True patriots. This is a rare film, I would even say the rarest. He stood at my screening on the filmography Madhuri Dixit, on the list of her early roles. Although Madhuri is very small here, because her role is secondary. The main character of the film around which everything revolves is Major Chauhan, incomparably played by Nana Patekar. For the first time in many years, I have seen Nana in such a serious role. This is his finest hour, I would even say his triumph.
The film itself is quite ordinary, the plot does not stand out. It was pretty typical of those years. But. The main thing here is the characters, or rather the actors who embodied these characters on the screen. They're just great.
The film begins with the fact that a guy named Peter D'Souza (Gautam Joglekar, by the way, this actor I have not seen anywhere else, neither before nor after this film), enters the army, largely against the wishes of his father and his fiancée Shirley (Madhury). There he meets Major Chauhan (Nana Patekar), who is a teacher at the Academy. Major Chauhan A man who is tough, very disciplined and strict, forces Peter and his fellow commandos to go through various training regimes. The guys get up at 4 a.m., in full uniform run many kilometers of march-throws, overcome various obstacles, learn to make quick and important decisions for the group. This is very exhausting and Peter decides that he has had enough and he is going to go home. But when Major Chauhan learns of his decision, he ridicules Peter in front of his fellow commandos. This forces Peter to reconsider his decision, and he remains in the army until the end. After the training is almost complete, Peter also finds the good side of Major Chauhan. In fact, this strict-looking person has a kind and responsive heart, and lives completely alone. This story also reveals Major Chauhan's dark past. Turns out he's the son of a prostitute the pimp sold to two thugs. Then he was raised in an orphanage, and then became an army officer.
Shortly after graduation, the commando receives a serious leg injury during the liberation of a bus with schoolchildren captured by terrorists. Peter is released from service and then decides to marry Shirley, the invitation to their wedding receives and Major Chauhan But when a major arrives in Mumbai for Peter's wedding, he goes to a funeral.
What Major Chauhan does afterwards to bring justice to Peter and his family is the essence of the plot. The major also meets Kiran (Dimple Capadia), the daughter-in-law of Peter, who has been a widow for many years at a fairly young age. Kieran is a little strange, not like the others, she is considered a little crazy, but she has so much kindness and love in her eyes that it immediately conquers the major and he falls in love for the first time in his life, and falls in love with Kiran. The way their love story developed is not shown much, but the rare episodes in which it is shown are priceless. Especially the moments when the eyes of the Major and Kiran meet, this is something magical. At this moment, you see not the actor Nana Patekhar and not the actress Dimple Capadia, but two loving people who have yet to struggle for their love. After all, you will have to fight against traditions that forbid a widow to remarry, and ridicule a man who dares to love a widow.
The film also makes it clear that India’s sovereignty is more threatened by corrupt politicians and police officers than any foreign aggression. It also shows that army officers who risk their lives, sometimes sacrificing them for the good of the nation, are treated far worse than dogs after being discharged from the army due to injury or illness, and that they are not always treated correctly by society.
What else can I say about Nana Patekara? A magnificent and original actor, akin to Irfan Khan, Nasiruddin Shah and other actors of a special warehouse. And the fact that he made a very realistic film about the Indian Commandos deserves not only praise, but also a high award. It was the directorial debut of Nana, and he wrote the script himself. And he played the lead. And it worked out great. This is one of the best Indian military movies I've ever seen.
It's not just a movie. It is an art that mirrors our reality. We live in a world that the military supports for us, risking our lives every second, we calmly walk the streets, dress well, have fun and do not think that this is all thanks to people like Major Chauhan. He simply cannot accept the existing system, cannot accept corruption and corrupt corrupt officials. And just fighting for all of us, with the world. Alone... The character of Major Chauhan, his determination to cleanse society of evil, all this comes from his childhood, when before his eyes the pimp sold his mother. She may have been a fallen woman driven by circumstances into this world of sin, but she was his mother, loving, tender and very kind. All this left its mark on the personality of the major, but nevertheless did not leave malice in his heart. And the best thing about this film is its closeness to reality.
Anyone who loves this type of cinema, about the life and fate of real military, patriots and even fanatics of their business, I advise you to watch it. Although the quality of the film is very low and you can find it on the Internet with great difficulty, but all this pales before what you see on the screen. The film is almost unknown to the mass audience, which is why I highly recommend watching it even in its available quality. Your patience will be rewarded.
10 out of 10