Paltan Movie Review: Paltan Evokes An Exemplary Feel Of Patriotism And Sacrifice!

Paltan Movie Review: Paltan Evokes An Exemplary Feel Of Patriotism And Sacrifice!
Starring: Arjun Rampal, Sonu Sood, Harshvardhan Rane, Gurmeet Choudhary, Luv Sinha, Siddhanth Kapoor,
               Jackie Shroff, Dipika Kakar, Sonal Chauhan
Directed By: J P Dutta
3/5 Stars


A soldiers dies not when he is shot, but when he is forgotten, this very much holds true for JP Dutta’s Paltan which narrates the victory of India which remains untold. JP Dutta with Paltan narrates the heroism and sacrifice of the brave hearts from Indian Army’s Rajput battalion who fought against the Chinese infiltration on the Nathu La Pass in the year 1967.

This multi starrer cast has a diverse range of talented actors who step into the shoes of real life army officers whose untold stories of sacrifice is dealt with in the film. Arjun Rampal plays Lt. Col. Rai Singh and is ferocious and at his fiery best in the film. Sonu Sood plays Major Bishen Singh who is given the title of ‘Tiger Nathula’ in the film and just like his name proves to be like a searing tiger with his powerful portrayal. But it is Harshvardhan Rane who steals the show as the wild, untamed Harbhajan Singh with his blazing and power packed performance while Gurmeet Choudhary as Captain Prithvi Singh looks a little over stressed especially with his shifting accents in some scenes. Luv Sinha gives a cheerful and affable depiction of Attar Singh but Siddhanth Kapoor does not have much room to perform and seems like a talent wasted.

The only major shortcoming was the non menacing and instead an awkwardly comical portrayal of the Chinese military forces who were just monotonously on a ‘Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai’ rant during the whole film. Their portrayal could have been better ornamented in the film.

The extensive research in the characterization and the production design is well reflected in the film but the maker failed to recreate that magical aura of Border or LOC. The uninteresting confrontations as well as the lack of inter play between the characters only adds to an unwanted drag on the screenplay. But the honest effort of Dutta to bring this untold heroic deed in canvas evokes a heart wrenching emotion. The soundtrack fails to create a long lasting impact but only the song Raat Kitni sung by the versatile Sonu Nigam manages to give you the nostalgic ‘Sandese Aate Hain’ feel.

But watch Paltan to relive the grueling battle which marks this untold and uheard tale of sacrifice, bravery and patriotism of the brave heroes of the Rajput Battalion.