The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005)

Director:

Ketan Mehta

Writers:

Farrukh Dhondy (screenplay)
Ranjit Kapoor (Hindi dialogue)

Release Date:

12 August 2005 (India)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Legend of Mangal Pandey

Plot:

Based on the life and times of Mangal Pandey, 1857: The Rising is a film about the leader of the 1857 mutiny and his fight against the British rule.

Plot Keywords:

Prostitute | Sweeper | Shirtless Male Bondage | Courtesan | Epic

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Aamir Khan	...	Sepoy Mangal Pandey
Rani Mukherjee	...	Heera (as Rani Mukerji)
Toby Stephens	...	Captain William Gordon
Coral Beed	...	Emily
Amisha Patel	...	Jwala (as Ameesha Patel)
Kiron Kher	...	Lol Bibi (as Kirron Kher)
Om Puri	...	Narrator
Ben Nealon	...	Hewson
Habib Tanvir	...	Bahadur Shah Zafar (as Tanveer Habib)
Varsha Usgaonkar	...	Rani Laxmibai (as Rani Lakshmibai)
Kenneth Cranham	...	Kent
Tom Alter	...	Watson
Mukesh Tiwari	...	Bakht Khan
Shahbaaz Khan	...	Azimullah
Amin Hajee	...	Vir Singh

Also Known As:

1857: The Rising (India: English title) (working title)
Mangal Pandey (India: Hindi title)
Mangal Pandey: The Rising (India: English title)

Runtime:

150 min

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi | Urdu | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | India:U | Argentina:13 | Ireland:15A | UK:12A

Company:

Kaleidoscope Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

Trivia:

When Kiron Kher was first approached for the part of Noor Bibi, she turned it down for various reasons. The makers then signed on Maya Krishna Rao for the role and they shot the scenes with her. However, director Ketan Mehta and actor Aamir Khan were not happy with the scenes and performance, so they approached Kiron Kher again who then agreed to do the film.

Quotes:

Mangal Pandey: I am Hindustan.

Soundtrack:

Takey Takey

An Almost Perfect Masterpiece

What is the definition of a good movie? Has there been any movie ever made that satisfies everyone's definition of a good movie? Perhaps not.

My definition of a good movie is something that commands my attention from start to end and that helps me exercise my intellect. A good movie makes me feel good when I talk about it.

A good movie can belong to any genre and can definitely have its own style (sometimes completely original). The Rising did not have a focus on the character development of all of its lead roles, like a typical movie, but that seems to be intentional. It was a little frustrating to see some movie experts dwelling on that issue.

The rising is about the character transformation of an idealistic but confused man called Mangal Pandey. It shows how he realized the true meaning of freedom and how it was passed on to an oppressed nation. The minute details of his personal life did not need any depiction in the movie. That could stir up even more controversy especially for some people in our subcontinent who need so little to feel offended and create chaos. The movie also shows the genuine remorse of a great soul like Captain Gordon who constantly tried to bring balance between rule and fairness. Hundred years old history became alive in the remarkable performances of the crew and the cast in this movie.

The movie is a masterpiece in almost all aspects. I sincerely have not seen many Indian movies of this standard. The only criticism I would have is the placement of the holy festival which could have been discarded in favor of showing more development of mutiny preparation, politics of the Indian kings and above all some more drama. The last 15-20 minutes seemed to have hasted a bit. The dance sequence of the two gypsy girls also felt a bit out of place.

Overall, I must say that I felt deeply satisfied after watching this movie.