I gave it a 7.5 out of 10

Brilliant and touching

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

A colourful Bollywood film, typically melodramatic, which co stars Toby Stephens as a native-sympathetic Engish officer on the eve of the First War of Indian Independence (formerly the Indian Mutiny, 1857). Aamir Khan looks good but is a bit lightweight and without depth as the central hero. Well staged and photographed, the long (210mins!) film suffers from some intrusive narration and several needless songs, which detract from the required gravity of events. Also it failed to transmit any real, necessary, social outrage at British rule a la Braveheart - instead substituting stereotypes for historical accuracy. Good to see the British in a less than positive light in this imperial context though, while Stephen's Indian dialogue, which didn't seem to be dubbed, was very impressively carried off. Film included one kiss, as well as some overt, non-symbolic lovemaking - a refreshing sign of the new Indian censorship policy. But it was all more entertaining than the plodding JINNAH (1998), also seen of late, in which another English actor, Christopher Lee, has a central role in playing similarly momentous events - this time as the founder of modern Pakistan. Another film handicapped by unimaginative incidentals, this time a clumsy framing device.SPOILER Best moment: at the end, when the hero, about to be hung for his part in the uprising, shouts ATTACK!!! is hoisted upwards to infinity while the appalled crowd of native onlookers surge forward to start the revolution. Even Prince Charles apparently clapped at this at the premiere...

I watched it in the first week itself. the story isn't good, the direction is bad but only thing what makes this movie worth watching is Amir Khan. No doubt hes a true legend. Amir Khan has always given more than 100% in every movie hes acted. Even after working for only around 40 movies in 10 years hes managed to stay in limelite and produce masterpieces. Very few actors can actually rise above the script and direction and singlehandedly make the movie run house full even before its release. Amir khan is one of those very few Stars. Even Shahrukh khan with his media presence and Yash/johar clan cant make movies a hit before release. Amir khan new this movie might not be a big hit. He marketed it in such a way that the distributors recovered everything in the three weeks of release.

I was surprised, not only to watch the worst movie ever on the first Revolution of India against the East India Company, but also by the Ketan Mehta and Co. for daring to change the course of history. Well, if this is democracy and right to amend the history, what will the children of tomorrow learn from this movie?Mr. Ketan Mehta should have watched a couple of finest movies on "REVOLUTION". The list should have been THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, GLORY, or Emir Kusturica's UNDERGROUND.It seems the director and the screenplay writer tried to build on BRAVEHEART and ROBINHOOD: Prince of Thieves, not concentrating on the portraits of the rebellion or revolution but too much on the romance!Every country boasts of their movies for the struggle of Independence, and if this the one we have to boast of, it's really a shame! Where from the character of Rani Mukherjee rise is still an enigma! Are we compelled to bring in romantic songs and dance numbers in a movie which depicts revolution? I doubt the authenticity of the movie script. And it is just that the descendants of Mangal Pandey have files a case against the production of this movie.If they can relate a prostitute with Mangal Pandey, a day will come when we have to see Mahatma Gandhi as a Calvin Klein model, Lala Lajpat Rai as a drunkard and Subhas Bose as Casanova who goes to bar to dance with bar girls!! Who knows what are other reserves!!Isn't this a mockery in the name of independence? Democracy doesn't mean you can do anything else, like changing history. This movie really sucks! Mangal Pandey, thank GOD you are not alive to see it by yourself, at least me and my friends (all Indian) could not!Please, enough is enough, at least Bollywood is good for entertainment, now don't play with the sentiments of Indian Revolution. There are still people alive who fought for the freedom, don't belittle their struggle and pain.Shame on you Mr. Mehta.

This is a difficult movie to watch because after all the wait and hype, it's simply not a story well-told. At the interval, I had absolutely no interest in any of the characters, and I really didn't even want to see the second half of the film.Yes, the cinematography is good, and the acting is good, but somewhere in the editing room enough of the movie was cut out that what is left doesn't flow. Even the songs suddenly appear for no reason or with no connection to the previous scene.To whatever extent it will instill Indian pride, I applaud the film. But talks of an Oscar are utter nonsense as this movie has no international appeal. To compare it to Lagaan is absurd. We westerners are clueless about cricket, but we were totally drawn into that story and its characters. The Rising bombs on that front.