Ketam
Mehta's much anticipated, The Rising is an epic tale of friendship,
love, loss and betrayal. The film is set against the backdrop of the
Indian Mutiny of 1857. It's also attracted some controversy (see left).
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Aamir Khan as Mangal Pandey
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The
movie opens on the British colonial rulers who are living a high
standard of life at the expense of the local people. This causes
widespread resentment.
To
make matters worse, the British are using the Indians as sepoys
- the infantry of the army, to control and regulate the population.
After
a hundred years under the rule of the British Raj, the people of
India are fed up. They now crave a change in the form of Independence.
Meanwhile,
the story deviates on one sepoy by the name of Mangal Pandey (Aamir
Khan). He rescues his British commanding officer, William Gordon
(Toby Stephens) during one of the battles.
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Amisha Patel & Toby Stephens
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As
a result, a strong friendship and binding loyalty builds up between
the two characters.
But
this friendship is soon challenged, first by arrival of a charming
and beautiful young aristocrat, Emily Kent (Carol Beed) and then
by the introduction of controversial new gun cartridges among the
troops.
Matters
get complicated when Gordon saves Jwala (Amisha Patel), a young
native girl from the funeral pyre of her late husband and falls
in love with her.
Meanwhile
the new cartridges require soldiers to bite through their greased
casing, reportedly made of animal fat.
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Rani Mukerjee in The Rising
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And
so a rumour starts to spread that the British are ignoring the religious
beliefs of their Muslim and Hindu soldiers.
Gordon
assures Mangal that fat isn't used in the cartridges. So demonstrating
his total trust in his friend, Mangal bites the cartridge.
To
their shock and horror, they discover that it really is made of
animal fat proving the rumour to be true - according to the film
at least.
This
event sparks off a feeling of resentment across the Indian continent.
Mutiny breaks out as Mangal's popularity increases amongst his fellow
sepoys.
He
eventually leads the Indian people to freedom and becomes India's
first revolutionary freedom fighter.
But
in 1857, he was finally hanged by the British for revolting against
their rule.
The
Rising is based on real historical events, seen as a trigger
for Indian independence. It has been filmed in India over 6 months
with a mix of British and Indian cast.
The
movie co-stars Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee.
Previewed
by Manish Gajjar,
91Èȱ¬ Shropshire's Mr Bollywood
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