Swatantra Veer Savarkar review – biopic of Hindu nationalist is self-defeating call to arms

Politically-inspired biopic of Indian politician who opposed Gandhi’s non-violence is hamstrung by its own lack of action

Of all the hot takes you expect to see when you go to the cinema, the suggestion that Mahatma Gandhi was overrated is perhaps low down the list. But this Hindi biopic of Hindu nationalist leader Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (directed and co-written by Randeep Hooda, who also stars as Savarkar in a committed and involving performance) argues exactly that, although it’s careful to have Savarkar note: “I don’t hate Gandhi, I hate non-violence.” Okay then. In general, the stance across the nearly three-hour runtime is that, in contrast to the famous maxim, the sword is in fact mightier than the pen, with Savarkar exhorting followers to “get rid of your pen and arm yourselves”.

What is odd is that the film doesn’t make more use of its own subject’s principles. Much ink has been spilled over the issue of whether on-screen violence is too glamorous, too appealing– but apparently, the makers of Swatantara Veer Savarkar are unaware of what a powerful weapon cinematic images can be, because in a biopic attempting to eulogise a man they depict as having advocated strongly for violent revolution, they don’t deliver much in the way of action.

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