Paltan movie review: All sound and fury signifying nothing
Paltan movie review: Paltan is about the series of minor skirmishes, and one major clash, on that border that got India some tactical advantage in 1967.
By Shalini Langer
Cast: Arjun Rampal, Sonu Sood, Jackie Shroff, Gurmeet Choudhary, Harshvardhan Rane, Luv Sinha
Director: J P Dutta
Movie Rating: 1.5 stars
No, Paltan is not a film about the bloody Nathu La ambush of Indian soldiers by the Chinese in 1965. And it’s not about the war in 1962, much as it might underline the link to it. It’s actually about the series of minor skirmishes, and one major clash, on that border that got India some tactical advantage in 1967. So, while the film doesn’t allow Dutta his usual blood and gore and glory of war — rather some sabre-rattling by men who behave more like boys scrapping in the schoolyard — no patriotic deed is likely to go unrewarded or unnoticed in times of celebration of ‘Surgical Strikes Day’.
With that in mind, no barbs are spared at the “Cheeni”, who are painted as the devious souls who would spare no chance to “dig an axe into the chest of Bharat Mata” (that is said in Hindi, in reaction to the Chinese making trenches on this side of the border). There is more where that come from, as the Indian Army, from officers down, swears revenge against the enemy who defeated them twice over. Once this is by two of our officers who are at the time exercising bare-chested in the snow, and rubbing some of it on their bodies for good measure.
Credit: indianexpress.com