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Sony Pictures International Productions, GMB Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and A+S Movies’ Major (UA) is a biopic of Sandeep Unnikrishnan, an NSG Major who valiantly fought the Pakistani terrorists at Hotel Taj Mahal Palace in Bombay on the fateful evening of 26th November, 2008 when a series of bomb blasts in the metropolis shook the very foundation of the country. Major Unnikrishnan laid down his life battling the dreaded terrorists who wreaked havoc on the city of Bombay.
The film begins with the childhood of Sandeep and then touches upon his school days and delves into his love life with Isha (Saiee M. Manjrekar), his relationship with his parents (Prakash Raj and Revathi), his joining the NSG, his relationship with his seniors and colleagues, etc. Soon, Sandeep’s genius gets him the assignment to become a trainer. He is considered a fantastic trainer. How Sandeep takes his team to Bombay to combat the terrorists on 26th November, 2008 when the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is invaded by them forms the crux of the story.
While the first half of the drama is devoted to Sandeep’s childhood and growing up years as also his romantic life, the latter half concentrates on the exemplary courage shown by him in giving a tough fight to the terrorists at Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
Adivi Sesh has written a wonderful story and screenplay to capture the essence of Sandeep Unnikrishnan’s life and give the audience a glimpse of his daredevilry and unfailing spirit of service to mankind. The first half is quite light till the terrorists strike a little before interval. The romantic portions between Sandeep and Isha are extremely warm and entertaining. The scenes between Sandeep and his parents are also very touching and heartwarming. The scene in which Sandeep’s father runs behind the autorickshaw when Sandeep is leaving for his commando training tugs at the heart strings and will move the weak-hearted viewers to tears. The scene in which Isha expresses her love for Sandeep in the torrential downpour is also fantastic. The scenes of the first half make Sandeep’s character extremely endearing to the viewers. He comes across as a person full of life and concern for others’ lives.
The second half is mainly devoted to the NSG commandos’ endeavour to flush out and eliminate all the terrorists from the hotel. Some of the scenes in the post-interval portion bring the audience to the edge of their seats, so palpable are the excitement, tension and thrill. Even in that portion, Sandeep’s utmost concern for the lives of the hostages is evident in every move of his.
Adivi Sesh’s screenplay is fantastic and keeps the audience engrossed right through the 148-minute drama. Well-knit in the screenplay are some light moments, some very emotional scenes and plenty of action and daredevilry. The only ‘minus’ point, if one may use the word is that since the terror attacks got wide coverage when they happened in 2008, on television and social media, many among the public are aware of what all transpired and, therefore, may not feel inclined to revisit the happenings. Dialogues, penned by Akshat Ajay Sharma, are simple but effective.
Adivi Sesh lives the role of Sandeep Unnikrishnan. He is outstanding as the brave Major and is extremely cute as the son and the lover boy. As the school-going Sandeep, he looks very endearing and young. Saiee M. Manjrekar does well as Isha. Sobhita Dhulipala (as Pramoda) leaves a wonderful mark as one of the hostages trapped in a room of the hotel. Prakash Raj’s performance underlines what great actors are all about. In the role of Sandeep’s father, he does a phenomenal job and often lets his expressions and nuances do the talking. Revathi, in the role of Sandeep’s loving mother, is also lovely. Dr. Murali Sharma makes his presence amply felt as Sandeep’s boss. Anish Yohan Kuruvilla stands his own. Amancharla Rama Kaushik shines in the role of little Sandeep.
Sashi Kiran Tikka does a swell job of the direction. His narrative style is fantastic and what he offers is a wholesome and inspirational entertainer for the entire family. Sricharan Pakala’s music is fair. The songs may not have popular tunes but they sound nice as part of the narrative. Lyrics (Ritesh Rajwada, Poojan Kohli and Yash Eshwari) are alright. Background music (Srichran Pakala) is impactful. Vamsi Patchipulusu’s cinematography is extraordinary. Sunil Rodrigues’ action and stunt choreography (with additional action choreography by Subbu and Naba) is remarkable. Production designing (Avinash Kolla) is wonderful. Editing (Vinay Kumar Sirigineedi and Kodati Pavan Kalyan) is sharp.
On the whole, Major is a wonderfully made film with some excellent performances. But it will not do too well at the ticket windows. The reason why its business will not match its merits is that a lot of people may not want to relive the sad memories of the 26/11 terror attacks over again. Also, its start today is extremely poor and given the limited release, a jump in collections is almost ruled out.
Released on 3-6-’22 at Inox (daily 5 shows) and other cinemas of Bombay by Sony Pictures Films India Pvt. Ltd. Publicity & opening: below the mark. …….Also released all over. Opening was not upto the mark at most of the places because of lack of promotion and two other major releases this week.