Shaurya
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Shaurya | |
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![]() Theatrical poster | |
Directed by | Samar Khan |
Written by | Samar Khan Jaydeep Sarkar Aparna Malhotra |
Based on | Court Martial by Swadesh Deepak |
Produced by | Moser Baer |
Starring | Kay Kay Menon Rahul Bose Javed Jaffrey Deepak Dobriyal Minissha Lamba Pankaj Tripathi |
Cinematography | Carlos Catalán |
Music by | Songs: Adnan Sami Background Score: Surinder Sodhi |
Distributed by | Moser Baer Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 149 minutes[1] |
Country | India |
Language | Hindi |
Shaurya (transl. Valour) is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language legal drama film directed by Samar Khan and produced by Moser Baer.[2] The film stars Kay Kay Menon, Rahul Bose, Javed Jaffrey, Deepak Dobriyal, and Minissha Lamba. The film is based on the 1991 Hindi play Court Martial by Swadesh Deepak and the 1992 American film A Few Good Men (the latter being an adaptation of the 1989 play of the same name by Aaron Sorkin about US marine David Cox).
The film was released on 4 April 2008, and critics praised the performances of the lead actors, in particular Kay Kay Menon and Javed Jaffrey .[3][4]
Plot
[edit]The film opens in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), where a group of Indian Army soldiers carries out a counter-insurgency operation. During the mission, an army officer is shot and killed by a fellow officer, Captain Javed Khan, who then surrenders to his colleagues without resistance.
The narrative shifts to New Delhi, introducing Major Siddhant Chaudhary and Major Akash Kapoor, close friends and army lawyers with contrasting personalities. Akash is a disciplined and dedicated officer, while Siddhant, the carefree son of a highly decorated army officer, is reluctant about his military career. Following Akash’s marriage and subsequent posting to Srinagar, Siddhant requests and secures a transfer to the same location.
Upon arrival, the two are assigned opposing roles in the court martial of Captain Javed Khan, accused of murdering Major Virendra Singh Rathore. Siddhant is initially uninterested in the case and considers it an open-and-shut matter. However, his encounter with journalist Kavya Shastri, who is investigating the case, challenges his outlook. Kavya's probing questions and criticism of Siddhant’s unprofessionalism inspire him to approach the case more seriously.
As Siddhant investigates further, he becomes suspicious of inconsistencies in the official narrative. His visit to Brigadier Pratap, the commanding officer of both Javed and Rathore, reveals evasive behavior. With help from Kavya and new evidence, Siddhant begins to suspect a larger cover-up. He discovers that Major Rathore had a record of human rights abuses and that Javed may have acted to prevent further atrocities.
Despite pressure from his superiors and opposition from Akash, Siddhant declares Javed not guilty in court and commits to proving his innocence. Javed, moved by Siddhant’s sincerity, finally opens up and provides documents supporting his version of events. Kavya’s investigation reveals numerous complaints of misconduct against both Rathore and Brigadier Pratap.
Siddhant’s defense gains momentum, but a key witness, Captain R. P. Singh, disappears and later dies by suicide after confessing the truth to Siddhant. Left without direct testimony, Siddhant decides to call Brigadier Pratap to the witness stand. In court, Siddhant exposes Pratap’s personal trauma and ideological bias, which had influenced his actions and led to the wrongful prosecution of Javed.
In the end, the military court finds Captain Javed Khan not guilty and reinstates his rank and honors. An official inquiry is ordered into Brigadier Pratap's conduct.
Cast
[edit]- Rahul Bose as Major Siddhant "Sid" Chaudhary
- Kay Kay Menon as Brigadier Rudra Pratap Singh
- Javed Jaffrey as Major Akash Kapoor
- Minissha Lamba as Journalist Kavya Shastri
- Deepak Dobriyal as Captain Javed Khan
- Seema Biswas as Mrs. Khan
- Pavan Malhotra as Army officer
- Aditya Lakhia as Captain R. P. Singh
- Ravi Gossain as Captain Passbola
- Jeneva Talwar as Nandini Kapoor, Akash's fiancé turned wife
- Denzil Smith as Brigadier P. P. V. Nair
- Subrat Dutta as Colonel Malhotra
- Pankaj Tripathi as Major Virendra Singh Rathore
- Bikramjeet Kanwarpal as Colonel Inyat Khan
- Amrita Rao as Nirja Rathore (Major Rathore's widow)
- Amar Talwar as Brigadier Saxena
- Shah Rukh Khan as Narrator in the end credits
Soundtrack
[edit]- "Dheere Dheere"
- "Ghabra Ke Dar Dar Ke"
- "Jaane Kyun Jaane Maan"
- "Dosti Kya Hai" - Udit Narayan, Abhijeet Bhattacharya
- "Shaurya" - Kunal Ganjawala
See also
[edit]- Shaurya missile
- Melvilasom, a 2011 Indian film also based on Swadesh Deepak's play
References
[edit]- ^ "Shaurya - It Takes Courage To Make Right... Right". British Board of Film Classification.
- ^ "It's a deal". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Sen, Raja (4 April 2008). "Review:Shaurya". rediff.com. Rediff. Retrieved 11 May 2008.
- ^ Khalid, Mohamed (4 April 2008). "Quite a feud court". hindustantimes.com. Hindustan Times. Retrieved 11 May 2008.
External links
[edit]- Shaurya at IMDb
- Shaurya at Rotten Tomatoes
- 2008 films
- Military courtroom films
- Indian war films
- 2000s Hindi-language films
- Indian crime drama films
- Indian legal thriller films
- 2008 crime drama films
- Indian Army in films
- Films scored by Surinder Sodhi
- Films set in Jammu and Kashmir
- Indian courtroom films
- Indian drama films
- Indian legal drama films
- Indian films based on plays
- Films about lawyers
- Military courtroom dramas
- Fiction about courts-martial
- Films based on multiple works
- Films set in Delhi
- Kashmir conflict in films
- Films about Islamic terrorism in India
- Films about prejudice
- Films shot in Srinagar
- Films shot in Jammu and Kashmir
- Indian nonlinear narrative films
- Films about mutinies
- Films about journalists
- Hindi-language films based on actual events
- Films about human rights
- Films about religious violence in India
- Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir
- Films about social issues in India
- Films about rape in India
- Films about mass murder
- Films based on adaptations
- Films about child death