Shershaah — Yeh Dil Definitely Maange More Of Such War Films

If the Kargil war was a part of your conscious years, there is no way that you won’t recall Captain Vikram Batra (PVC). His interview with a leading news media, just after he had helped regain control over a strategic peak, has become the stuff of legends. His studied nonchalance & confidence infused passion across the country as the Indian army fought at the border.

Shershaah, directed by Vishnu Varadhan, is a passionate film & introduces Sidharth Malhotra as an actor and not just a star. While when in the avatar of an army man, Siddharth lacked the gravitas required at times, he was on point when it came to portraying the personal life of Vikram Batra. His chemistry with Kiara Advani (playing Dimple Cheema, Captain Batra’s girlfriend — a word that seems too light for the bond they seem to have shared) was excellent and had you rooting for the two lovers even while knowing their tragic end. Kiara as Dimple portrayed the varying moods of her character well & I hope to see them together in more movies.

Though the film is mainly focussed on Vikram Batra as a war hero, I wish they had given some more importance to his family members, especially his twin brother Vishal Batra who is the narrator but is physically absent from most of the film. Perhaps this was done to give viewers the shock of seeing Sidharth playing Vishal as well but we know Vikram has a twin from the very first flashback scene so I didnt quite get this strategy.

While I cannot comment on the veracity of the facts that the film puts forward — strategic or personal — Shershaah does hold your attention as a viewer. What I liked most about the film is that it does not have the loud jingoism that recent films in this genre have tried to pass off as patriotism. Instead it treats the subject with restrain with Vikram portrayed as a jolly & sincere fellow, not given to prejudices, who has a unique & personalised way of doing things. Yeh dil definitely maange more of such war films!

Although the film touches upon some important issues like the lack of mutual trust in the valley at the time, those ideas are never explored making their mention seem rudimentary & like a tick on some check-list. Another thing I noticed (ready to be corrected on this) was a lack of representation of army officers from the Muslim community although the film is based on a real life incident and that may just have been the case in this particular scenario.

However what troubled me the most about the film has nothing to do with the story. Instead it was a seemingly innocuous thanks in the very beginning to an astrologist which had me uncomfortably reflective. While I understand this factor in the film business considering the amount of money, fame and “luck” involved, I do not recall seeing a public declaration of it before. Have we become so openly anti-science that these things are being proclaimed publicly as if it were an absolutely normal thing to do so, especially during a pandemic where being as pro-science & rational as possible is our best shot at getting out of this sticky situation? Not to mention that this film is based on the Indian army, whose trailer was released in the presence of the the Chief of Army Staff and other senior officers! It is definitely something to reflect on as a society who has been prescribed ‘scientific temper’ as a fundamental duty in the Constitution of India but does not seem to have much space for it any more.