Latest news with #Jyotirling
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Kesari Veer Movie Review: Grand in scope, but struggles with storytelling
: Based on true events, the film tells the historical tale of Hamirji Gohil (Sooraj Pancholi), a warrior who valiantly stood against an army of the Tughlaq Empire to defend Saurashtra's Somnath Temple.: Director Prince Dhiman's historical drama is an addition to the slew of movies that bring to light the story of an unsung hero, capturing a lesser-known chapter of India's rich past. The first Jyotirling, Somnath, is believed to have been destroyed 17 times by various invaders and rulers. This film revisits one such episode, when the dreaded marauder of the Tughlaq Empire, Zafar Khan (Vivek Anand Oberoi), attacked the temple to plunder its gold. Hamirji Gohil, the prince of Arthila, vowed to protect the temple and fought the battle with unwavering courage.A parallel track follows the fierce Shiv-worshipping Bhil community, led by their king, Vegda (Suniel Shetty). Part of the narrative focuses on how Hamir mobilises his troops and the Bhils to confront the formidable enemy. While the battle to protect the temple remains central, Kanubhai Chauhan's story and Shitiz Srivastava's screenplay take several detours before reaching the climax. The romantic arc between Hamir and Rajal (Akanksha Sharma) plays out at random intervals, detracting from the movie's main narrative. Song and dance sequences further disrupt the flow. Hamir's interaction with the Bhil community—where he grows closer to Rajal and bonds with the villagers—also stretches the runtime and slows the film's film's treatment—with Vikas Joshi's cinematography and action choreography by Kevin Kumar and Anand Shetty—leans heavily into stylised realism, hyper-real action aesthetics, speed ramping, and other visual techniques typical of war and battle epics. While overdoing these elements, the film also features gimmicky animation and VFX, which become glaring in scenes like Rajal protecting a lioness from poachers, cannons obliterating a forest during the climactic war, and many the film states that certain elements have been dramatised, it often stretches believability too far, such as a beheaded Hamirji continuing to fight in an extended sequence or Vegda balancing a monumental Shiv Ling on two lances to prevent it from falling to the ground. There are several inconsistencies, like Hamir and Rajal's elaborate wedding sequence right before the battle, and Zafar's army inexplicably appearing in implausibly large numbers. While the climactic battle is visually appealing, its excessive length dilutes the overall Pancholi handles action sequences well in an otherwise passable performance. Suniel Shetty, as the Shiv-bhakt Bhil leader, delivers a grounded performance, though his look feels unconvincing. Debutant Akanksha Sharma looks ethereal on screen but remains visibly raw in her craft. Vivek Oberoi as the ruthless Zafar Khan often slips into a few flashes of visual appeal,falters due to inconsistencies, length, uneven storytelling, and overdramatisation. This lesser-known tale of an unsung hero had a promising premise, but the lack of narrative conviction prevents it from taking a flight.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Kharge's ‘Jyotirling' remark hurt Hindu sentiments: BJP
Jaipur: BJP state president Madan Rathore Monday strongly condemned Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for "hurting Hindu sentiments " by likening himself to a Jyotirling. Addressing a press conference at the party office here, Rathore said Kharge's claim of being akin to Mallikarjun — one of the twelve sacred Jyotirlingas—was deeply offensive to the Hindu community. "Kharge feels insulted when addressed by his name in Parliament, yet today at a public rally in Jaipur, he dared to equate himself with a Jyotirling. Hindu society will not tolerate such an affront," Rathore asserted. The press meet was held in response to Kharge's rally earlier in the day as part of Congress's 'Save the Constitution' campaign. Rathore dismissed this campaign as a "sham". "The same Congress that strangled democracy by imposing the Emergency is now pretending to protect the Constitution. Whenever it suited their vote-bank politics, they broke and insulted Constitutional values," Rathore said, citing the Shah Bano case as an example of Congress's hypocrisy. Rathore credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for truly honouring B R Ambedkar. He mentioned initiatives such as development of Panch Teerth sites associated with Ambedkar and the installation of his portrait in Parliament. "In contrast, Congress conspired to defeat Dr Ambedkar during his lifetime," Rathore added. School education minister Madan Dilawar also launched a scathing attack on Congress, accusing it of dismissing elected govts several times and "murdering democracy". "During the Emergency, Indira Gandhi's word became law. Today, those who dismembered the Constitution are pretending to be its protectors. It is as ironic as a cat going on a pilgrimage after devouring a hundred mice," Dilawar said. Dilawar asserted that Congress's campaign is not about saving the Constitution but about safeguarding the Gandhi family's political existence. "The Constitution is not in danger—the Gandhi family's survival is. Rejected by the people time and again, they are now trying to mislead the nation," he said. Referring to Kharge's claim that no Gandhi family member has held power for 30 years, Dilawar remarked, "The truth is that the public has not accepted them. Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi rules the hearts of the people." Parliamentary affairs minister Jogaram Patel also weighed in, stating that those who have historically disrespected the Constitution have no moral authority to speak in its defence. "The Gandhi family faces corruption charges, with both Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi out on bail. Congress leaders are misleading the nation merely to protect them," Patel said.
