Sarzameen-2025 – Sar Fattey :(

Genre – Patriotic Action Thriller

Time: 2 Hours 15 minutes

Platform: Jio Hotstar

Director:  Kayoze Irani

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran. Kajol. Ibrahim Ali Khan. Boman Irani

As with all Kashmir films, there is a lengthy disclaimer in the beginning of the film which says something about “being fictitious and not based on any real event; no community is being maligned and so on”. Let’s see what the real disclaimer should have been:

• All the characters in this film are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is pure coincidence.
• All the characters in this film are fresh and any resemblance to past films such as Deewar, Shakti, Trishul is pure coincidence.
• If the viewers find any resemblance to Mission Kashmir about a Muslim Cop and his Hindu Wife’s adopted son joining the Kashmiri separatists, then that is pure coincidence as this is a fresh original idea of a Hindu Officer and his Muslim wife’s only son being kidnapped and who becomes a militant.
• If the mother gets killed in both films by the son, that is just the long arm of coincidence.
• If there are good Muslims in India and bad Muslim sent by Pakistan, then that too is a plot coincidence.
• Any resemblance to the main terrorist Mohsin brainwashing Harman doesn’t have any resemblance to Hilal brainwashing Altaf in Mission Kashmir.
• All actors wearing same expression is to show that this is an intense film and their internal emotions are in turmoil.
• If at times you cant make out the dialogue, that’s because someone called Music director has just gone overboard with the sound design and the noises.
• If we are supposed to gasp at the ‘real identity’ of Mohsin, then that too fulfills a ‘bad Muslim redeemed by love’ trope in all “Kashmir’ Films.
• If you wonder why one soldier, that too a senior officer like a Brigadier, is posted in the same district for eight years, then that’s your problem. This is the only way the son will come back to the same area.
• If you wonder what the son was doing for eight years, then that’s your problem – you have an overactive imagination. No explanation is needed as he is a good son who will choose his father and mother over the militants, in the last scene of the film.

Last but not the least:

• Ir your curiosity is piqued and you still want to watch the film then:
  • If you are a casual drinker who likes his booze, pour yourself a stiff one. You will find that the bottle disappears very fast and even if you end up drunk, you will still follow the film through your alcoholic haze.
  • However, if you are a non-smoker, non-drinker, have a pack of your favourite anti headache pills ready to watch Sar Fattey.

Rating: What’s that? Okay. Kajol screeching about “bring my Kardon back” and salvaging something from the film, deserves a 2.