Subedar Movie Review | Anil Kapoor’s strong acting, but the weak story let down the film’s impact.

Background and characters of the story

Fragmented script and loads of subplots

The biggest problem with Subedar is its broken screenplay. The film is not just a revenge drama or a mafia thriller; It tries to include many other tracks. It depicts the strained relationship between Maurya and his daughter Shyama, where Shyama feels bitter about her father’s absence. The story also touches on serious issues like misbehavior and bullying in college life. The sand mafia subplot highlights the harsh reality of illegal mining in India and how those in power exploit the backward classes. The problem is that the film raises all these issues, but doesn’t dwell on any of them long enough to connect the audience with them emotionally. Everything seems superficial, like ticking a box off a checklist.

The reasons that trigger major conflicts often seem weak and strange. For example, Subedar Maurya’s anger reaches its peak when his old jeep, which is associated with the dreams of his dead wife, breaks down. Similarly, the villainous Prince is willing to go to any lengths to retrieve a silver revolver from his dead mother’s jewelry. These symbolisms are meant to add emotional depth to the story, but on screen, they seem more like childish obstinacy than meaningful motivation. By the time the audience understands what these things mean, the film has moved on to the next action scene.

Like many modern films, Subedar divides its story into chapters like ‘dhar’ or ‘ghaav’. Although this technique has worked in films like Dhurandhar, the chapters here seem like dramatic sub-headings that have no real connection to the actual story. Moreover, the tone of the film is heavy and oppressive. Amidst all the tension and conflict, there is a distinct lack of humor or light moments. In a long film, sometimes dialogue or situational levity is necessary to give the audience some relief, but here the director has kept the tone consistently dark, making the experience tiresome towards the end.

If there is anything special about the film, it is its excellent performance. Anil Kapoor has once again proved that there is no better choice for the role of ‘Angry Budhe’. He brings a quiet intensity to Subedar, a man of military discipline who only flares up when pushed beyond his limits. His agility and screen presence in the action sequences are on par with the younger actors. Aditya Rawal in the role of Prince gives a completely different performance from his previous film Dalal, in which he played the role of a psychopathic villain very well. Radhika Madan brings sincerity to her character despite her lesser role, although her role could have been shown with more depth. Veteran actors like Saurabh Shukla, Mona Singh and Faisal Malik also leave their mark in small roles.

Suresh Triveni’s ‘Subedaar’ is not a bad film, but it is very ‘stuffy’. It has so many ideas that none of them are fully developed. Despite Anil Kapoor’s stellar performance and some great action sequences, the film is an average experience. Had the screenplay been a bit more focused, focusing on just two or three key tracks, it could have been a memorable classic. As it is, this is a film you watch mainly for Anil Kapoor’s performance.