Braveheart review – Moving true story that needed better execution

Braveheart – Jidd Zagnyachi is a biopic of the late Nikhil Karkhanis, an ordinary individual who faced trying situations with extraordinary fortitude in his tragically short life. The film has been produced by his father, Sachchidanand Karkhanis. The intention probably was to give an inspiring message. Unfortunately, the film succeeds in this mission only till the interval.

Nikhil (Sangram Samel) is a happy-go-lucky youngster. Hiking is his favourite hobby. His mother died when he was still a child and his father (Arun Nalawade), grandmother (Sulabha Deshpande) and uncle have brought him up. He is especially close to his granny and loves her cooking. But Nikhil’s carefree life comes to an abrupt halt during one hiking expedition.

What starts off as a cramp in one leg soon turns out to be a serious spinal ailment. The illness puts an end to his favourite activity, hiking, and even stops Nikhil leading a normal life. But Nikhil is not someone to give up easily. His fighting spirit ensures that he becomes a successful individual. He also finds love in his office colleague (Dhanashri Kadgaonkar), who marries him despite his condition. But how long can he carry on?

Braveheart has a pleasant first half. Normally, when the central character is afflicted by such a serious illness, the film tends to tread on a serious or sad route. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen here. The mood remains cheerful and heart-warming, mainly because of the dialogues and Nikhil’s sunny disposition. His sequences with his grandmother deserve special mention.

But three problems harm the film. First, Nikhil’s achievements get no footage. This comes as a rude surprise because you can’t make an inspirational film without throwing light on how the protagonist succeeded against the odds. Here, we are just told about it by the narrator, Atul Parchure.

Second, Nikhil’s wife turns into a vampish character for no clear rhyme or reason. Even if we assume that this must have happened in real life, there is no conviction as the character suddenly goes through a negative transformation. In fact, this bears a striking similarity with the way the wife of Siddharth Jadhav’s character changed in Manus Ek Maati, which was released a couple of weeks ago.

The third issue is more serious. Going by the title and the treatment in the first half, it seemed as if the makers wanted to present an inspiring tale. But they lose sight of this goal in the second half. You don't see any of it in the narrative as the film turns into a family drama.

Newcomer Sangram Samel deserves applause for keeping your interest alive even when the film goes off track. You can’t help but feel for him and this is because of the mature manner in which he gets into the character. To feel the pain and still be cheerful would not have been easy for Nikhil, and bringing this aspect of the character out cannot have been easy for Samel. Here is one actor who deserves to climb the ladder of success.

Arun Nawalade succeeds in portraying the agony of a father who has to see his young son go through immense hardship but is unable to express his feelings. The late Sulabha Deshpande is lovable as Nikhil's grandmother. Dhanashri Kadgaonkar plays the two shades of her character well. But the aforementioned flaw in her characterization harms her performance.

Atul Parchure is fine as the narrator. But if he knows Nikhil’s story inside out, why is he almost absent throughout the flashback? Atharva Talvelkar, who plays the younger Nikhil, is a miscast. He appears to be specially challenged. And its only when the character grows up as Sangram Samel that we realise that he is actually not. 

Cinematographer Willy has beautifully photographed the film despite a large number of scenes taking place indoors. However, one can't say the same for the music. The songs composed by Arnab Chatterjee lack attractiveness. The title song, especially, shouldn’t have been so amateurish.

Overall, Braveheart – Jidd Zagnyachi is a half-hearted attempt at narrating a motivational story. The good thing is that the film has at least something working for it, unlike some of the content that Marathi cinema has churned out in recent weeks.