A compelling tale, beautifully told

RAAG DESH Direction: Tigmanshu Dhulia Actors: Kunal Kapoor, Amit Sadh, Mohit Marwah Rating:

Tigmanshu Dhulia never takes sides — not in Haasil (2003), which involved intense campus politics; not in Paan Singh Tomar, the true story of a soldier-turned-athlete-- turned dacoit. And not in Raag Desh, where three officers of Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army — Shah Nawaz Khan (Kunal Kapoor), Prem Sehgal (Mohit Marwah) and Gurbaksh Dhillon (Amit Sadh) — begin to be seen as symbols of unity in diversity while being tried by the British government as traitors, in 1945.

The depth of detail is marvellous, as is the emotional tug-ofwar — one ruling could determine whether these men go down in history as courageous patriots or turncoats and defectors.

And yet, amid the detail, there is ambiguity, and therein lies the beauty of Dhulia’s storytelling.

Being neutral means he represents all sides, allows key characters to be seen from different perspectives, and this leaves you with much to think about even after the end credits have rolled.

The documentary-like feel hampers the drama to some extent, and the cutting back in forth in time hampers the flow, but these are minor issues.

This is a compelling tale told through compelling actors — Amit Sadh shines; it is a pleasure to see him on screen again. Kunal Kapoor is measured and extremely effective. Mohit Marwah holds his own. You know how it’s all going to end, but you are still moved by the conclusion. This is a film totally worth 137 minutes of your time.