Mangal Pandey: The Rising
Mangal Pandey: The Rising (internationally known as The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey) is a 2005 Indian historical biographical drama film based on the life of Mangal Pandey, an Indian soldier known for helping to spark the Indian rebellion of 1857 (also known as "The First War of Indian Independence"). It is directed by Ketan Mehta, produced by Bobby Bedi and with a screenplay by Farrukh Dhondy. The lead role is played by Aamir Khan, marking his comeback after he had gone into hiatus after "Dil Chahta Hai" (2001). It premiered in the Marché du Film  section of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. It was the fourth highest-grossing film of 2005. Plot. At the close of the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, Mangal Pandey is led in chains to his execution for his part in orchestrating the rebellion. The hanging however is delayed, when the hangman doesn't show. Four years prior to the rebellion, whilst serving as a sepoy in Afghanistan, Pandey saves Captain William Gordon's life from Afghan snipers. Captain Gordon gifts Pandey his service pistol in gratitude, and the two form an unlikely friendship. In January 1857, the Company introduces the Enfield  rifled musket to the sepoys, but rumors begin to swell that the paper cartridge is greased with pig fat or beef tallow; both considered abhorrent to the Hindu and Muslim soldiers beliefs as the loading mechanism require the soldier bite down on the cartridge. Captain Gordon gives his word that the rumor is not true (though his own concerns about the rumor are ignored) and asks for a volunteer. Pandey, on Gordon's honor agrees to test fire the rifle, confident that Gordon is telling the truth. Sometime afterwards, Pandey is brought to a factory where the cartridges are made . Discovering that the initial rumors were actually true, Pandey returns his pistol to Gordon in disgust and ends the friendship. At a parade in Berhampore, the 19th Regiment of sepoys bravely refuse to use the rifles, even whilst under the threat of bombardment by British cannons. Pandey rallies the sepoys by standing in front of a cannon, beginning the Sepoy Mutiny. The sepoys agree to unite under the leadership of the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, before marching to unite the mutiny across India. The British however, catch wind of the planned march, and a British Army Regiment stationed in  Rangoon is sent to Behrampore to put down the rebellion. A day before the march, Pandey is informed of the British Regiment's arrival. In the face of the overwhelming strength of the British forces, the mutineers surrender. Pandey however, valiantly stands alone, killing two and injuring several others. When the regiment surrounds him, Pandey attempts suicide but is captured alive. At Pandey's court-martial, Captain Gordon pleads with the British to spare Pandey's life, at the risk of inciting the mutineers across India. Gordon's pleas however go unheard, and Pandey is sentenced to death. The next  day (on 8 April), in front of Gordon, the British officers, his fellow sepoys, and the townspeople, Pandey is hanged. Inspired by his execution, the spectators break out in revolt. The film ends with drawings of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and footage of the later Indian independence movement. Release. Box office. "Mangal Pandey: The Rising" had a great start at the box office but was declared average by "Box Office India". It grossed at the Indian box office and worldwide. The film topped the Chennai box office on its opening weekend. Critical reception. Upon release, "Mangal Pandey" received positive  reviews. It received a 91% rating from noted critics and was rated "fresh" at "Rotten Tomatoes". Film critic Taran Adarsh of "IndiaFM" gave four stars out of five saying it is "A genuine attempt at bringing alive a great hero on celluloid, the film will only bring pride and prestige in the domestic market as well as on the international platform." Raja Sen of "Rediff" panned the film as being about "cleavage and cliche". Derek Elley of "Variety" commented, "This is the classic structure of all the best historical epics, and though the film employs recognizable Bollywood trademarks, helmer [director ] Mehta's approach is more "Western" in its rhythms, pacing and avoidance of Asian melodrama. Musical set pieces are more integrated into the action, and the focus is kept tightly on the Gordon-Pandey relationship." Film scholar Omer Mozaffar of "RogerEbert.com" commented that this film is a study in imperialism and sensitivity, comparing the issue of the rifle grease to the 1992 Los Angeles riots and the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. The inciting event that leads to the Rising could have been avoided or quickly rectified. However, in the context of the situation, it was a larger issue of  unrest due to negligent power brokers. Controversy. In India, the Bhartiya Janata Party demanded a ban on the film, accusing it of showing falsehood and indulging in character assassination of Mangal Pandey. As an example, the BJP spokesman stated that the film shows Mangal Pandey visiting the house of a prostitute. The Samajwadi Party leader Uday Pratap Singh called in the Rajya Sabha for the movie to be banned for its "inaccurate portrayal" of Pandey. The Uttar Pradesh government criticised the film for "distortion" of historical facts, and considered banning it. Protestors in Ballia district, where Pandey had been a  native, damaged a shop selling cassettes and CDs of the film, stalled a goods train on its way to Chapra (Bihar), and staged a sit-in on the Ballia-Barriya highway. A recently (2014) published analysis of the opening stages of the Great Indian Rebellion is critical of the lack of historical evidence supporting the events of 1857, as portrayed in Mangal Pandey: The Rising. Awards. Nominated Soundtrack. The music was scored by A. R. Rahman with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar.