Mangal Pandey -- The Rising

Directed by : Ketan Mehta
Producer : Bobby Bedi
Music : A. R. Rahman
Cast: Aamir Khan - Mangal; Rani Mukerji - Heera; Amisha Patel - Jwala; Toby Stephens - William Gordon; Coral Beed - Emily; Kirron Kher, Lol Bibi....
Cinematrography: Himman Dhamija
Screenplay: Farrukh Dhondy
Choreography: Saroj Khan
Music: A.R. Rahman

The topic of this film -- an early rebellion against British rule in 1847 -- is a serious subject.

While the film was cinematically well-done and well-acted, it lacked an inner fire for me.

The story is illustrated through the friendship of Mangal Pandey, a Sepoy employed by the East Indian Company (EIC), and an EIC officer, William Gordon. This brought the story into the personal realm.

The film raised a thousand questions for me like:

Must all rulers be cruel?

What are the true functions of capitalism?

Why do we tolerate slavery?

The list goes on.

What made the film poignant was its timing. It was released just prior to the 58th anniversary of Indian's independence from British colonization (8/15/1947).

I admire Aamir Khan's vision to produce this film. While historical films often do not do well at the box-office, they are necessary to bring history alive and to remind us of forgotten times and forgotten heroes and heroines.