Walking into a neighborhood multiplex, one is apprehensive about the number of people who would have come to watch 'BOSE - THE FORGOTTEN HERO'. But to a pleasant surprise it had more than 80% occupancy with the audience as distinct as a 10 year old kid sitting next seat, a group of college going guys, a newly married couple and a group of senior citizens. Getting on a high, one ventures into a mind-blowing celluloid experience that has a grandeur look and wide commercial appeal.
A Sahara India Pariwar production, 'Bose' is director Shyam Benegal's most ambitious and prestigious venture that tells the story of the great revolutionary from Calcutta. A subject like this could easily become a documentary if not given the right treatment. But aided by lavish budget, great research and a bunch of brilliant actors, Benegal re-emphasizes the point that a story well told always succeeds, so what if it is a journey back in history!
The cards are drawn on the table in the first sequence of the movie itself where Bose and Mahatma Gandhi are shown having a conversation around their clash of ideologies. From there, begins the journey of one single man, who is ambitious and confident enough to get the independence of India - his way! The 22-reel (3 hours 30 min) movie is divided into three parts, named Itmad, Ittefaq and Qurbani. The parts talk about Bose's escape from Calcutta to Kabul, then his attempt at getting support from countries as unlike as Russia, Germany, Italy and Japan, his formation of Indian National Army, the war with the British, the mysterious plain crash and finally the independence of India.