The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

s an American, I had no idea who Bhagat Singh was, though I was familiar with the sort of repression that led to his movement. The British were brutal when it came to controlling India. The nation was huge...and the Brits realized that the only way to control such a large nation was through terror and violence. The film "The Legend of Bhagat Singh" does a great job in showing the massacres, the torture of prisoners and the coercion of confessions through beatings...and this is something folks outside of India must know about and accept that it happened. And, as a retired history teacher, I really thought this was a very good and important film. My only reservations were the singing. I know that most Indian films have a lot of singing...that is almost expected. But to throw in a fluffy love song in the middle and a song as the three men are being led to the gallows sure did a lot to deflate the otherwise powerful film. Ajay Devgn was great in the lead and the likeness to Singh was definitely present. The script also was very powerful and I found myself tearing up many times. But the songs...well, a couple of them just had to go. Otherwise, a very powerful and memorable film.

What makes a great movie great is how it can connect to the audience. This movie certainly achieves that goal. This movie beautifully elaborates and enlightens the protagonist's real life and surely connects to the Indian audience. Great cast, great plot and very good dialog selection which suits how the depicted heroes were in their real lives. For people who don't know about 'Shaheed' Bhagat Singh, this movie incites a great curiosity. Get some free time, watch this movie, and I am sure you will not be disappointed ( if you like the deep thinking genre of movies like the Shawshank Redemption, A Beautiful Mind etc). There are no Bruce Lee or Arnie style fighting, there is no dancing around trees.... it is just a fact based legendary movie on an Indian legend.

Santoshi's 'The Legend of Bhagat Singh' tells a detailed biography of the martyred hero. He does provide both the good side and the dark side (his obsession blinding him to the fact that it's wrong to teach children to make bombs). Santoshi also shows the clash between Bhagat Singh's and Gandhi's viewpoints quite effectively. He has tried to stay historically accurate and even though it was released during the same time as Guddu Dhanoa's snoozefest '1930 Shaheed', 'The Legend of Bhagat Singh' triumphs above that and is a masterpiece in comparison.Ajay Devgan, though intense roles are his strength, may seem like an odd choice to play the title role, especially because there is no physical resemblance and he is too old for the part. Otherwise, he delivers a winning performance. Sushant Singh and Akhilendra Mishra are equally powerful. The supporting cast that includes an excellent Raj Babbar, a sincere Farida Jalal and dusky beauty Amrita Rao leave a mark. I liked the actress that played Durga who seems to be an important female figure in Indian history. I would like to see a movie about this woman. The actors who play the Brits are horrendous.The cinematography is fine and A.R. Rahman's soundtrack is another winner. Most of the songs are patriotic but there are a few different numbers too. The background score, though beautiful, is intrusive at times and kind of adds a melodramatic feel (when that isn't necessary).'The Legend of Bhagat Singh' is one of the fewer biopics in Indian cinema that tells a good story while attempting to stay true to the facts. Some might find it difficult to watch due to the violent content but it is a movie that is worth viewing.

The movie is excellent. Bhagat Singh was an extraordinarily brave man who is portrayed very well by his actor in this movie. The movie is a little too violent in nature for anyone too young. Hence, small children should not see it. The movie shows how much so many suffered for Indian independence. The fehringee rule in colonial India was brutal, barbaric and oppressive. The film doesn't hide this fact and the amount of violence towards the revolutionaries is difficult to watch because of its grotesqueness. However, it was necessary, so that the viewer gets an idea of the truth. This movie will bring any Indian to tears and make him realise the sacrifices made by our forefathers. 10 marks out of 10.