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Shershaah Movie Review: Sidharth Malhotra & Kiara Advani’s film lacks the ‘josh'
Shershaah Movie Review: Patriotic films with a tint of romance has always carried a certain success ratio on the Box Office. Shershaah staring Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani and produced by Dharma Production aims to cash on this string
Movie: Shershaah
Shershaah Director: Vishnuvardhan
Shershaah Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani
Shershaah Stars: 2.5/5
Patriotic films with a tint of romance has always carried a certain success ratio on the Box Office. Shershaah staring Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani and produced by Dharma Production aims to cash on this string. Shershaah is inspired from the life of decorated officer, Param Vir Chakra Captain Vikram Batra, who was a celebrated Indian army officer who laid down his life while fighting for the country during the 1999 Kargil War. Sidharth Malhotra essays the roles of both Vikram Batra and his brother Vishal Batra in the film, while Kiara Advani plays Dimple, with who Vikram falls in love.
The first half of the film highlights Vikram’s life in two phases before he steps in to serve the nation. The younger Vikram is flamboyant, and a bit filmy. The makers use the first half to showcase the brimming romance and relationship between Dimple and Vikram who were college-mates at the Punjab University in Chandigarh. As the film progresses, it switches from a sweet college romance to a-beyond-life-commitment and patriotic film. By the end, however, it is the love story that etches to one’s heart. Especially, for the uninitiated, the film reminds that post his martyrdom, Dimple Cheema who couldn’t tie the knot continues to live her life as the widow of Captain Vikram Batra. 
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Sidharth has put in a lot of efforts to get into the skin of the character, unfortunately it doesn’t look effortless. Sidharth looks a bit awkward as a goofy, filmy Punjabi boy and at times inches closer to charming you with his intense persona while showcasing how the soldier challenges danger heads-on. With few scenes, Sidharth’s commitment is evident but a poor screenplay withers the impact and plays spoilsport.
Kiara looks adorable as Dimple in most of the scenes and makes you emotional in the last scene. The chemistry between Sidharth and Kiara is delightful, albeit in patches.
With a patriotic cum romantic story in hand, the makers could have worked on both the screenplay and dialogue with a more earnest attempt. It was disappointing to see that the film doesn’t have many dialogue which will leave an indelible mark on the audience, sans one.
Director Vishnu Varadhan invests prominent time in establishing their love story which takes a major part of the film. Few scenes are extremely predictable and at times sitting through them does become a task. The emotions are evoked but they fail to achieve the potential they had. The primary reason for the disconnect is a loose screenplay, the actors’ character graph and representation, and almost absent visualisation of strategy during the war scenes.
Last 10 minutes hold your attention but by then it’s too late. Supporting cast includes Shiv Panditt, Raj Arjun, Pranay Pachauri, Himanshu Ashok Malhotra, Nikitin Dheer, Anil Charanjeett, Sahil Vaid, Shataf Figar and Pawan Chopra in pivotal roles. They have tried to play their part well with limited screenplay and paltry dialogue share.
Perhaps the issue with the film is that it is walking a tightrope between being a romantic film and a patriotic representation of a war hero. Cinema is a reflection of our society and the sacrifice of Capt. Vikram Batra will definitely make you emotional. But by the end of Shershaah, it does not do complete justice to either of the genres it falls into. Despite the lapses, it’s important that films on the lives of real-life heroes should be made more often for this generation to remember them in the right spirit.
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