Trouble in paradise
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Indian Express
12 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Sarzameen: Ibrahim Ali Khan's terrible film accidentally gets you to root for a terrorist to kill an Indian soldier, and you can't even deny it
In Sarzameen, a stern military man allows his only son to be murdered by terrorists in Kashmir because… nation comes first or something. You often hear about parents who proudly declare that they are willing to sacrifice their children for the country, and perhaps Prithviraj Sukumaran's Vijay Menon is cut from the same cloth as those folks. The only difference is that his son isn't a soldier on the front-lines, but a child for whom he feels no love. Played by Ibrahim Ali Khan, the child's name is Harman, and the only reason his father hates him is that he isn't like the other boys; he's timid, he can't play sports, and he speaks with a stutter. Bizarrely enough, Sarzameen implies that Vijay wouldn't have let his son die had he conformed to the 'norms' of boyhood. If Harman didn't have a speech impediment, the movie suggests, he'd likely have lived. It's an astounding thought that struck absolutely nobody in the Dharma writing incubator that coughed up this script, which relies almost exclusively on contrivance, convenience, and coincidence to keep the plot moving. Sarzameen expects us to root for a reunion of some kind after it reveals that Harman miraculously survived a bullet to the head — nobody dies in this movie, even after being shot at point-blank range — but unintentionally gets us to cheer for a terrorist to kill a member of the Indian Army. Also read – Nadaaniyan: Ibrahim Ali Khan makes one of the worst debuts in years; is Karan Johar determined to set fire to his career before it even begins? Only a complete failure in storytelling can send a viewer so wildly off track. Sarzameen is directed by Kayoze Irani, who showed such promise with his heartfelt short film in Ajeeb Daastaans. For him to have selected this as his feature debut makes no sense; as it is, it feels like he wasn't involved in the conceptualisation and execution of the action scenes at all. His focus, presumably, was on the drama. And it's drama straight out of a poor '90s movie; you can imagine how competent Sarzameen is when you realise that even Netflix, which gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to Nadaaniyan, drew the line. As with that film, it feels like every line of dialogue here has been dubbed in a booth and not performed on set. Hindi isn't Prithviraj's mother tongue, and acting doesn't come naturally to Ibrahim. He shows up only after the first act, when Harman inexplicably escapes from the clutches of his captors and reappears in his parents' lives. For some reason, his mother, played by Kajol, is still married to Vijay, even after he abandoned Harman and left him to die. Had Sarzameen shown us what happened during those eight years, her decision would've made sense. But because it doesn't, you're left to assume that the only reason she stuck around is because she has a job to fulfil in the film's third act. Unlike Brody from Homeland, who was closely monitored by the CIA after he returned from captivity tried to begin his life afresh, Harman is simply allowed to go home to his parents. They barely recognise him. He no longer has a stutter, and he seems more confident than he used to be. Vijay is convinced that he's an imposter — the fact that he believes Harman would be the same person who 'died' eight years ago is bananas. Vijay knows that Harman was living with terrorists; he knows that Harman was probably tortured and brainwashed. And still, he welcomes Harman into his house without having him cleared first. Sarzameen seems to think that the dramatic conflict of these scenes rests in whether Harman is Vijay's son, and not whether he's a terrorist. The more suspicious Vijay becomes of Harman, the more you want to lean in and remind him that it's all his fault. Consequently, you root for the kid to shoot him in the face. This almost happens in the pre-interval scene, by the way. But the scene ends with a twist so wild that its sole purpose, seemingly, is to disarm you for the further insanity that Sarzameen has prepared for the climax. Let's talk about it. It is revealed that Harman was, indeed, a militant brainwashed against his father, who, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume, is the living manifestation of India. The villains didn't have to work too hard; Vijay did have him murdered, after all. The movie would've been far more complex had Harman come from a loving home, or if it had shown Harman commit a terrible crime before resurrecting himself. It's almost as if the most interesting chunk of the story — the eight years that Harman spent away from home — was deliberately edited out. Read more – Ae Watan Mere Watan: Heartbreaking, the worst film you've seen just made some strong political points Vijay, of course, has an awakening. But nothing can redeem him; he's like the dad from Udaan, but if he was also a child-killer. The real twist — and Abbas Mustan would be so proud of Kayoze — is that Kajol's character was a double agent all along. It's like they're gifting the Saiyaara generation with their own version of Gupt: The Hidden Truth. She was sent to spy on the Indian Army, but she fell for Vijay and had a child with him. Why she fell in love with a man like him isn't something that the movie feels confident enough to explain. And, having seen what sort of guy he is, it's impossible for the viewer to fill in the blanks either. Sarzameen is, after all, a movie that paints an Army officer as the villain and projects militants as morally justified in their actions. So, why can't it be appreciated like the scores of films made about America's war crimes after 9/11? Why does Sarzameen have more in common with Kajol's own Fanaa — the film's Harry Potter connections deserve a separate article — than it does with something like The Forever Prisoner, a film that understands the difference between empathising with a wrongdoer and actively cheering them on. By relying on trivial tropes, the movie does a disservice not only to its own characters, but also a very real geopolitical issue.
