Sam Bahadur

About the film

Sam Bahadur (stylised as SAMबहादुर ; lit. transl. Sam the Brave) is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language biographical war drama film based on the life of India's first field marshal, Sam Manekshaw. It is directed by Meghna Gulzar who co-wrote with Bhavani Iyer and Shantanu Srivastava. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala, under the banner of RSVP Movies. It stars Vicky Kaushal in the title role, alongside Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Neeraj Kabi, Edward Sonnenblick and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.

Sam Bahadur was released on 1 December 2023 and received mixed reviews from critics. It was a commercial success, earning ₹128.17 crore (US$13 million) worldwide. At the 69th Filmfare Awards, the film received eight nominations, including Best Film (Critics), Best Actor and Best Actor (Critics) (both for Kaushal). At the 71st National Film Awards, the film won 3 awards: Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values, Best Costume Design, and Best Make-up Artist.

Plot

In 1934, cadet Sam Manekshaw is amongst the first batch of gentleman cadets to be trained at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun; amongst his batchmates is his junior-rival, Tikka Khan. Graduating from the academy that year, he is posted as a second lieutenant to the 12th Frontier Force Regiment, Ferozpur. Soon after his appointment, he meets Siloo Bode, whom he later marries. In 1942, during the Second World War, Manekshaw, promoted to the acting rank of major, is sent with the regiment to participate in the Burma campaign. During the Battle of Sittang Bridge, he is wounded in action but survives and is awarded the Military Cross for gallantry.

In 1947, amidst the partition of the British Indian Army, Manekshaw is approached to join the Pakistan Army by his colleague, Yahya Khan; he chooses the Indian Army instead. Upon independence, discord emanates between the two countries over the sovereignty of Kashmir. In October 1947, Pakistan launches its military campaign to capture the region. In response, Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and home minister Vallabhbhai Patel dispatch Manekshaw and V. P. Menon to Kashmir; they succeed in securing the accession of Kashmir to India. India counter-attacks, but the war concludes in a stalemate.

In 1959, Manekshaw, now a major general and Commandant of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, is approached by defence minister V. K. Krishna Menon and Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Brij Mohan Kaul of his opinion on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. K. S. Thimayya. Manekshaw, interpreting their actions as political interference, rebuffs them. However, Kaul conspires to stop Manekshaw's upcoming promotion by orchestrating a court-martial on the basis of impropriety; nevertheless, but Manekshaw is exonerated by his superiors.

Production

In 2017, Meghna Gulzar narrated the story of the biopic on Sam Manekshaw to Kaushal at the sets of Raazi which she planned to make her next film. Kaushal impressed by the idea decided that he would play the character. She then went for years of extensive research and writing collaborating with Bhavani Iyer and Shantanu Srivastava, also meeting with family members of Sam Manekshaw. The film marks the second collaboration between Gulzar and Kaushal. In 2021, the film was announced by RSVP Movies on the 107th birth anniversary of late Sam Manekshaw.

Sam Bahadur was filmed with real Indian army soldiers.

In December 2021, Shaikh and Malhotra joined the cast, marking their third collaboration together after Dangal and Ludo. Kabi joined in September 2022 to portray the role of Jawaharlal Nehru marking his second collaboration with Gulzar after Talvar. Kaushal has gone through extensive training in the army under the guidance of the Indian Army's 6 Sikh Regiment in preparing for his role. Kaushal in an interview with Film Companion revealed that the character would be his toughest onscreen role to date. The film will not have junior artists and instead real-life army personnel and people from the Defence Force have been cast.

Music

The music of the film was composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy while the lyrics are written by Gulzar. Background score is composed by Ketan Sodha. The first single titled "Badhte Chalo" was released on 13 November 2023. The second single titled "Banda" released on 22 November 2023.

Release

The film was theatrically released on 1 December 2023, clashing with Ranbir Kapoor's Animal.

The film premiered on ZEE5 on 26 January 2024.

Reception

Sam Bahadur received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 38% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10.

Catherine Bray of The Guardian rated the film 3 stars and stated "It's a perennial problem for biopics; how to give events the momentum of fiction when the underlying narrative is fact."

Subhash K. Jha of Times Now rated 3.5 stars out of 5, critisied "I am afraid Vicky Kaushal, a reasonably talented actor, is not equal to the task. ... But mimicking the original doesn’t quite amount to a comprehensive character creation." Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave a rating 2.5/5 and wrote "It's hard to play a character so closely without becoming a caricature, but Kaushal becomes Sam Bahadur." Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com gave a rating of 2.5/5 and wrote, "Nothing that the movie tells isn't already available in the public domain." Mayank Shekhar of Mid-Day expressed "Vicky Kaushal is the last person I’d imagine as playing Manekshaw." Shekhar gave 3 stars to the movie and wrote "The trivia that follows is the film. Messing with no known facts, one bit. Only detailing them as they’re widely known." Anuj Kumar of The Hindu stated "The film critiques the relationship between the politicians and the military." Reviewing for Hindustan Times, Prannay Pathak spotted the music of the movie is underperforming. Pathak wrote "The film’s music is loud, distracting and unmelodious (the war anthem Badhte Chalo is unbelievably insipid and inelegant), which is surprising considering Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s obvious musical prowess and the trio’s last fabulous collaboration with Gulzar, Raazi." Anusha Sundar for The New Indian Express reviewed and wrote "Sam Bahadur is unfortunately ap…

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