Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2005)
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (also known as Bose: The Forgotten Hero) is a 2005 film directed by Shyam Benegal and starring Sachin Khedekar, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rajit Kapur, Arif Zakaria, and Divya Dutta. The movie depicts the last five years of the life of the Indian independence leader "Netaji" Subhash Chandra Bose. It starts out at the point where Bose resigns from his position as the president of the Indian National Congress (I.N.C.) to the meeting with Italians by crossing Afghanistan's rugged terrains and entering into Europe, to romancing his German secretary and appointment with Adolf Hitler in Berlin, to his inspiring of the Indian P.O.W.s (Prisoners Of War) of the 'Punjab Regiment' (British Army) for fighting against the British forces in India, to the patriotic speeches.
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Reviews
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose a name which is unforgettable. Give me Blood and i will give you Freedom. We love you sir. This movie gave us many information from which we were not aware. Thank you so much to the entire cast and especially to Mr. Sachin Khedekar, what a performance. Blessings from the bottom of my heart. Warm thanks to Shyam Benegal who enlighten the entire story of our nation unforgotten hero - Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.I am proud to be an Indian. We all love you Netaji we respect your thoughts and will never forget your sacrifice. Veer Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose you are not dead. You are still alive in our heart. JAI HIND
To start off with I am the most ardent supporter of subhash chandra bose. I feel that if he had not died he would have definitely been the first prime minister off India. This movie is no way even close to what Subhash ever was. He was the only person to beat Gandhi in an election!! He had a blazing fire within him and this sense of desire to lead the Indians to Independence that just can not be matched by any other Indian. The Subhash in this movie is always nicely smiling and has no charisma off his own, well we don't expect it to match SCB's actual charisma, but the whole calm appeal shown is exactly opposite to what Subhash actually was. Plus there is no detail shown of Subhash's intelligence, which is in abundance, like 4th in ICS, his diplomatic and persuasive abilities to get the Bose-Tojo pact. He was the ideal person to be but after seeing this movie you will wonder where this lump of a figure would ever do anything, yes that is how he is portrayed in the movie. The special effects are the worst ever seen in Indian or any other movie. The only reason I am giving the score 5 is because it does contain historical facts. It is the only movie to ever cover the great hero, which is a real pity for Indian cinema. If you want to watch the movie. Watch it for the facts, not for what Subhash actually was.
Yes, the movie fails on a number of cases- especially character development of Bose himself. It seems to me the whole thing was written and directed in haste. Further, some of the scenes were absolutely unnecessary (what is the need for a showing a German U-Boat firing a torpedo at a ship in this movie). Some of the war scenes were also very badly done. One expected a lot more from a director of Benegal's reputation. I thought the lead actor was very good but again fell short of expectations. But I would ask all Indians to watch the movie. BeThe movie wakes you up to the life and struggles of this hero. Before this I didn't know too much about the man.
Bose, a movie, an understatement that lingers starkly loud in the memory space. The brilliance of Benegal matches with the effortless éclat of some of the best names in the Indian movie industry to create this classic of sorts. Looking back at the attempts of Indian directors at recreating the lives and contributions of the few men that remain unforgotten in the Indian freedom struggle, this depiction of one of the most influential yet neglected heroes of those times, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, stands apart for its simplicity and eye for detail and proximity with historical facts. A few movies that I can think of in this league would be The Legend of Bhagat Singh by Santoshi, Sardar by Ketan Mehta(a master piece, which I don't know why everyone seems to have forgotten), and of course Gandhi. Looking back, also at all these works makes me feel all these have been the best efforts of the respective directors. So is Bose Benegal's best work? Well I would agree that it is his most elaborate, ambitious work till date, and I am least interested in comparing his other works, because all his movies are so original and distinct in their genres, like Zubeidaa, Sooraj Ka Saatva Ghoda or may be Sardari Begum, for that matter. Bose works, and works magically, at various conscious and sub-conscious levels. It is a decent and honest attempt at depicting a forgotten phase in Indian history without even the slightest pinch of controversy or contempt, amidst the mist of Quit India and Gandhi, a phase no less substantial. It invokes a respect for the great work and ideals the man stood for, and still continues to inspire many generations alive and those yet to come. Another feat of the movie is the slick narrative and editing that holds the entire length of the movie with effortless flow. Khedekar is highly impressive, with his distinctive style of natural acting without any pretense or desperate attempts at imitating Netaji. But at the same time, he succeeds at the same with a surprising sensibility and spontaneity. A special mention for the mellifluous score by Rahman, which magnifies the grandeur and gives an identity to the plot. Take a bow, Benegal, Rahman and Khedekar! This one's for every Indian at heart!