To be honest, I had absolutely no expectations from this film but it turned out to be a good one-time watch. Siddharth Malhotra has really improved a lot. I genuinely feel that he will surprise the audience with a wonderful performance if he gets the right director and a role that suits him. Does that mean Shershaah wasn’t for him? Yes and No!
As I said, Siddharth Malhotra’s performance has improved and I am sure with the right guidance, he will shine. When it comes to this film, he has done a good job everywhere except for the intense scenes where powerful dialogue delivery was needed. I never observed this before but for Shershaah, I did feel that at places, dialogues lost their charm as neither the performance supported them nor the music. I always feel that music is to spoken words what bold effect is to text. If not supported by a suitable background score, even the most impactful dialogues lose their essence. Giving you more clarity about Siddharth Malhotra’s weak dialogue delivery, if you watch the film, observe Major Jassi’s death scene. In a scene where everyone is gathered around the dead body, Siddharth is seeing crying where he also has a few dialogues. Close your eyes and listen carefully. If you simply listen to him, you would never know that he was crying in the scene or that it was a death scene. Voice plays a very important role when it comes to performance. Writers can write effective dialogues but if the actor simply reads out those dialogues, writers won’t be able to save the film.
Kiara Advani’s performance has started to look repetitive now.
Let’s now talk about Shershaah as a film. If you are planning to watch this movie to get to know Major Vikram Batra and his life story better than here’s bad news for you. Before the film begins, a disclaimer flashes on the screen which reads:
“…..The film has been created by the filmmakers by taking creative liberties and dramatizing the events for cinematic expressions. As this film is a fictionalised and dramatized version, no scenes should be construed to represent a true or accurate recreation of the actual events that transpired. It is not a commentary or a documentary on the characters, circumstances or situations depicted in the Film…’
You can read the entire disclaimer before the film begins but this is what it says. If you are truly interested in Major Vikram Batra’s life then there are articles and videos online. There are chunks of his interview on YouTube as well. There are videos and articles where his brother has shared his story. This information is definitely a part of Shershaah but with entertainment ka tadka.
When it comes to real-life war stories or stories about our army, our hearts do break especially when we know what destiny has in store for these bravehearts. I remember the scene where Vikram Batra promises Dimple that he would marry her after coming back. You know that this is the last time they are seeing each other, you know their future already and that is what breaks you. If this would have been fiction, trust me you wouldn’t have batted an eyelid. If you do not associate it with Major Vikram Batra, Shershaah isn’t an extra-ordinary film. I would rather watch Border again.
What’s the verdict? As I mentioned in the title, it’s a one-time watch.
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video
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