This movie worth watching because of Aamir Khan. No doubt he is a true legend. Aamir Khan has always given more than 100% in every movie he has acted in. Even after working for only around 30 movies in 15 years he has managed to stay in the limelite and produce masterpieces. Very few actors can actually rise above the script and direction and single handedly make the movie run house full even before it’s release. Aamir Khan is one of those very few stars. Even Shahrukh Khan with his media presence and with the help of Yash Chopra / Karan Johar clan can’t make movies a hit.

Before release. 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. 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. I saw the movie Mangal Pandey and the images are still quite vivid in my mind. I attribute this to the wonderful cinematography and the colourful canvas that Ketan Mehta uses to unfold the story before his audience. The madness in Mangal Pandey’s, roughly translated as ’’junoon’’ can only be portrayed by a great actor.

A. R. Rehman’s music is so good that it can make your hair stand on end. The four story tellers atop an elephant visiting villages as they tell their story is a great narrative technique. The reviews of the film in the Indian media shocked me. I fail to understand the motive or even the thought process behind them unless it is that we are all in the danger of succumbing to cheap cynicism when feelings or ideas of patriotism come up in a creative form. People have complained about the colour and the song and dance that Ketan Mehta has used.

I believe this is because of two reasons -- one is that Ketan Mehta has a theatre background and this is a part of folk theatre - to use music and dance to convey messages. The other reason is that in a movie dealing with the tragic consequences of brave actions it is important to to provide some kind of relief. Even the presence of the two women which has has been criticised, is important to give the feel of the time. Mangal Pandey had to be shown as a real living human being not some flat lifeless character unearthed from dusty history books.

One of the female characters brought to light the repugnant practise of Sati whereas the nautch girl was used to depict the presence of pleasure houses for the company employees. Both are necessary to give us a realistic picture of that era. A comment was made elsewhere that the younger audiences found it hard to connect with the historical character. Is it easier, then, for the youth of modern India to connect with MTV and reality shows with no content? And if this is so then does it not become even more important for our film makers to produce films with real content.

That may inspire pride in our culture and history? Mangal Pandey is a great film. From the first scene to the last you can see the immense amount of hard work that has gone into its making. The only thing that rankled was the voice over provided by Om Puri. It was unnecessary. I think the movie deserves great accolades. My point is to inform my readers that finally a film has emerged from India that takes us back to the golden era of movies, when dedicated filmmakers like Mehboob Khan, when geniuses like Naushad and Majrooh Sultanpuri,

When committed filmmakers like Guru Dutt touched our hearts and our souls. When K.Asif made Mughal-E-Azam which retains its magic and luster even forty-five years after its release. The Rising is that kind of movie. It tells us, in no uncertain terms, what a movie can do and what movie magic is all about. After Mehboob Khan, Ketan Mehta is another gift from Gujarat to the Bombay film industry. He has directed The Rising with amazing dexterity and professional competence. His cameraman Dhamija is almost as good as Faredoon Irani, Jal Mistry or R.D.Mathur.

And they as everyone knows were giants. The art direction, the editing, the choreography is top notch. And as far as performances are concerned it will be a long time before somebody even comes close to Aamir Khan. He has stretched himself to the limit and then gone beyond it. Toby Stephens gives him excellent support. Rani and Amisha in their small roles are effective. The team of Javed Akhtar and A.R. Rahman are once again at their very best. Rahman’s background score, though unobtrusive, is awesome.

This is a movie that keeps you absorbed from start to finish. It is gripping, entertaining and what’s more enlightening and with each viewing you like it more. It deserves to be India’s entry for the Oscars. If it is sent by India, it will definitely be nominated in all eligible categories and win in most categories, especially in the best foreign film category. The entire team behind the creation of this great movie deserves to be applauded and congratulated.

Plot Revealed In The Review:	Not revealed
Best to watch with:	Alone
Movie Genre:	Serious Movie
Best part in the movie:	Cast