Sam Bahadur Review | Vicky Kaushal and Meghna Gulzar’s ‘brave’ effort wins hearts, actors deserve National Award

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw’s much-awaited biopic Sam Bahadur is hitting the theaters from December 1. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film stars Vicky Kaushal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra. There is tremendous discussion about this film. From the first look to the trailer, Vicky Kaushal’s transformation into Sam Manekshaw has left the audience curious, waiting to see what the actor has in store this time. Plus, this is a film directed by Meghna Gulzar, who gave us Raazi with Vicky and Alia Bhatt, one of the cutest characters in a war film. But does Sam Bahadur do justice to all the hype and expectations? To know whether you should invest your time, energy and money in watching it in theatres, read our Sam Bahadur movie review right here. Especially, when you have Tiger 3 still running on the big screens and Ranbir Kapoor’s action film Animal is also looking great.

Movie Review: Sam Bahadur

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Neeraj Kabi and others

Director: Meghna Gulzar

Release Date: December 1, 2023 (in theatres)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 star rating

Why should the film be watched?

It is not easy to cover an entire lifetime in a film lasting just 2 hours. And yet, Meghna Gulzar and her team of writers Bhavani Iyer and Shantanu Srivastava manage to do so with complete efficiency. If you have seen Meghna’s previous films like Raazi, Chhapaak and others, you would know that she has a habit of making very heartfelt films that tell unknown and untold stories. She does the same with Sam Bahadur.

It is a biopic on Sam Manekshaw, one of the most inspirational figures in the history of the Indian Army, who has been a part of 5 wars in his 40 years of service, but the film is nowhere near your regular war films. Instead it talks about the man Sam Bahadur, the Field Marshal who not only won wars but also won people’s hearts with his charm, patience, sense of humor and empathy. Showcasing what Sam was made of and what made him ‘Sam Bahadur’, the film attempts to celebrate the men in the Indian Army and showcase their true character and stature.

The film does not confine Sam to his duties as an army man, but also depicts his time with family, children, personal staff, colleagues and army personnel, emphasizing that whether he is on the front On or off duty, professional or personal, an army man is always a gentleman.

Vicky Kaushal may get National Award for his acting

Talking about Vicky Kaushal, Sam Bahadur can get him the second National Award. But please read on because I’ve just started talking about how good he is. While he impressed with his demeanor and behavior for the character, I was curious to see how he did his ‘How’s the Josh?’ How to improve it? acting or how will he make it different from what we have already seen him in in the role of an army officer. But Uri’s Vicky and Sam Bahadur’s Vicky are two completely different people but equally phenomenal.

The actor wins once again with his stellar performance as he brings to life an important chapter of Indian history and an incredible personality. From his movements, looks to his smile, Vicky Kaushal does complete justice to his role, which you will be proud of.

The casting is on point. Fatima has done a good job in her portrayal of Indira Gandhi and her scenes with Vicky, where the two share a sense of affection and trust towards each other, are enjoyable. Zeeshan Ayyub as former Pakistani army general Yah Yah Khan doesn’t have much to do. Neeraj Kabi does the best that is expected of him. Although all the characters fit together well, there is no one that stands out enough to be worth writing about.

What are the weaknesses of the film?

Any war film or film based on any important chapter of Indian history is incomplete without soulful songs that evoke emotions. This is something on which Sam Bahadur majorly stumbles. There may be more to know about his personal life such as his relationship with his two daughters. His scenes with his wife (Sanya Malhotra) could have been written more interestingly and Sanya’s character could have been a little brighter.

If you are expecting to see a typical war movie with men fighting the enemy with all their might while fundamentalism flutters in the air, then this is not the one for you. Watch Sam Bahadur to celebrate the times and life of the one-of-a-kind gentleman Sam Manekshaw aka Sam Bahadur and discover a lesser known, less told side of the people who make up the Indian Army.