Rise with no shine

Jasmine Singh

The Punjabi animation movie Chaar Sahibzaade broke all the records at the box office by being the top grosser for the year 2014. While Chaar Sahibzaade was a racy film, packed with information and special effects, the sequel, Chaar Sahibzaade- Rise of Banda Singh Bahaur, on the other hand, is a film that is very slow for an animation, and it dwells too much in flashback.

The Rise of Banda Bahadur begins with the transformation of Madho Das from an ascetic to Banda Singh Bahadur, a Sikh military commander. The film also sheds light on the journey of Guru Gobind Singh from Chapar Chiri to Naned Sahib.

If you look at the technical side of the film, it’s absolutely neat; also since the film is in 3D, the special effects heightened the movie- watching experience.

This animation sequel loses out when it comes to the length of the film. Chaar Sahibzaade was a film that kept the children and adults alike glued to their seats through the quick journey of the Chaar Sahibzaade. The sequel on the other hand is a slow description of events in the life of Banda Singh Bahadur.

The director throws in too much flashback in this film, this could be because, one, he wanted the first timers to be abreast with what happened in the prequel, and two, since there is not much material available on the brave Sikh warrior, Banda Singh Bahadur, he somehow had to keep the story going.

So, if you are expecting to come out knowing more about the military warrior after the movie, you might be disheartened. In fact, it is only at the fag end, when the movie ends, and credits started rolling, Om Puri’s voice quickly takes us through the events that occurred in the life of Banda Bahadur, you get to know more about the warrior! The director has padded the film with either songs or patches that come out of nowhere, like the track of Baba Bulle Shah in the film.

In this sequel, even with singers like Rabbi Shergill, Nooran Sisters, the music of the film is not gripping. The only track that still comes with an adrenaline rush is Bande Da Khanda by Sukhwinder Singh.

Chaar Sahibzaade- Rise of Banda Singh Bahadur sets high standard in animation, but in terms of story and screenplay the film could not blow the victory trumpet.