant colours thrown everywhere, but this is Indian cinema so you have to get used to I, and I loved this aspect.

Overall I don't think its the cross Atlantic film that bridges the gap between American & Indian films it wants to be, trying to please Indian & western audiences is difficult especially in a historical context, but it does a good job of being a serious entertainer and definitely gave me goosebumps and made me proud of my heritage.

Bollywood movies are an acquired taste, and though this isn't technically a bollywood movie with 70% of the dialogue in English, and less resonance to the viewer with no Indian roots it still is a good entertaining film with watching as an alternative