Politically-inspired biopic of Indian politician who opposed Gandhi\u2019s non-violence is hamstrung by its own lack of action <\/p>\n
Of all the hot takes you expect to see when you go to the cinema, the suggestion that Mahatma Gandhi was overrated is perhaps low down the list. But this Hindi biopic of Hindu nationalist leader Vinayak Damodar Savarkar<\/a> (directed and co-written by Randeep Hooda, who also stars as Savarkar in a committed and involving performance) argues exactly that, although it\u2019s careful to have Savarkar note: \u201cI don\u2019t hate Gandhi, I hate non-violence.\u201d Okay then. In general, the stance across the nearly three-hour runtime is that, in contrast to the famous maxim, the sword is in fact mightier than the pen, with Savarkar exhorting followers to \u201cget rid of your pen and arm yourselves\u201d.<\/p>\n What is odd is that the film doesn\u2019t make more use of its own subject\u2019s principles. Much ink has been spilled over the issue of whether on-screen violence is too glamorous, too appealing\u2013 but apparently, the makers of Swatantara Veer Savarkar are unaware of what a powerful weapon cinematic images can be, because in a biopic attempting to eulogise a man they depict as having advocated strongly for violent revolution, they don\u2019t deliver much in the way of action.<\/p>\n