I was quite excited to see this film. India is a great nation with a rich and vast history. The premise and title showed it could be a great historical film. Sadly I was left rather disappointed. A number of things could have been tweaked or changed which makes this a missed opportunity.
For most of this film it was somewhat hard to follow what was going on in some parts. We can understand the premise but the background that led to his exile and how he lost everything was loosely depicted. One could not follow exactly what was happening and I had to look up Wikipedia for information. Certain historical figures could have been used more such as Queen Victoria. This film never felt too coherent and quite disjointed, it recklessly jumped from scene to scene. With such great subject matter its a shame such a good story was badly told.
Another thing I feel to mention is the lack of compassion I feel for the main character and historical figure. It is undeniable that India was under brutal and horrid British rule but did this Prince really get the short end of the straw? He was treated as royalty in England, captured the Queen's attention and lived in luxury for his young adult life. He also could have any woman he chooses. Life is not always fair but you make do with the hand you are dealt and the hand Duleep Singh was dealt was not so bad and he could make the best of his situation rather than completely turn his back on those who cared for him. Based purely on the film and information available online perhaps Duleep experienced so much loss in his adult life because he did not appreciate what he already had. Important to note that as an Indian he was treated with great respect and affection on British soil unlike Indians on Indian soil, it was his choice to denounce his new family. As Queen Victoria said there is no government built on truth. Nevertheless it could have been a great film but sadly lacked coherence and acute direction.
6/10
For most of this film it was somewhat hard to follow what was going on in some parts. We can understand the premise but the background that led to his exile and how he lost everything was loosely depicted. One could not follow exactly what was happening and I had to look up Wikipedia for information. Certain historical figures could have been used more such as Queen Victoria. This film never felt too coherent and quite disjointed, it recklessly jumped from scene to scene. With such great subject matter its a shame such a good story was badly told.
Another thing I feel to mention is the lack of compassion I feel for the main character and historical figure. It is undeniable that India was under brutal and horrid British rule but did this Prince really get the short end of the straw? He was treated as royalty in England, captured the Queen's attention and lived in luxury for his young adult life. He also could have any woman he chooses. Life is not always fair but you make do with the hand you are dealt and the hand Duleep Singh was dealt was not so bad and he could make the best of his situation rather than completely turn his back on those who cared for him. Based purely on the film and information available online perhaps Duleep experienced so much loss in his adult life because he did not appreciate what he already had. Important to note that as an Indian he was treated with great respect and affection on British soil unlike Indians on Indian soil, it was his choice to denounce his new family. As Queen Victoria said there is no government built on truth. Nevertheless it could have been a great film but sadly lacked coherence and acute direction.
6/10
