A soldier father. A rebel son. A nation caught in between. ‘Sarzameen’, directed by Kayoze Irani, making his feature debut, sets the stage for an explosive emotional conflict where patriotism clashes with parenthood.

With Prithviraj Sukumaran commanding the screen, Kajol bringing gravitas, and Ibrahim Ali Khan stepping into the spotlight for the second time, the film promises a high-stakes, heart-wrenching family drama wrapped in tricolour. But despite the star power and earnest performances, ‘Sarzameen’ buckles under the weight of a clumsy script and overwrought execution, leaving behind a film that aims for impact but lands with a thud.

Read our review:

A patriotic plot that feels all too familiar:

Vijay Menon (Prithviraj) is a senior army officer for whom the nation is above everything, including family. An able officer, Vijay feels ‘ashamed’ of his and Meher’s (Kajol) only son, Harman, for his stammering. Posted in the Valley, Vijay and his team are in search of a dreaded terrorist, Mohsin, when they come across Aabil and Kaabil, two terrorists. Upon their arrests, Vijay’s son is kidnapped, and in return, an offer is made to the officer to choose his son over the nation. However, Vijay chooses his nation and sacrifices his son for the greater good. However, eight years later, his now-grown-up son, Harman (Ibrahim), suspiciously returns home, but with a plan. To sum up the plot, ‘Sarzameen’ echoes ‘Mission Kashmir’ in its core conflict, but lacks the nuance and depth that made the original resonate.

If anything works in ‘Sarzameen’, it’s the cast:

If there's one thing Sarzameen gets right, it's the cast—and they do much of the heavy lifting. While the story falters at nearly every turn, it is Prithviraj and Ibrahim who bring sincerity to the film. While Prithviraj is a bankable actor who has delivered several blockbusters, including ‘Salaar’, Ibrahim is the biggest surprise here. The actor, who is only two films old and faced much criticism for his debut movie ‘Nadaaniyaan’, proves that he has the potential to be a good actor. His performance is a promise that he will deliver with utmost effort. However, he needs projects that truly showcase his ability. Kajol, who delivered an intense performance in ‘Maa’ recently, is good with her act, but sort of repetitive of her last performance. Jitendra Joshi, best known for the Marathi film ‘Sant Tukaram Maharaj’ and as Katekar in ‘Scared Games’, is seen in a supporting role, but has been heavily underutilized.

A misfire on all fronts - from script to score:

The film falters across the board, but it’s the undercooked plot and lacklustre writing that drag it down the hardest. In this otherwise predictable-to-death storyline, there is only one plot twist that has a shocking element. Unfortunately, even that is bogged down drastically by the lousy writing. Every little thing about the film is highly predictable. But the most jarring flaw with the writing department is the portrayal of the Indian Army and its officers, depicted with a baffling lack of intelligence or realism.

Moving forward, even the cinematography and direction don’t hit the mark in this two-hour film. ‘Sarzameen’ is constantly jumping, and in the process, it just bores the viewer to the core. Also, barring a handful of sequences, the action choreography is also a huge disappointment.

Adding more to the disappointment is the film’s music - it’s loaded with songs that just don’t click. With a total of five tracks that are in the movie, at least three are played within an hour’s time frame, and are all unnecessary tracks. ‘Sarzameen’ also falls into the trend of having a patriotic song in B Praak’s voice, but fails miserably. And for this, they chose to kill the renowned Punjabi song ‘Ve Mahiya Tere Vekhan Nu’.

Verdict on ‘Sarzameen’:

There were several reasons why Sarzameen carried significant buzz ahead of its release. For one, it marked Prithviraj Sukumaran’s first major Hindi project following the massive success of Salaar, which cemented his popularity in the Hindi-speaking belt. It also brought together Prithviraj and Kajol for the first time—a pairing that, to the film’s credit, does manage to spark some chemistry on screen. And lastly, the film was seen as a chance for Ibrahim Ali Khan to redeem himself after a lacklustre debut in ‘Nadaaniya’. But despite these promising hooks, Sarzameen falls flat. It’s the kind of film that makes you want to pause midway—not out of suspense, but fatigue. The climax, in particular, is astonishingly juvenile, with the last 20 minutes stretching on endlessly. Given all this, it’s safe to say ‘Sarzameen’ is a miss—and one best skipped.

Rating:

2 out of 5 stars (one each for Prithviraj and Ibrahim!)