Sam Manekshaw – AKA Sam Bahadur (“Sam the Brave”) – lived through some extraordinary periods of change. Born into an India ruled by Britain, he joined the army and fought for British-Indian interests against Japan in the second world war. On partition in 1947 he was assigned to a new unit, as his previous regiment was now part of Pakistan’s armed forces. He later oversaw India’s part in the Indo-Pakistani war, which led to the formation of Bangladesh, and became, in 1973, the first Indian army officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal, just as he retired.
This historic framework could make a rich basis for a Colonel Blimp-style look at how values and politics shift around an individual as they age, but in the event, that’s not how the makers of this biopic approach their subject. No doubt with a view to India’s current surge of nationalist sentiment, and with input from Manekshaw’s family, director Meghna Gulzar attitude is rather more straightforward. Manekshaw is presented throughout as a hero, consistently correct, noble, witty and forgiving. Whether he’s standing up to politicians, boxing a rival or charming his future wife, the guy can do no wrong, and the charming Vicky Kaushal is well-cast in the role.
