A tumultuous chapter in the Mughul-Maratha rivalry over the Deccan unfolded during the time of warrior-king Chhatrapati Shivaji. It ended with the death of the latter, or so believed emperor Aurangzeb. The celebratory mood in the Mughul camp proved short-lived. The Deccan was once again in the midst of a fierce showdown between the old rivals. The indomitable Marathas had found a new leader in Sambhaji, the eldest son of Shivaji, and the mighty Aurangzeb faced serious military reverses between in the eight-year span beginning in 1681 and the capture of Burhanpur.
Sambhaji’s is a saga of valour of epic proportions, something history books have not paid enough attention to. Aurangzeb’s long engagement in the Deccan, which bled his army, treasury and vanity as well, was a major reason for the subsequent decline of the Mughul empire. The cinematic rendition of Shivaji Sawant’s popular novel, Chhaava, meaning lion’s cub, does justice to the heroic portrayal of the late 17th century hero to a good extent. In times of pop history, the movie fits right into the trend.
There’s a temptation in such movies to go overboard with the lionisation of the protagonist and demonisation of the antagonist. It requires the power of the actors to make their characters convincing despite the element of exaggeration. Vicky Kaushal as Sambhaji and Akshaye Khanna as Aurangzeb manage it to near-perfection. The dotting wife (Rashmika Mandanna), Kavi Kalash (Viineet Kumar), backstabbers in the court and other characters fit in nicely.
Vicky Kaushal, among the best actors of his generation, never fails to bring depth to his characters – be it Sam Bahadur in the titular role, Kamli in Sanju, Sukhi in Dunki or Iqbal Syed in Raazi. Here he grabs the character of the warrior with gusto. Akshaye Khanna is a wasted talent in the film industry. It’s intriguing why the powerhouse actor remains underexploited. Both bring that unique extra to their roles which most mainstream actors don’t.
The climax, loaded with violence, poetry and raw emotions, is interesting. The poetic exchange between Kavi Kalash and Sambhaji wins your heart. For those looking for a layered story-telling, tempered fictionalisation of history and subtlety there might be some disappointment. But overall, Chhaava is entertaining fair.
The screenplay by Laxman Utekar deserves special applause. He makes the proceedings enticing and emotionally stirring. The music and background music by AR Rahman, however, is a let down and doesn’t really lift the movie.
(By arrangement with Perspective Bytes)
