Shershaah Movie Review: An earnest portrayal of a saga of bravery

“War is a bitch, it doesn’t even let you say goodbye to your loved ones properly.” This emotionally loaded dialogue in a heart-wrenching scene captures the pain of soldiers on the battlefield.

Director Vishnuvardhan’s ‘Sher Shah’ is the journey of a patriot, the biopic of Captain Vikram Batra, an Indian Army officer who was posthumously awarded India’s highest award Param Vir Chakra for battlefield bravery after the 1999 Kargil War. .

At the very beginning we are given an insight into Vikram’s character when he tells his father, “Meri chiz mere se koi nahi chhota chitta, papa.” The film, narrated through the point of view of his brother Vishal Batra, is, while predictable, a mildly encouraging and quite entertaining portrayal of a war hero.

Despite the visionary, emotional and heart-wrenching moments, there is some freshness to the plot. The romance track between ‘Khatri Punjabi’ Vikram Batra (Siddharth Malhotra) and ‘Sardarni’ Dimple (Kiara Advani) keeps you hooked. How their love blossoms and then Vikram leaves her to follow his dream of being a part of the Indian Army is the crux of the story.

You see in Kashmir how Vikram wins the hearts of the local people and wins the trust of his superiors and colleagues. The plot is surrounded by some front-line battle scenes on Himalayan terrain, some where the Indian Army drives out terrorists from Kashmiri homes, a brutal ambush, and when Vikram, driven by grief, anger and a sense of vengeance, takes action that shortens his life.

These carnage-filled action sequences lack the haunting tension factor, despite the extensive use of special effects including sharp razor-sharp editing, stylized sequences and repeated depictions of explosions.

Sidharth Malhotra has given a charming and impressive performance and his romance with Kiara Advani is worth watching. Kiara performs well with her natural looks and consistent accent. She corresponds to the history of Siddhartha. Together, they make a wonderful pair.

Every other actor is aptly cast. They are all pitch-perfect in their mannerisms and body language and their performance keeps you hooked.

Kamaljit Negi’s cinematography is superb. His camera movements are smooth and extremely focused. Each frame is well angled and impressive. He captures vast landscapes in day and night shots, as well as other shots with equal brilliance.

Overall, the film, which is dedicated to the 527 martyrs who laid down their lives to get our land back, is a grim portrayal.