The first release of 2020. Collections of over 270 CR Rupees. Tanhaji has been minting money in a run of almost 50 days. Now, it got a digital release in Hotstar and I watched it. This film review will be from a perspective of a neutral. I have no roots of Maharastra. I know nothing about Shivaji Raje. So, I tried to gain knowledge and keep my opinions aside to judge this film as a historical drama action film. So, how this film turned out to be? Let's find out.
Tanhaji The Unsung Warrior is a 2020 historical drama action film starring Ajay Devgn in his 100th film, Kajol, Saif Ali Khan in a negative role and a plethora of acting talent. The film revolves around Subhedar Tanhaji Malusare and how he keeps his son's wedding aside to save their pride, The Kondhana fort.
This story is simple. Therefore, the director takes advantage of it and makes a well thought out screenplay. Like, there are some iconic moments in the making in this film. The director was never too indulgent in his world. That shows in the world building. He basically shows the skeleton of this world and builds some skin around it. The director stages an action film with this world after the building. This is the best part of the film. The strategies they thought are some creative strategies. I really like the dialogues of the film too. They are very powerful and motivating. The usage of Marathi adds to the mood of the film. Overall, the film has a very good screenplay.
The acting is very solid. Ajay Devgn gives a good performance. Restrained and calm, the actor drives the film with him. Kajol in her 4-5 scenes delivers a powerful performance proving women are always the reason for their or other's win. Saif Ali Khan gives a menacing performance. His beats are inspired from Allauddin Khilji of Padmaavat but his performance is original in his own way. Sharad Kelkar as Shivaji Raje is excellent. He looks and feels the role and as per my knowledge this is the perfect portrayal. His scenes with Tanhaji work well. Neha Sharma, Padmavati Rao, and others give good performances as well.
This film is more a technical achievement than its acting. The VFX team has to be lauded. Except for 3-4 shots, the VFX has been top quality in this film. The cinematography is very good. His contributions are well found in the climax and the one shot battle sequences. The editing is top notch. A sharp cut of 2 hours is a miracle for a historical drama which attracted the masses. The art work, costume design, make-up work together in tandem to create a very good world. The music and BGM is great. The Ra-Ra-Ra BGM is still running in my head. The songs are hummable while fitting well in the film.
The only negative I find in the film is that the film does not explore the other side much. It is actually a positive for the film because it has a clear direction. But, the exploration could have brought some meat to the film and made this film from good to great. There is almost worship of a person which is questionable for me at-least.
Overall, this film is a great watch and as an action film, it serves its purpose. As a historical drama, it could have improved with a little depth but it is solid in its own right. Enjoy this ride.
iMDB Rating: 8.4/10
My Rating: 8/10
I really liked the perspective presentation of tanhaji movie.i personally worship shivaji Maharaj as his personality is phenomenal but a mix of both positive and negative shades would have made it realistic!!!!
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