The film revolves around young rebel lad Govind (Aaman Devgan) who becomes captivated by Azaad, a stallion owned by the rebel leader Vikram Singh (Ajay Devgn). Following Vikram’s sudden death, Govind’s destiny becomes intertwined with Azaad’s, in this film which has been set against the oppressive backdrop of British rule, a la Lagaan.
Set in British India, the plot revolves around a stable hand working for Rai Bahadur (Piyush Mishra), a local Zamindar aligned with the British. Govind becomes enchanted by Azaad. Vikram Singh is a rebel opposing the oppressive British rule.
The highlight of the film is a thrilling nail-biting horse-riding sequence during its climax, enhanced by excellent cinematography and Amit Trivedi’s commendable music, which is reminiscent of O.P. Nayyar’s music However, the script lacks substantial tension between its protagonist and antagonist, with conflict only sporadically interspersed in this film which has absolutely no plot worth mentioning at all.
As far as performances are concerned, I would say that though Ajay Devgn shines as Vikram Singh, and also delivers a convincing portrayal of a rebel leader, TV actor Mohit Malik’s depiction of Tej Bahadur, the Zamindar’s son, impresses with his menacing demeanor. Aaman Devgn , who is Ajay’s nephew and Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha Thadani’s sincere efforts are evident, but there is sadly clear potential for improvement. Diana Penty, as Kesar, delivers a sincere performance, adding depth to the supporting cast, while Piyush Mishra seems to have been grossly wasted in an inconsequential role.
The zamindar’s son Raj Bahadur (Mohit Malik) is an evil slave-owner, who whips anyone who dares to displease him and drags them behind his horse, mercilessly. The horse Azaad is a brilliant find and impresses with its expressive eyes and ironically has a role that is even lengthier than those of Ajay Devgn and Aaman Devan.
Though it is intended to be a grand spectacular as well as dramatic film with a lot of adrenalin raising action, Azaad is overshadowed by an overall lack of emotional and narrative payoff. One wonders what on earth were the gifted writers including Suresh Nair doing in the first place when they set out to churn out the inane script which fails to do justice to its pathetic characters.
– Review by Jyothi Venkatesh
Cast of Azaad:
Ajay Devgn as Vikram Singh
Diana Penty as Kesar
Aaman Devgan as Govind
Rasha Thadani as Janaki
Mohit Malik as Tej Bahadur
Piyush Mishra as Rai Bahadur
Natasha Rastogi as Nani
Sandeep Shikhar as Braj
Jiya Imran Amin as Daani
Mukund Ramesh Pal as Rajab
Gaurav Yavanika as Jai Singh
Credits of Azaad:
Production companies – RSVP Movies, Guy In The Sky Picture
Produced by – Ronnie Screwvala, Pragya Kapoor
Directed by Abhishek Kapoor
Screenplay by Ritesh Shah, Suresh Nair, Chandan Arora
Story – Ritesh Shah, Suresh Nair, Abhishek Kapoor
Cinematography Satyajit Pande (Setu)
Edited by Chandan Arora
Songs by Amit Trivedi
Score: Hitesh Sonik