What Makes 'Sardar Udham' Stand Out From Other Patriotic Films?

The film captures the unrelenting journey of freedom fighter Udham Singh to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The Big Story Podcast on "Sardar Udham" Movie. Image used for representational purposes only.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/ The Quint)

13 April 1919 — the unspeakable horrors at Jallianwala Bagh on that day still resonates with those who visit the walled city of Amritsar and the site.

On that horrific day, thousands of innocent civilians, without warning, were gunned down at the orders of Brigadier-General Dwyer, where a platoon of soldiers surrounded the bagh and fired on those who were peacefully protesting.

Over the past 100 years, many books, TV shows, and movies have tried to capture the scale of the tragedy that took place.

And the most recent attempt that has been lauded by critics and audience reviews is the new movie Sardar Udham, which captures the unrelenting journey of freedom fighter Udham Singh to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Directed by Shoojit Sircar, Sardar Udham, navigates the life of Udham Singh from his time in prison in India to his journey to London, and eventually his motives to assassinate Sir Michael O'Dwyer.

The film has received rave reviews for actor Vicky Kaushal’s performance as Udham Singh and also for, according to one movie review, separating nationalism from jingoism.

In this special episode of The Big Story podcast, The Quint spoke to Shoojit Sircar, the director of the film, on what led him to make the film, what parts of the film were fictionalised, and his intentions behind certain depictions in the film.

This of course goes without saying that this episode contains a few spoilers for the movie. Tune in!