Azaad Review: Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani have made their much-awaited debut in Abhishek Kapoor’s directorial film ‘Azaad’. Also starring Ajay Devgn and Diana Penty in the pivotal roles, the movie is set in the 1920s. Check our review of ‘Azaad’ to decide if you should give it a go in theatres or not.

The idea, teaser, and trailer of Azaad were a bit off-beat. Amid the ongoing trend of action and romance, will a story about the love between a human and an animal really work? Some filmmakers have already tried to depict the bond between humans and animals through films like Haathi Mere Saathi and Doodh Ka Karz. Azaad takes it a step further, and when the title of the film is named after a horse, you can be sure that there is something different to expect.

Story:

‘Azaad’ is set in the 1920s in the pre-Independence era. Govind (Amaan Devgan) works as a stableman at the home of Zamindar Rai Bahadur (Piyush Mishra). Rai Bahadur’s son, Tej Bahadur (Mohit Mallik), is a cruel zamindar in the area, and his sister, Janaki (Rasha Thadani), is passionate about horse riding. Govind, who takes care of the horses, also enjoys riding but lower-class villagers weren’t allowed to ride the zamindars’ horses. Due to some circumstances, Govind runs away from the village to escape punishment and meets dacoit Vikram Singh (Ajay Devgan). Govind develops a bond with Vikram’s horse, Azaad, and helps him protect the villagers. Tej Bahadur, troubled by Vikram, conspires with the British to have him killed. Before dying, Vikram hands Azaad over to Govind. The British want to take Azaad, and the story progresses from there.

Director, Music, and Writing:

Director Abhishek Kapoor has often mentioned during the film’s promotion that he wrote this film back in 2016 and wanted to make it. Perhaps giving more time to the script worked well for the film. Along with Abhishek Kapoor, Suresh Nair and Ritesh Shah wrote the screenplay. Abhishek did a great job in directing this movie but there are some questions regarding certain scenes in the writing. For instance, if the rebel Vikram Singh fought to protect the villagers, why are they so silent after his death? Also, in 1920, was it really that modern for Kesari (Diana Penty) to eat at the same table with her father-in-law? The first half of the film doesn’t focus much on Govind and Janaki but rather on Govind and dacoit Vikram Singh. Rasha only appears at the beginning and then disappears until the interval.

On the other hand, the second half of Azaad is slightly more interesting, where the focus shifts to the growing love between Govind and Janaki. The horse named Azaad does an incredible job in the film, and you’ll be amazed at the emotions shown by him. Azaad’s songs and background score were composed by Amit Trivedi, who breathes life into the film.

Acting:

As per the film’s title, the main actor in the film should be Azaad, the horse. Along with Rasha and Amaan, the horse also makes its debut in the film and does an excellent job. As debutants, Amaan Devgan and Rasha Thadani have done well. The rest of the cast, including Piyush Mishra, Mohit Mallik, Diana Penty, and Ajay Devgan, have played their roles with sincerity.

Final Verdict:

Azaad can be watched for its unique friendship and different storyline. The film gets: 2.5 stars.