Chaar Sahibzaade review: Sequel overcomes initial hiccups to become worthy film

Film: Chaar Sahibzaade: Rise Of Banda Singh Bahadur
Rating: 3/5

When his films weren’t doing well, director Nikhil Advani took to animation cinema with Delhi Safari (2012) and gained some success. Harry Baweja did the same a couple of years later with Chaar Sahibzaade (2014). As the film turned out to be a surprise hit, he has now come up with its sequel, Chaar Sahibzaade: Rise Of Banda Singh Bahadur. 

Mughal Emperor Wazir Khan kills the Chaar Sahibzade by burying them inside a wall. Guru Gobind Singh, their father and the tenth leader of the Sikh faith, migrates to Nanded with his followers. He visits Mahant, an ascetic and yoga guru, and asks for his help in eliminating Wazir Khan. After some hesitation, Mahant agrees. After some training, he becomes Banda Singh Bahadur.  

The film runs the risk of touching confusing and complicated levels. But it comes on track at the right time and stays there mostly, making sure it’s worth watching for kids, Sikh religion enthusiasts and history lovers in general.

After just the first scene, the narrative goes in a haphazard manner. Too many characters, flashback sub-plots and too much of information add confusion to the narrative. How would kids, the primary target audience, fathom this? And if you happen to be someone who hasn’t seen the first part, it will be all the more difficult for you to grasp anything. 

But like a sudden ray of light from dark clouds, the film comes back on track after the initial 30 minutes or so. The start of Banda Singh Bahadur’s story rescues the film. His initial struggle, training and coronation as a Khalsa are filled with moments that either delight or move you. 

The film also scores fairly well in the all-important battle scenes in the end. The grip is nicely maintained not only through action sequences, but also dialogue. However, the last few minutes are loaded with too much text information to remember or comprehend. In fact, the text appears right out of a history textbook and is never ending. One can make 3-4 films from the tale narrated in the last few minutes.

This is yet another animation film that reaches only an above average level as far as animation is concerned. The editing and background score are as per the need. 

Just like the first film, the names of voiceover artists are kept anonymous. The artist who gives voice to Banda Singh Bahadur is apt for the character. He brings the character to life. Om Puri as the narrator and the voice of Guru Gobind Singh also shines. The repetition of 'Gurusahab ne kaha’ over 50 times sounds silly.

Overall, Chaar Sahibzaade: Rise Of Banda Singh Bahadur overcomes initial hiccups to become a worthy sequel.

Director: Harry Baweja
Producers: Harry Baweja and Pammi Baweja
Writers: Harry Baweja and Harman Baweja
Cast: Om Puri
Genre: Action
Runtime: 134 minutes