Veer

Genre: History/action

Cast: Salman Khan, Mithun Chakraborty, Sohail Khan, Jackie Shroff and Zarine Khan

Director: Anil Sharma

Being screened at Gopi Krishna

KATHMANDU: After Wanted, Veer was eagerly waited for by all Salman Khan fans and the lines outside the cinema hall was enough proof of this. The story deals with intense emotions of love, sacrifice, betrayal and rage.

The battle dates back to the year 1862 when India had been colonised by the British. The story revolves around the bravery of Veer (Salman Khan), the fearless warrior of the Pindari clan, son of Prithvi Singh (Mithun Chakraborty), the leader of the Pindaris.

The movie begins in the battlefield where the Pindaris win over the Indo-British army led by the Raja of Madavgarh (Jackie Shroff). Then with betrayal, the Pindaris are rained with cannon fireballs. The Raja succeeds in usurping the land and kills half of the Pindaris, but the Raja loses his hand to the swipe of Prithvi’s sword.

Swearing vengeance, Prithvi vows before his people that he will either wipe out Madavgarh’s empire or kill himself. Prithvi raises his two sons — Veer and his brother Punya (Sohail Khan) to become warriors.

But the young Veer falls in love with princess Yashodhara (Zarine Khan). Then Veer and his brother along with others from the indigenous clans are welcomed to London for education. The intensity of Veer’s loathing for the British rulers heightens with his memory of the brutal deed of the Raja. But he is yet to know what surprises life and love have in store for him.

Salman Khan as Veer fits the character physically, but for the ones who know Khan as a modern hero, it might be hard to digest his epic hero attitude. Moreover, Khan as Chakraborty’s son also seems a little odd, but individually both have given their best according to their capabilities. As for Shroff, his stern but decent attitude has come alive in Veer. Zarine Khan is forgettable.

Songs are aplenty. Gulzar’s lyrics have never failed to meet the setting of the story, but the music as a whole can hardly satiate one’s expectations. In Hindi movies, the possibility of the impossible is always expected and a few scenes have been repeated in Veer. The use of clever camera work during the slashing and slaughtering scene make it look real. It would have been better if the use of props to indicate the lifestyle of that century had been given more attention.