Azaad

Azaad Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Ajay Devgn, Aaman Devgan, Rasha Thadani, Piyush Mishra, Mohit Malik, Diana Penty

Director: Abhishek Kapoor

What’s Good: Debutante performances of Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani, all the scenes involving the horse Azaad, horse riding scenes, cinematography, Ajay Devgn’s brief presence, soundtracks, core emotions of the film land we’ll

What’s Bad: Some of the scenes in the latter half add to the pace of the film, some supporting characters are underutilized when it comes to the writing, and some action sequences look slightly illogical

Loo Break: We suggest the interval itself for that. Otherwise, the film will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Watch or Not?: Azaad makes way for an endearing one-time watch with a compelling message that makes its presence felt.

Language: Hindi

Available On: Theatrical Release

Runtime: 2 hours 25 minutes

User Rating:

It’s always a gamble when a film with two young debutante performances surfaces. Azaad was also under the radar because of its plot, which involves a period drama against the backdrop of a magnificent horse’s story which can be feared to be not so relevant to the current times. However, this Abhishek Kapoor directorial manages to stay true to its compelling message, with the two newcomers, Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani, also not disappointing.

Azaad’s plot is set against the backdrop of 1920 during the pre-Independence era when the Zamindari rule was at its peak. The Zamindars used to exact heavy taxes on the villagers and sell them to slavery to rise in the favor of the Britishers. Govind (Aaman Devgan) is a poor, stable boy who dreams of owning his horse one day. However, his village is terrorized by the atrocities of the cruel Rai Bahadur (Piyush Mishra) and his son Tej (Bahadur). Circumstances make Govind meet the rebel dacoit Vikram Singh (Ajay Devgn), instantly attracting him to the latter’s beautiful black horse, Azaad. When fate brings Azaad to his possession, Govind must go to all lengths to gain control over the horse. Meanwhile, he also finds himself falling for the feisty and beautiful Janki (Rasha Thadani), the daughter of Rai Bahadur. Soon Govind learns that he must not only don the role of Azaad’s new ‘Sardar’ but also be the messiah to liberate the downtrodden people of his village.

Azaad Movie Review: Script Analysis

On the exterior, Azaad abides by the formula of the yesteryear films wherein the initial good-for-nothing hero becomes a savior for the downtrodden and rises against the antagonist. He also falls in love with the heroine, who is somehow related to the antagonist, giving the classic star-crossed love story arc. However, deep within, the Abhishek Kapoor directorial delves deep into the themes of loyalty, courage, rebellion, and determination to rise against oppressors.

The movie could have fallen prey to a shoddy screenplay if one of the subplots had been given too much importance. But the writing strikes a delicate balance between the underlying plotline of the rebellion against the Britishers and the Zamindars, the loyalty of an animal towards its master, and a love story between a stable boy and an upper caste girl. One of the highlights of the movie is Azaad’s camaraderie with Govind. Be it the scene wherein Govind is perplexed by the horse’s craving for alcohol or the scene wherein he finally tries to don the hat of the horse’s ‘Sardar.’ Azaad truly shines as one of the true heroes of the film, as it rightly should. However, some of the scenes do add to the film’s pace laboriously in the second half.

The character development of Rai Bahadur (Piyush Mishra) and Tej Bahadur (Mohit Malik) remain half-baked, so the scenes showcasing their tyranny towards Govind (Amaan Devgan) and his village do not strike a chord entirely and instead add to the pace of the film. Vikram Singh (Ajay Devgn)’s character also had the potential to be explored, especially when it came to his rise as a dreaded rebel dacoit. However, these fallacies are compensated with a gripping and fulfilling climax.

Azaad Movie Review: Star Performance

Aaman Devgan is a complete show-stealer in this one. The actor showcases impeccable confidence and a commanding screen presence for his debut performance. He shines, especially in the emotionally high-octane scenes involving his character trying to take control over Azaad. Rasha Thadani has a scintillating screen presence. She looks charming and especially shines in the dance numbers. Her chemistry with Aaman comes across as endearing, but the actress still has a scope for improvement regarding the dialogue delivery, especially in the emotional scenes.

Ajay Devgn, in his brief appearance, inevitably is intense and does full justice to the character. In his Bollywood debut, Mohit Malik brings in the required angst and conviction as the antagonist, even though his character deserved better writing. Piyush Mishra also does full justice to his character, but his character arc and development are not convincingly fleshed out. Diana Penty’s role is mainly reduced to a cameo appearance and the actress deserved a better screen space. A shoutout to the magnificent black beauty, which appears to be oh-so-endearing.