Swantantrya: A Biographical Sketch of Veer Savarkar
Swantantrya, a film starring Veer Savarkar: There is little question about the film’s almost worshipful tone towards the lead character, and it seems like Randeep Hooda wanted to make up for past wrongs against his hero.
This biographical movie is exactly what it sounds like it will be: a story told entirely from the perspective of a complex and endlessly fascinating figure whose growing fanaticism was concealed by a piercing intelligence and an unwavering conviction that he was right and that everyone else, including Mahatma Gandhi, was wrong. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was a fiery ideologue and orator who popularized the idea of Hindutva.
It should come as no surprise that Randeep Hooda, who has consistently demonstrated his acting prowess, plays the title part with total conviction. Given that he co-wrote and co-produced the movie, it makes sense. What does surprise is his directing skills; throughout this three-hour film, which is driven by both his powerful acting and his voice-over, which blatantly show and tell, he employs stylized staging and a sense of dramatization.
What we get is a thorough biographical sketch of Savarkar, with the narrative starting from his early years and showing us his intense, enduring love for his older brother (Amit Sial), his time as a Pune college student who stood out from his peers, his marriage to the lovely and devoted Yamuna (Ankita Lokhande), his warm reception at London’s India House and his education about revolutionary movements taking place in Italy and Russia, his arrest and deportation to India with a botched attempt at freedom (leaping from the ship into the ocean), his years at Kala Paani Jail, where he endured unrelenting torture, and his intermittent bursts of release, all of which contributed to his continued rise in the eyes of those who shared his philosophy.
It’s possible to claim that Hooda wanted to make up for past wrongs he felt his hero had suffered, and the film’s almost worshipful attitude toward the lead actor is undeniable. However, the film suffers from its persistent mockery of his peers, particularly Gandhi, who is presented as helpless, incompetent, and the architect of the Partition. Nehru, who is likewise disliked by people who support a particular perception of India, is seen grinning at an Englishwoman while covered in cigarette smoke; this last action is not a scene, but rather a sneer.
“Gandhi, is it really that bad? Yes, this is the age we live in, but these are cheap shots, and this sentence, with its barely concealed scorn, may make the audience laugh in the theater. Furthermore, they downplay this portrayal of Savarkar, who, in his own judgment and that of the many others who shared his belief that armed revolution was the sole means of overthrowing the British, only got stronger with time. The movie begins by saying that although we have been taught that nonviolence is the source of our freedom, this is not that movie, and we are prepared to hear a different viewpoint.
But there’s much more to this. at this parallel reality, Savarkar’s repeated pleas for pity to the British during his incarceration at the infamous Andaman prison magically transform into rational tools. And that his support of Hindutva, his leadership of the Hindu Mahasabha, and his call for a Hindu Rashtra were not as exclusive as Gandhi’s acceptance of all people; in these sections of the movie, there is both blatant obfuscation and deceptive confusion.
The movie could have been better with more balanced representations. For example, when the Mahatma is killed, Savarkar briefly criticizes Nathuram Godse before moving on. The film depicts young rebels being executed, showcasing figures like Madanlal Dhingra and Chandrashekar Azad. It also tells the story of the nation’s formation and the people involved in the liberation war. Hooda’s portrayal of Savarkar’s physical deterioration in prison is impressive. However, the movie is ultimately one-sided and reductionist.
If these depictions had been more evenly distributed, the entire film would have been improved. For instance, Savarkar is shown mocking Nathuram Godse in passing after the Mahatma is killed, saying, “usse woh nahin karna chahiye thaa,” before heading back to his position right away. The array of young revolutionaries being executed by hanging or by noose, with their faces framed against a black screen and starring Madanlal Dhingra and Chandrashekar Azad, is a striking feature.
It also tells the story of the characters that fought in the freedom struggle and how a nation was formed. Hooda’s portrayal of Savarkar’s physical alterations during his incarceration, such as his teeth falling out and his ribs protruding, is remarkable, as is his remarkable resemblance to the actual Savarkar. But in the end, it is reductive and obviously one-sided due to its one-sidedness.
Director Randeep Hooda directed the film Swantantrya Veer Savarkar, which stars Randeep Hooda, Ankita Lokhande, Amit Sial, Russell Geoffrey Banks, Rajesh Khera, Brijesh Mittal, Lokesh Jha, and Mark Bennington.
Two stars for Veer Savarkar’s Swantantrya