Amazon Prime Video's latest original movie Shershaah is a biopic of a 25-year-old Captain Vikram Batra who died in the 1999 Kargil War. Directed by Vishnuvardhan, the movie is a tribute to the Param Vir Chakra awardee as the Shershaah led one of the toughest operations in mountain warfare during the Kargil War. Released ahead of Independence Day, the movie is produced by Dharma Productions with Sidharth Malhotra as Capt. Vikram Batra and Kiara Advani playing his lady love, Dimple.
We know that Bollywood loves historical dramas and re-telling anecdotes from battlefields, and more often than not, they do so with an ensemble cast. Even Sidharth Malhotra’s own track record of success has him sharing screen with other leads, whether it’s Student of the Year, Brothers or Kapoor & Sons. But this time, by choosing a biopic, Malhotra has taken the onus of having the spotlight mostly on him - which, as we know, has its own ups and downs. But as it turns out, it was the perfect gamble. Seeing him all fired up for a frontal attack, throwing grenades to reclaim crucial check posts is not something we knew we wanted, that is until now. Shershaah shows us that there is a different side to Malhotra - a sincere and a more nuanced craftsman with the ability to fly solo.
Shershaah is the perfect role for someone like Sidharth Malhotra as the role of Vikram Batra is not that of a typical stoic army man. Underneath the uniform, Vikram Batra was just like any other young, lively man from north India. A romantic at heart, Batra’s “live life to the fullest” attitude is something Sidharth Malhotra perfectly encapsulates on screen. From his casual banter with his seniors to building community relations with local Kashmiris, he seamlessly captures the carefree spirit of Captain Vikram Batra. And because, “Yeh Dil Maange More”, he continues to exude that charm on his lady love, Kiara Advani as well
But crucially, through Shershaah, Malhotra shines a light on the fact that our army officers are not just stoic personnel. Beyond bravery, valour and courage that help them secure our borders and prevent terror attacks, Sidharth shows the humane acts of community engagement and mutual respect for our enemy soldiers. Playing a real-life war hero who has a larger-than-life aura is a tough ask and a complete 180-degree twist from the previous characters that Sidharth has played on screen. But he has delivered it with utmost sincerity sincerity in what is perhaps, his career-defining performance to date. What Sidharth Malhotra is capable of pulling next is something we'll watch out for.
Shershaah is streaming live on Amazon Prime.
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