I’m trying to imagine the version of 300 where King Leonidas stomps the Persian emissary into the abyss of despair while yelling, “THIS IS SPARTA!” then turns to the camera, and soft-sandals:
♪This is Sparta
Oh yeah, it’s Sparta
Come have a heart-a
Don’t wanna part ya …♫
Do I think it’s funny when legendary warriors sing and dance? HELL YES. Do I mind it? Not one bit; this is what’s missing from all those Marvel and DC movies. Why shouldn’t Jason Momoa croon about swimmin’ ‘n’ slayin’? What is so wrong with that?
Tanaji Malusare was a 17th century Marathan military commander and war hero. Considering how much film has been devoted to, say, Davy Crockett, a piece in which Tanhaji kicks some butt, then cuts a Persian rug doesn’t seem so out-of-line, now does it?
Owing a great deal to 300, Saving Private Ryan, and Lord of the Rings, Tanhaji bookends with two wonderful battle scenes. The first is more of an ambush which has a young(ish) Tanhaji ‘n’ pals leaping from a cliff-face while attached to parabolic ropes so they can swing directly into the enemy entourage and obliterate. Can’t say it was very sporting, but it was very cool. The end battle is kind of the opposite; Tanhaji’s warfolks scale a cliff to penetrate a cannon-heavy fort on a mountaintop. Both are impressively considered battle scenes. The rest of the film … less.
The young Tanhaji (Ajay Devgn) lost his father to an enemy slaughter in 1647. I take it from this, he vowed eternal revenge. Where he adopted the singing and dancing is beyond me. I said before it was like King Leonidas, but now that I consider it’s actually more like:
♪My name’s Montoya
Inigo Montoya
You killed my father
Prepare to die
Hey!♫
Plus, twice in the film, Tanhaji is wearing a disguise -a la Mission: Impossible– then rips off his face mask and starts singing … who is this guy?
Meanwhile, territorial and dastardly Udaybhan Singh Rathod (Saif Ali Khan) has a plan to suppress all religion and unite India under one flag. It’s amazing how often fellas like this are treated as heroes by history. Udaybhan comes off more as Snidely Whiplash. After collecting a city-destroying cannon the size of a circus tent (you’ll not see a greater phallic symbol on film this year), Udaybhan has set his sites on conquering all of middle India, where the Maratha play freely. Can Tanhaji stop him before second intermission?
I have little doubt Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior will be seen as something of a revelation in India, where the slick design and fight choreography are as well planned as a Bollywood dance number. I found the characters a little one-dimensional and the focus occasionally elsewhere, but I couldn’t deny a sincere anticipation for the climax. Even Chinese films sometimes forget to pit a worthy foe for our hero to defeat. While not a great film to these eyes, Tanhaji is a must-see for fans of hand-to-hand combat on film.
Epic tales about warriors so brave
Separate the exceptional from the mere knave
Re: Tanhaii, keep guard
For this Marathan bard
Be careful, he might sing you to your grave
Not Rated, 135 Minutes
Director: Om Raut
Writer: Prakash Kapadia & Om Raut
Genre: The ballad of war
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Indian nationalists
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Descendents of Udaybhan Singh Rathod
