BATWARA 1947 is a well-intentioned and moving tale of humanity.

Batwara 1947 Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating

Director: Rajkumar Santoshi

Batwara 1947 Movie Review Synopsis:
BATWARA 1947 is the story of a man who goes to extraordinary lengths in the name of humanity. On the eve of Independence, Meerut-based Sikandar Mirza (Sunny Deol) is celebrating India’s freedom from British rule. Communal riots have broken out in several parts of the country, but Sikandar believes that the violence will soon subside. However, as India attains Independence at the stroke of midnight, the situation spirals dangerously out of control. Sikandar is advised to leave Meerut and migrate to Lahore, Pakistan. Left with little choice, he, along with his wife Hamida (Preity G Zinta), son Javed (Karan Deol) and daughter Tanno (Khhushi Hajare), makes his way to the railway station. After a harrowing journey, the family reaches Lahore and takes shelter in a relief camp. Following several hardships, they are finally allotted a haveli called Durga Nivas. Their relief, however, is short-lived when they discover that an elderly woman (Shabana Azmi) is living on the top floor of the mansion. She reveals that she is the original owner of the haveli and has no intention of leaving her home. Sikandar and his family try to persuade her to migrate to India, but she firmly refuses to budge. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Batwara 1947 Movie Story Review:
BATWARA 1947 is adapted from Asghar Wajahat’s acclaimed play Jis Lahore Nahin Dekhya. The story is compelling and has all the ingredients for a hard-hitting yet deeply emotional film. Rajkumar Santoshi’s screenplay is powered by strong drama and heartfelt moments, though it falls short when it comes to delivering enough massy sequences. Rajkumar Santoshi and Asghar Wajahat’s dialogues are sharp and impactful. However, they don’t quite match the searing, whistle-worthy one-liners associated with the earlier collaborations of Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi.

Rajkumar Santoshi’s direction is simplistic. His biggest strength is that he tells a story that celebrates humanity. While doing so, he handles the religious sentiment very sensitively and in such a manner that viewers of all faiths will appreciate it. The situation that the Mirza family finds themselves in is one of a kind. They are puzzled as to how to solve the problem at hand. Meanwhile, the manner in which Mai accepts them despite it being her house is sweet. The action moments will impress the masses. The climax is quite moving.

On the flipside, the film has been promoted as a mass entertainer replete with action. Those expecting Sunny Deol bashing up baddies at regular intervals will be disappointed. This is because there are very few action moments. The ones before the interval are thanda. Secondly, Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi have delivered films like GHAYAL [1990], DAMINI [1993] and GHATAK [1996]. In these films, action and emotion went hand in hand and moreover, it had power-packed dialogues at regular intervals. There was a potential for the same even in BATWARA 1947, but the makers let go of the opportunity. The length is another issue. The film drags in the middle of the second half.

Batwara 1947 | Official Trailer | Shabana Azmi | Sunny Deol | Aamir Khan Productions

Batwara 1947 Movie Review Performances:
Sunny Deol, as expected, rocks the show. Like always, the film goes to dizzying heights in action scenes. But watch out for him when he breaks down and also in the climax. It’s sure to touch the viewers’ hearts. Shabana Azmi comes next; her performance is so endearing that audiences will connect with her from the very first scene. Preity G Zinta puts up a great act and it’s a pleasure to see her again on screen. Karan Deol is dependable and the same goes for Khhushi Hajare. Ali Fazal (Habib Anwar) is too good in a supporting role. Abhimanyu Singh (Yakub Khan) is aptly cast as the villain. Kanikka Kapur (Nishat) has a late entry and lends able support. Ira Sandhir (Tabassum) is wasted. Rukhsar Rehman (Savitri), Khalid Siddiqui (Ratan), Pankaj Raina (Zafar) and Vishnu Sharma (Maulvi) do well in small roles.

Batwara 1947 movie music and other technical aspects:
A R Rahman’s music is underwhelming. ‘Tabassum’ is forcefully incorporated in the film, while ‘Kahaan Chale Gaye Ho Ram’ is well shot. The other songs fail to register. A R Rahman’s background score is in sync with the film’s zone.

Santosh Sivan’s cinematography is satisfactory while Ravi Verma’s action is mass appealing. Maxima Basu’s costumes and Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray’s production design are reminiscent of the bygone era. Shyam Salgaonkar’s editing could have been crisper.

Batwara 1947 Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, BATWARA 1947 is a well-intentioned and moving tale of humanity that benefits immensely from strong performances by Sunny Deol and Shabana Azmi. However, the lack of regular action and powerful mass moments, coupled with a lengthy second half, prevents it from becoming a hard-hitting entertainer. As a result, the film has opened below expectations at the box office and will need strong positive word of mouth to pick up in the coming days.