Shamshera - 2022

Introduction

Shamshera is an action-adventure Hindi film directed by Karan Malhotra and produced by Aditya Chopra. It was produced by Yash Raj Films (YRF) and released on 22nd July 2022. The film received a mixed response from the audience and critics and failed to make a mark at the box office.

The film is set in the 1800s, during the British era of control in India. It follows the story of a gang of outlaws battling for their rights and liberty against British rule.

Table Of Contents

• Details

• Story

• Release Date

• Reviews

• Cast

• Crew

• Character Analysis

• Songs

• Box Office Collection

• Interesting Facts

• Conclusion

Details

Story

The year is 1896, and Balli, a member of the Khameran, aspires to become a police officer. He is given a test by a deceitful Indian cop named Shudh Singh, where he is asked to beat a child to prove his value. However, Balli refuses and takes the child's place, enduring the punishment himself. The same night, he learns about his father, Shamshera's history.

In 1871, Shamshera and the Khameran tribe were oppressed by the citizens of Kaza because of severe caste and status discrimination. Shamshera retaliates by pillaging the kingdom, giving the Khamerans a bad reputation. The wealthy men of the empire ask for the assistance of the British to drive away the tribe from their village forest, offering them 5000 gold coins.

Despite the British attack, the Khameran tribe, led by Shamshera, fought back, and the British retreated due to these circumstances. Shamshera is notified that if the tribe promises to stop looting and moves to a fortress outside the city, they can live in absolute harmony. However, when they arrive at the forest, they realise it's a trap set by Shudh Singh, and they are captured and tortured. The British demanded 10,000 gold coins in exchange for sparing the tribe.

To save them, Shamshera devises a plan to frame himself as a traitor and escape from the fortress, but he is spotted and shot while trying to climb the wall. Shudh Singh later hangs him as they declare him a traitor.

Balli escapes the stronghold with the assistance of Shamshera's ally and starts plundering the affluent citizens of Kaza, posing as Shamshera. The British General is worried about this new Shamshera, so Shudh Singh invites him to his wedding, where he expects Shamshera would appear.

Balli succeeds in stealing gold from the wedding, but the heartless officer manages to shoot his gang's youngest member. Shudh Singh cracks down and seizes all of the gold the gang had looted, arresting Sona (who is pregnant with Balli's kid). The General intervenes to prevent Shudh Singh from killing Sona and the infant.

Balli is determined to acquire the Queen's Crown, which will likely arrive in Kaza. He manages to steal the crown amidst heavy security and strikes a deal with the General to release the Khamerans in exchange for the crown. Balli returns to the Kaza Fortress with the crew members who are still alive when the General accepts his request. Shudh Singh murders British soldiers and blames Balli, claiming responsibility for restoring the crown to the Queen.

When the Khamerans learn about Shamshera's sacrifice, they infiltrate the castle and join Balli in combat. They massacre the cops, and Balli confronts Shudh Singh before hanging him in the same way as Shamshera was previously hanged. As a token of appreciation for saving Sona's life, Balli leaves the Crown with the General. The Khamerans follow Balli hoping for a better future.

Release

The movie was released on 22nd July 2022. It was released on 19th August on the OTT platform Amazon Prime. The movie's trailer has managed to garner a total of 107 million views on YouTube.

Reviews

IMDb Rating: 4.8/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 55%

The film fails to deliver on its most basic promise of visual magnificence. The monochromatic colour scheme seems boring rather than sad. There is no scarcity of animal imagery in this film; eagles and crows are both featured in various forms, but they appear so obviously computer-generated that they have no emotional impact. 

The supporting cast in this film, such as Ronit Roy, Saurabh Shukla, and Iravati Harshe, don't really add much to the plot. If their character traits had been chosen with careful consideration, it would have been extremely advantageous to the overall plot. It's strange that they have such a limited room to perform. Even Sona, a seemingly interesting dancer played by Vaani Kapoor, does a terrible job in terms of establishing an emotional arc.

Casting

Crew

Producer - Aditya Chopra

Supervising Producer – Bharat Rawail

Co-Producer - Kassim Jagmagia

Executive Producer - Sudhanshu Kumar

Production Designer – Sumit Basu

First Assistant Director - Abhinandan Gupta

Music - Mithoon Sharma

Singers - Aditya Narayan, Arijit Singh, Neeti Mohan, Sudesh Bhonsle, Shadab Faridi, Abhishek Nailwal, Sukhwinder Singh, Mithoon Sharma, Richa Sharma

Cinematography - Anay Goswami

Character Analysis

• Ranbir Kapoor as Shamshera: Ranbir Kapoor plays the protagonist's role in the movie. He is a warrior prince with a diverse and complicated character who lives a double life as an outlaw to regain his rightful position as the ruler of his land. The character's boldness, ingenuity, and inner struggles are captured in the dramatic and emotional portrayal.

• Vaani Kapoor as Sona: Sona is self-assured, has a strong will and is a go-getter, but she also has emotional weaknesses. She is simply this vibrant, attractive, fearless lady with a lot to offer. She has ada, or attitude, which empowers her to speak out her thoughts bravely. Her character is passionate, full of life, and has empathy for others.

• Sanjay Dutt as Daroga Shuddh Singh: Sanjay Dutt plays the role of the antagonist as Daroga Shuddh Singh. His character is wicked, threatening, unreliable, and willing to do whatever it takes to cause trouble. Shuddh, according to his name, desires to purify the human civilization of insects.

Songs

Box Office Collection

Shamshera managed to generate a decent revenue of ₹10.05 crore on its opening day. Over the subsequent days, it witnessed a major drop in box office sales. With a budget of ₹150 crores, the film managed to make a total of just ₹63.58 crores. This makes it one of the worst theatrical disasters of all time.

Interesting Facts

• PlayA gigantic fort was built in Film City, Goregaon, for Shamshera, which took approximately 300 workers and two months of extensive planning.

• A 400-foot train was constructed for an action scene before the climax over the span of one month.

• Ranbir Kapoor remarked that building a worker's physique was challenging for him. According to director Karan Malhotra, the intention was to make him seem rustic and primitive.

• Ranbir vigorously exercised five days a week to achieve the desired appearance for his character. He also performed various breathing exercises to maintain his composure. He ate five meals each day, with one cheat meal per week, and maintained a diet heavy in protein and low in carbohydrates.

Conclusion

Shamshera's message revolves around standing up for one's rights, combating injustice and prejudice, and regaining one's lost respect and dignity. It emphasizes the notion that, despite being oppressed, a person or a community should never give up and keep fighting for righteousness.

The film also makes a strong case to pass down history to the next generations to motivate them to fight for their rights. It also signifies the necessity of remembering the sacrifices made by the previous generations. The film demonstrates that ultimately with cooperation and tenacity, one can overcome even the most daunting challenges.

Social Media