Economic Times
7 hours ago
- Economic Times
Did Prithviraj Sukumaran compare Kajol to Mohanlal? Actor says ‘sometimes it's tough…' to shoot scenes with her in Sarzameen
Prithviraj Sukumaran and Kajol's Sarzameen released on July 25. Prithviraj Sukumaran, who recently starred in Sarzameen alongside Kajol and debutant Ibrahim Ali Khan, has opened up about his experience working with the Bollywood icon—and he had nothing but praise, mixed with some hilarious on-set moments. In a conversation with Bollywood Bubble, the Malayalam superstar, known for his versatility and depth, revealed that Kajol's acting style reminded him of another screen legend—Mohanlal. Describing Kajol as 'wonderful' and 'truly gifted,' Prithviraj said that working with instinctive actors like her brings an element of unpredictability to a scene. He explained that much like Mohanlal, who delivers a different performance with every take, Kajol doesn't rely on rehearsals and instead trusts her instincts. 'She truly believes in being instinctive about her performance pitch,' he shared, noting that it made the collaboration exciting and dynamic. Prithviraj also spoke fondly of Kajol's vibrant energy on set, calling her 'a constant caffeine overdose in a very nice way.' But things didn't always go smoothly—especially when filming an emotional scene where Kajol's character delivers a powerful line about motherhood. For some unexplained reason, both actors couldn't stop laughing during takes, to the point where director Kayoze Irani nearly gave up on them. Despite the challenge, Prithviraj said it was all in good fun and expressed his admiration for Kajol, adding that he hopes they get to work together again in the is written and directed by Kayoze Irani, son of Boman Irani, in his feature directorial debut. Backed by Dharma Productions and Star Studios, the film is produced by Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar, and Apoorva Mehta. Headlined by Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kajol, and Ibrahim Ali Khan, Sarzameen unfolds against the politically volatile backdrop of Kashmir. The story follows Colonel Vijay Menon (Prithviraj Sukumaran), an Indian Army officer stationed in Jammu and Kashmir, whose world turns upside down when he discovers that his long-missing son, Harman (Ibrahim Ali Khan), may have joined a terrorist organisation. As he sets out to uncover the truth, his wife Meher (Kajol) is pulled into a heart-wrenching emotional struggle—where the line between duty to the nation and loyalty to family begins to blur. The film premiered on July 25, 2025, exclusively on JioHotstar. While netizens have hailed Prithiviraj and Kajol's performance, many criticised the movie's weak scripting. ( Originally published on Jul 25, 2025 )
Pink Villa
12 hours ago
- Pink Villa
Prithviraj Sukumaran compares his Sarzameen co-star Kajol to Mohanlal, calls her ‘a truly gifted artist…'
Prithviraj Sukumaran and Kajol recently made the headlines as they appeared together in the Bollywood movie Sarzameen. As the movie premiered on JioHotstar, the Kaduva actor compared his co-star to Malayalee superstar Mohanlal. What made Prithviraj consider Kajol and Mohanlal to be similar? Talking with Bollywood Bubble, Prithviraj Sukumaran said, 'Kajol is wonderful, she's a truly gifted artist. And, she is an instinctive actor. The greatest thing about collaborating with such actors is that they make the pitch for your character unpredictable.' 'It's not like you have rehearsed with them a couple of times. It also happens with Mohanlal sir. He's very instinctive as an actor. If we do 5 takes with him, each take will be different from the others. Kajol is a lot like him. She truly believes in being instinctive about her performance pitch,' he added. Prithviraj's team hits back against false rumors In recent times, reports suggested that Prithviraj claimed Lucifer 3 would be the biggest action venture in Indian cinema, even including underwater action sequences. However, the actor's team, Poffactio, has hit back against these rumors, clearing the air. The team has also criticized news portals for spreading false claims and said, 'We express our disappointment in major channels for spreading false news claiming that Prithviraj Sukumaran made statements about the L3 movie. These reports are entirely untrue.' 'It appears this misinformation originated from a fake profile ID as part of a hate campaign. We request all channels to cross-check facts before reporting and to republish corrected news to clarify the truth to the public and Prithviraj's well-wishers,' the post read. Here's the official post: About Sarzameen Sarzameen is a Hindi-language movie starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kajol, and Ibrahim Ali Khan in leading roles. The film follows the story of Vijay Menon, an Indian Army officer who seemingly loses his son only to discover him to be part of a militant group after many years. The movie, written and directed by Kayoze Irani, was directly released on OTT and received mixed reviews. Moving ahead, Prithviraj Sukumaran is next set to appear in the lead role for the Malayalam movie Vilayath Buddha. The actor is also part of the Mahesh Babu starrer SSMB29, directed by SS Rajamouli.
