Children of War Review

One Line Review: A gruesome fight for freedom, not to be taken by weak hearts!

Positive Points: Direction, cinematography and character performances along with brilliant art direction.

Negative Points: Needless over projection of violence and rape.

Plot: Where the war for Independence has be brought to peace, the inner burn of liberty still flames high within the Nation. Here where India has loosened all its ties with Pakistan, it still believes to be ruling over Bangladesh as Eastern Pakistan. To prove this right, the neighboring nation has left all steps behind and surpassed its limits to merciless killings and immoral rapes.

The story crawls in the 70's when all of the above was a harsh reality, ruining many lives; particularly projecting two separate families that of an urban journalist and a rural farmer. Amir (Indraneil Sengupta) is a hot blooded journalist living along with his wife Fida (Raima Sen) writing for the liberty of Bong nation, Bangladesh. Amir is the emerging flame of rebel against the Pakistani rule and is thus, creating a big threat to its belief. To stop his pen on the pad, Malik (Pavan Malhotra), a hideous officer of the Pak regiment steps forward and ruins the sober life of Amir by first raping his wife in front of his eyes and later beating the hell out of his soul and abducting his beau. Breathing for vengeance, now the writer takes up gun and for his love and respect of his mother nation Bangladesh, begins his fight for justice.

Simultaneously, runs another tale of shattered dreams, a young lad Rafiq (Riddhi Sen) and his elder sibling Kausar (Rucha Inamdar). With the shelter of affection dragged off their head due to the hideous killings in their village, the petty souls are now on their own to follow their way to Char-Ghat, India to live a secure life. By getting a troop of some other refugees as company, their journey to freedom begins with a smile. But, soon the demons arise and this is when Rafiq and Kausar leave their innocence behind and pick up weapons to back each other. With adolescence taking a back foot, life beds the petals up on thorns and hope gets a blow as the flames fume up with the sibling duo moving their journey ahead towards democratic land, India.

Direction and Other Technical Aspects: Summing up the blood stained past, birth of Bangladesh, director Mrityunjay Devvrat has tried to portray the past best on the canvas and has tried to paint out the gruesome reality that has been hiding behind the curtains. His direction has been a key element of the feature along with the superlative cinematography. Overall, the technical team seems to have given their best to bring the best.

Merely, with such an immense support, the director seems to have gone ahead and reeled up some of the most disturbing visuals to stretch the motion. The sheer violence in the first half makes this film to be a game best played by strong brains. We agree to the fact that the immensely portrayed and dragged rape sequences brings a real touch to the cinematic experience but on the contrary it's quite disturbing and traumatizes you throughout the day, which is not at all wise. Similarly, the violence and few not so sound visuals as like the body-less head with no eyes can keep you away from the dinner table at least for the particular day. This are few facts which can make the viewers walk out of the hall in mid, which nevertheless could have been maintained by the makers to be on a safer side.

Performances: Here is a long list of actors that would flood this treat with some of the impeccable performances offered by them. Starting off with the female lead, actress Raima Sen essaying the part of Fida has stood out brilliant. The depiction of a captive and molested feminine has been carried pretty well by her, highlighting the pain and trauma that reaches directly to your soul.

Television actor Indraneil Sengupta has played a fair game as the rebellious journalist Amir and thus plays justice to the role. Whereas, Pavan Malhotra has been the in his best zone possible playing the hideous Pakistani officer, Malik. His homework has been so brilliant that a viewer would really start hating him throughout the feature and thus no one stands close enough to him to bring out the dark shades that were required.

Youngest among them all, Riddhi Sen portraying Rafiq has brought out his talent on a large canvas. His transformation from a petty soul to a guarding brother has been appreciable along with his co-star Rucha Inamdar who essays his elder sibling, Kausar. The chemistry between the two bring out the bond of a real sibling duo keeping each other's back throughout the journey.

Last but not the least, some unforgettable contribution from the senior most among the league, Farooq Sheikh and Victor Banerjee along with rest others have played the minimal yet crucial part to taste up the treat.

Music: Maintaining the sensitivity of the subject, the composer Sidhanth Mathur has kept the tunes high yet mild. Most of the lyrics and compositions are in Bengali (as per the script) and thus proves to have divulged the atmosphere in Bong fever.

Final Verdict: With a tough fight from the ultra glam 'The Xpose', the feature keeps calm in comparison as the makers already know that the treat has its own set of audience. Bored up with the repeated masala outings, the feature will rub few past grievances to your shoulder only if you have the courage and curiosity to unfold the pages from the past.