Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is a historical biographical film on the life of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. It is a directorial debut, co-written, and co-produced by Randeep Hooda, who also plays the titular role of Savarkar. Randeep Hooda took over directing the film from Mahesh Manjrekar, who quit the project citing differences with Randeep over the script and inclusion of irrelevant historical figures and events. It was theatrically released in India on 22nd March 2024 in Hindi, along with a Marathi dubbed version.
Star Cast:
Randeep Hooda as Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
Ankita Lokhande as Yamunabai Savarkar
Amit Sial as Ganesh Damodar Savarkar
Rajesh Khera as MK Gandhi
Lokesh Mittal as B. R. Ambedkar
Brajesh Jha as Subhash Chandra Bose
Russell Geoffrey Banks as David Barry
Mark Bennington as Reginald Craddock
Richard Bhakti Klein as Curzon Wyllie
Nitesh Thakur as Lala Hardayal
MOVIE REVIEW: Swatantrya Veer Savarkar struggles to make a lasting impact despite the commendable performance by Randeep Hooda due to his mediocre direction and inconsistent execution. A biopic spanning over a century of India’s history, the narrative ambitiously covers key events from Savarkar’s life, from the pre to post-independence era.
The portrayal of Savarkar’s endurance through years of torture in the cellular jail stands out as one of the film’s most poignant aspects. Additionally, the depiction of his family’s contributions to the freedom struggle, the formation of the secret society Abhinav Bharat, and the activities at India House are well-executed. Despite its ambitious scope, the film fails to do justice to the remarkable life of Veer Savarkar.
Randeep Hooda shines in his role, bringing depth and conviction to Savarkar’s character. Amit Sial also delivers a passionate performance, as he consistently does in his roles. Russell Geoffrey Banks delivers a good performance. However, Ankita Lokhande’s portrayal was average. All the other supporting actors were just fine in their roles.
The film suffers from several flaws in writing, pacing, and editing. Its excessive length of nearly three hours becomes a significant drawback, contributing to the sense of a never-ending saga. The second half, in particular, falters both in terms of narrative progression and direction. Another notable issue is the portrayal of the Congress Party and MK Gandhi, depicted solely in a negative light, which detracts from the film’s historical accuracy and depth.
Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Movie Rating:
Direction 2/5
Acting 3/5
Editing 2/5
Story 3/5
Screenplay 2.5/5
Overall Hit ya Flop Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars (AVG)
