Major Movie Review: Major Offers A Right Dose Of Jingoism With The Passionate Story Of Sandeep Unnikrishnan's Heroism

Patriotic biographical/historical is one such genre that has found it difficult to stay away from Jingoism. Once in a while, we get a film like Patton (1970), which shows you that the power of cinema is bigger than cliched jingoism. Luckily, in Bollywood we got Haqeeqat (1964), which was more like a war film but showed the actual potential of patriotic films with the right mix of patriotism and morality. Otherwise, our masses are happy with  Border (1997) and Shershaah (2021), because not everyone can go out of the mainstream flow to make a burning feature like Sardar Udham like Shoojit Sircar. And when it comes to the commercialization of the cinema, which is undeniable, of course, we are bound to get these stories of hardcore patriots in an overpowering jingoistic way. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan is definitely one of those crazy patriots. Can you deny that? No.

It's been 14 years since the horrible night of 26/11 shattered the nation, but we haven't forgotten it yet and may never be able to do so. The Late Unnikrishnan's story deserved to be told on the silver screen, and when Adivi Sesh announced it, I was scratching my head trying to figure it out. I mean, this fella has given us such great thrillers that I have pet-named him as the Master of thrillers. Kshanam (2016), Goodachari (2018) and Evaru (2019) introduced me to an emerging sensation called Adivi Sesh, a good actor plus a good writer. His decision to get into the biographical genre had left me with a question mark and a doubt, but now after watching Major, I must admit that he was RIGHT! Major showcases the extraordinary story of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's hardcore passion in a proper cinematic manner, but more importantly, it makes you realise the value of his sacrifices and emotions. What Shershaah did with the story of Captain Batra, Major does with the story of the great Sandeep Unnikrishnan. And it's not just about 26/11.

The film tells the life story of Sandeep Unnikrishnan (Adivi Sesh) right from his childhood, younger days, army training and his 26/11 mission. Sandeep has been a stubborn child, then at one certain moment, his childhood sees adulthood and a career that can be more than just a career. A service to the nation, precisely. The ultimate passion leads him to join the Army, and then the second half takes you to the action zone right in the middle of the Taj Imperial Hotel. Meanwhile, we meet his lover, Isha (Saiee Manjrekar), soon after his wife and then a little bit of their personal issues. For Sandeep, the nation always comes first, creating a problem for his parents (Prakash Raj and Revathi) and his married life, as they are used to a normal life and seek the same from Sandeep too. The way he tirelessly fights against the terrorists on that horrible night in Mumbai is all that forms the action-packed climax of the film, followed by a patriotic emotional portion in the end.

Major has a great story as well as a fine screenplay. You hardly move from your seats in those 148 minutes, except maybe a couple of minutes in the second half. The first half is very intelligently built because it was the most challenging part, as we all know the story of what would happen in the second half. Sandeep's life before November 26th, 2008 deserves to be known because heroes aren't born overnight, they have been growing for a long time.

Writer Adivi Sesh brings that unknown portion to light, which was easy, but he does a difficult job of presenting everything in a pacy manner. His school days, family members, love story, and training days are all lined up very nicely without any forceful cliches. However, the second half does have a few dull moments. One such scene is when the story goes back to his wedding all of a sudden in the middle of tense situations. Well, there is a proper explanation for it later, but that somehow spoils the tempo of the film. One more problem is the overuse of jingoism in those attack scenes, which could have been avoided for the reliability of the story, but then you also have to keep massy and commercial aspects in mind. These small mistakes can be overlooked as long as the rest of the product is highly satisfying.

Any biographical drama is meant to be a performance-driven film, and Major is no different. Adivi Sesh as Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan will stay in your mind even after you've left the auditorium. Except for the high school days, there's not a single scene where he hasn't looked like Sandeep Unnikrishnan. Saiee Manjarekar makes a sweet chemistry with him, and she suits the age-related changes perfectly.

The gorgeous Sobhita Dhulipala only appears in the Taj scenes, but her character is pretty important. She looks exactly like an urban, rich woman — just what her character needs. A couple of overhyped scenes may leave you questioning the relevance of Pramoda Nair (her character name), but like I said, a bit of cinematic liberty is allowed for such stories. The experience of Revathi adds up to a solid on-screen mother, while Prakash Raj shines in the role of a typical yet great father. A few glimpses of Murali Sharma are never harmful.

The technical aspects of Major are very strong. The cinematography of Vamsi Patchipulusu is full of colour, variations, and action. Akshat Ajay Sharma's dialogues (Hindi) will have you on your toes clapping silently. "Gandhiji ko pata nahi tha wo marne wale hai, but mera beta.." that was Lit man. The two-and-a-half hour cut shows you the fine editing skills of Vinay Kumar Sirigineedi and Kodati Pavan Kalyan, while the visual effects make the film eye-pleasing. Sricharan Pakala's compositions aren't too good, but not too bad either. But yes, the background score is fantastic on several occasions. That entire military training set is so well shot, edited and cleverly used. The combat scenes between Sandeep and terrorists are one of the finest pieces of action set for any biographical recently.

With just two films in his kitty, Sashi Kiran Tikka has emerged as a fabulous director. Those who have seen Goodachari know what I mean, and now Major confirms it again. Major or Goodachari, he hasn't left his grip loose anywhere, and you'll find it very difficult to catch the loopholes. With Major, he shows that he can keep you hooked to your seats even without a thriller. It's a well-known story, I mean, who doesn't know what happened on the night of November 26th and the following day, November 27th, and yet Tikka manages to enslave you to it for two and a half hours? That's really amazing.

Major may not be a great classic or that kind of stuff, but it is certainly a great attempt and a very successful one. Major will leave your eyes with tears, your chest with pride, and your mind with a fulfilling cinematic experience. Now, that's a better combo than what multiplex food combos offer you (with hiked prices), and it's a rare one too. Instead of "miss you Sandeep" tweets and posts, try a better option - Don't Miss It! More than critics, it's a public film as Sandeep was public's hero.