Movie Review Of 23rd march 1931 - Shaheed. Review on 23rd March 1931 - Shaheed

Psst - This section will contain some inside trivia about the film.

Quotes - Good one liners from the movie.

Oops - Goofs From the movie.

Director - Guddu Dhanoa

Screenplay - Sanjay Masoom & Manoj Kumar

Second of the four movies to be released on The life of India's most honured revolutionary Bhagat Singh. Starts from the time Bhagat Singh is about to be hanged and then goes in Flashback. A young Bhagat Singh is traumatised by The Jalianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 and he makess a vow to revolt against the british. When he is in college, Bhagat Singh (Bobby Deol) along with Sukhdev(Rahul Dev) and Rajguru(Vicky Ahuja ) stand alongside Lala Lajpatrai and take out a procession against the Simon Commission. Lala Lajpat Rai dies due to head injuries after the britishers start a lathi charge agaisnt them. To avenege, Bhagat Singh and Rajguru kill Inspector Saunders. We also see his friendship with his mentor Chandrashekar Azad(Sunny Deol). The rest of the film takes a look at all the events in bhagat Singh's life from The kakori train robbery conspiracy to the throwing of harmless bombs in the central assembly in a protest against the Trade Dispute bill and the public safety bill(Which were passed as acts eventually). His days in Jail where he goes on a more then 40 day hunger strike is shown very nicely. The Ultimate end when he is about to be hanged is also one of the highlight of the movie. Largely, 23rd March 1931 - Shaheed is actually a remake of the Manoj Kumar's Clasic Shaheed. Well Supported by amrita Singh as Bhagat Singh's Mother, Shakti Kapoor as the kind hearted Warden and Suresh Oberoi as the strict Jailor. Although rahul Dev and Vicky Ahuja have sadly nothing much to do, It is Bobby Deol who has given the performance of a life time as the young revoultionary. Surely this is one image changing role for him. Worth a watch. Only weak point of this movie is that the director tries to make it like a commercial hindi potboler rather then a serious historical film at many pints. There is a one song cameo by Aishwaria Rai as Bhagat Singh's to be fiancee.

Psst -

1) Released on the same day as Rajkumar Santoshi's film ''The Legend OF Bhagat Singh''. This is perhaps the first time in the history of World Cinema where 2 movies on the same topic have been released on the same date.

2) Sunny Deol originally wanted Rajkumar Santoshi to direct the film but Rajkumar Santoshi already had a film in the making on bhagat singh. Rajkumar Santoshi wanted Ajay dvgan in the role while Sunny Deol wanted Bobby Deol in the lead role so they fell apart.

3) Manoj Kumar was supposed to remake his own Shaheed with son Kunal Goswami in the lead but he shelved the project after 4 movies were being madeon the subject. He co-scripted this movie although he was never credited for it. 4) A huge fire in the final few days of shooting had burnt an entire set for this movie. Loss was about Rs 10 million. The spirit of the crew was so good that even after such a huge loss they managed to complete the film and release it in time.

5) Almost all the Crew, except Suresh Oberoi and Aishwaria Rai, are originally from Punjab. Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol and Producer Dharmendra all follow Arya Samaj which is the same as Bhagat Singh and his family.

6) There is this actor Peter Rueckert, who finds himself in at least three versions of the Bhagat Singh films. He plays Lord Simon for Raj Kumar Santoshi’s The Legend of Bhagat Singh, a public prosecutor for Tarun Wadhwa’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh and a police officer in the Deol’s 23rd March 1931: SHAHEED.

7) Sunny Deol had originally signed up Sanjay Dutt in the role of Qahar Singh but he cancelled it as the director did not want any fictious character in the film. For those who dont know, Pran played the role of Qahar Singh in Manoj Kumar's Shaheed and in reality there was no such person.

8) Director Guddu Dhanoa is Producer Dharmendra's far off cousin.

Quotes

1) ''Kya hum karodo log is lakho ko bhaga nahi sakte?''

2) '' Azadi ki sooraj ki kirane hum main se shayad koi dekh nahi sakhega. Hum Azadi ki woh ladai ladne jaa rahe hai, jiski jeet humari maut main hai.''

3) ''Inqalab Zindabad.'' 4) ''Down With British Imperialism. Long Live Revolution.''

5) ''Isi Miti se janma hoo aur isi mitti main mil jaaoga.'' 6) ''Mere gale main ek nishan hoga.''

7) ''I am Bhagat Singh's father, Kishen Singh.''

8) ''Jis parmatma ko maine saari zindagi yaad nahi kiya, use main marne se pehle yaad karooga to woh mujhe kayar samjega. Main usi tarah marna chahta hoo jis tarah main jeeya hoo.''

Oops

1) Bhagat Singh's Family hears of The Jalianwala Bagh Massacre on radio. There were no radio or radio Broadcast during the time of the Jalian Wala bagh massacre in 1919. The All India Radio Service started much later in the 1930's.

2) Except for Bhagat Singh's Mother, who was a sikh, everyone in his family also followed the arya samaj. This means there was no way they would have carried a kirpan (Holy Dagger). We see Ajit Singh (Bhagat Singh's uncle) carry a kirpan in some scenes.

3) You can easily make out that what is shown as an ariel view of the jail is actually a miniature set.

4) In the hospital where lala lajpat rai is admitted we just see sign of departments like X-Ray and emmergency but we never see the door of the rooms. The signs are just hanging on the wall.

5) Bhagat Singh at one point talks to Chandrashekar Azad about how people fight dividely in Bengal, Bihar and Maharashtra. This is a mistake. The state of Maharashtra was never formed till May 1st 1960. It was then known as the state of Bombay.

6) The lawyers dress worn by Sachin Khedekar is also not correct. That time they use to wear a gown and NOT a coat.