Movie review: 'Chaar Sahibzaade'

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'Chaar Sahibzade'
U; Animation/ history
Director: Harry Baweja
Rating:

Chaar Sahibzade is a valuable lesson in history, if you are not too familiar with the history of Sikhism. The film tells the tale of four martyrs, who happen to be the young sons of the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. Om Puri's baritone narrates the inspiring tale of the four brave boys (Ajit Singh, Jujhar Singh, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh) who bravely take on the Mughal empire and lay down their lives while fighting for freedom.

A still from 'Chaar Sahibzaade'

Chaar Sahibzaade touches you with its sincerity as it narrates this slice of history backed by painstaking research on the subject. A pat on director Harry Baweja's back for putting his money and efforts into attempting to tell a story that is not ‘safe' but definitely needed to be told.

Compared to the quality of animation elsewhere, our awkward attempts at it continue to disappoint. Chaar Sahibzade is no exception. Performance captured technology or not, looks like it's a long way indeed before we can even come close to world class animation. Lack of flexibility and expressions on the faces still makes all characters look like assembly line products and it is an effort to empathise with them, in spite of the gritty tale. However, unlike its hugely disappointing predecessors, Chaar Sahibzade still manages to make an impression, thanks to the emotions attached to the story and the background score ably supporting the narration.

In spite of the jerks and snags, children need to watch this one. Even if it can in no way match up to the slick Hollywood animation films that they are constantly pampered with, it will serve them good to watch true stories of bravery closer home.