Shershaah movie review: My needs from a patriotic movie are pretty basic. Sticking to the narrative, staying faithful to the story if based on one such incident, and no jingoism. Shershaah manages to score on most counts. It is a decent ode to the heroics of Captain Vikram Batra whose contributions to India's win over Pakistani infiltrators during the 1999 Kargil War have been remarkable. From Sidharth Malhotra’s Shershaah, Ajay Devgn’s Bhuj–The Pride of India to Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Kuruthi, the Independence Day Weekend Promises a Treat for Movie Buffs

The movie begins from the end when Captain Vikram Batra (Sidharth Malhotra) and his unit are trying to recapture an important point in Kargil that will win the war for India. The story then goes on flashback where a young Vikram is shown as a boy who is determined to take anything that is rightfully his, by any means. One day while watching Doordarshan's hit 80s show Param Vir Chakra, he decides to join the Indian Army. Many years later, he fulfills his dream and takes his first posting at Sopore. Rest is a retelling of how he goes from being a Lieutenant to a Captain and how he helped India defeat Pakistan.

The biggest triumph of Shershaah is it didn't see any need for unnecessary sloganeering. Writer Sandeep Srivastava and director Vishnu Vardhan made sure only the jargon that the troops use for their missions, as reported by the media, are incorporated in the dialogues. No pointless 'Pakistan Murdabad' or exaggerated 'Hindustan Zindabad'. Hence, Shershaah manages to rise higher than a lot of other movies of the same genre where Pak bashing is the theme. The scene where Indian soldiers cremate dead Pakistani soldiers after their country refuses to accept them thus has the right impact.

The narrative borrows heavily from the media reports which add certain genuineness to the film. Kargil war of 1999 was one the most televised wars ever and yet there's a lot of footage available. So from including a Pakistani soldier's demand for Madhuri Dixit to Batra's interview to the press to recreating the victory images at several peaks, Shershaah treads carefully on documented facts. While that has made it look a lot real, there's also a sense of responsibility to not stray from what's out there.

While the film traces Batra's journey as a child, a young adult and his romance with Dimple Cheema (Kiara Advani), it consistently builds his character as a warm, friendly, decisive and audacious individual who would go on to become one of the most inspiring war heroes of all time. Shershaah Director Vishnuvardhan: No Barriers Between Regional and Hindi Cinema; Good Content Travels Irrespective of Language! (LatestLY Exclusive)

However, whether it's a character flaw or no, Batra at times, does come across as tad disobedient. Not adhering to the commanding officer's orders or at times putting the civilians' lives at risk, Batra's way of dealing with a mission can come across as brash as well. What's a bit bothersome here is that such behaviour is celebrated in the film. Aren't there protocols for high-risk missions? Just asking!

Also, there's an informer who helps Batra capture a dreaded militant but post the capture, the character is nowhere to be seen. Batra's brother Vishal, played by Sidharth again, narrates Vikram's story but that adds nothing fresh to the story. That could have helped the film snip a few minutes off its runtime and make it a bit pacy.

Check out the trailer here

Sidharth Malhotra does a swell job as Vikram Batra. Honestly, I am a bit surprised at the way he is in control of the character. The carefree, funny and good-natured character sits quite pretty on Sidharth. He never lets this demeanour slip from the first scene till the end. For someone whose histrionics have often been questioned, Shershaah could be his answer. Kiara Advani keeps it spunky and spirited for whatever runtime she has been offered in the film. The story doesn't use her character to just be the hero's love interest but explores an important facet of Batra's life. Saheel Vaid seems like the in-house side-kick for all Dharma heroes who always live upto the expectation.

Yay!

  • A sincere retelling of Captain Vikram Batra's martyrdom

  • No sloganeering

  • Sidharth Malhotra's earnest performance

Nay!

  • Could have easily been shortened

  • Vikram Batra's character flaw glorified

  • Sidharth's avoidable double role

Final verdict:

Sidharth Malhotra's industrious performance and Vishnuvardhan's reluctance to adhere to the exaggerated tropes of patriotic films in Hindi cinema elevates Shershaah to a dignified level. It's a must for every fan of India and Bharat this Independence day. Shershaah is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Rating:3.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 12, 2021 08:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).