Plot
The
film
begins
with
a
young
Tanhaji
losing
his
father
on
the
battlefield.
'Log
vashihat
mein
bahut
kuch
chhod
jaate
hai,
mein
tere
liye
karz
chhodkar
jaa
raha
hoon,"
the
latter
passes
on
his
iron
kada
(signifying
his
dream
of
achieving
Swarajya
for
the
country)
before
breathing
his
last.
Years
pass
by and
the lad
grows
up
into
a
fierce
Maratha
warrior
(Ajay
Devgn)
who
is
one
of
the
closest
aides
of
Chhatrapati
Shivaji
Maharaj
(Sharad
Kelkar).
When
the
king
is
forced
to
surrender
23
forts
to
the
Moghuls
including
the
Kondhana
fort
(which
is
of
strategic
importance),
Rajamata
Jijabai's
pride
is
hurt
and
she swears
to
walk
bare
feet
until
the
Marathas
recapture
the
Kondhana
fort.
Four
years
later,
a
spy
brings
news
for
Chhatrapati
Shivaji
Maharaj
that
Aurangzeb
(Luke
Kenny)
is
planning
to
send
his
trusted
commander
Udaybhan
(Saif
Ali
Khan)
to
Kondhana
to
ensure
that
the
Marathas
are
unable
to
recapture
the
fort.
Finding
it
a
perfect
opportunity
to
reclaim
the
fort,
Chhatrapati
Shivaji
Maharaj
starts
planning
for the
conquest,
making
sure
that
the
news
doesn't
reach
Tanhaji
Malusare
who
is
busy
with
the
preparations
for
his
son's
wedding
in
Umrat.
Somehow
the
news
of
Chhatrapati's
plans
reach
Tanhaji's
ears
and
the
latter
firmly
decides,
"Adhi
lagin
kondhanyach
mag
majhya
raibacha."
The
rest
of
the
plot
revolves
around
how
Tanhaji
Malusare
and
his
brave
Mavlas
recapture
the
Kondhana
fort
in
the
Battle
Of
Sinhagad
on
February
4,
1670.
Direction
Recreating
pages
from
history
on
the
big
screen
is
no
easy
feat
but
director Om
Raut
pulls
off
this
job
with
a
certain
ease.
He
has
a
firm
grip
over
the
emotions
and
actions
in
the
narrative
and
makes
sure
that
you
enjoy
every
moment
in
the
film.
On
the
flip
side,
the
writing
slips
a
bit
at
a
few
places.
But
Raut
quickly
holds
the
directorial
reins
tighter
to
ensure
that
the
audience
doesn't
get
distracted.
Performances
Ajay
Devgn
as
the
valiant
Maratha
Subhedaar
Tanhaji
Malusare
brings
in
the
right
kind
of
intensity
and
valour
in
his
performance.
There
are
moments
where
he
simply
lets
his
gaze
do
all
the
talking.
The
man
finds
his
equal
nemesis
in
Saif
Ali
Khan
who
delivers
one
of
his
most
enjoyable
performances
in
recent
times.
He
lends
a
delicious
wickedness
to
his
portrayal
of
Udaybhan.
His
character
in
the
film
is
kind
of
deranged
but
at
the
same
time,
his
cunning
ways
also
invoke
laughs
from
time
to
time.
Don't
be
surprised
if
Khan
walks
away
with
many awards
this
year!
Kajol
as
Tanhaji's
wife
Savitribai
has
her
own
moments
of
strength.
Watch
out
for
her
song
sequence
which
plays
during
the
end
credits
of
the
film.
Sharad
Kelkar
who
plays
Chhatrapati
Shivaji
Maharaj
puts
up
a
splendid
performance.
Technical
Aspects
Keiko
Nakahara's
cinematography
lends
a
poetic
touch
to
the
narrative
and
the
stunning
visuals
create
a
greater
impact.
Dharmendra
Sharma's
taut
editing
works
wonders
for
the
film.
The
action
sequences
choreographed
by
Ramazan
Bulut
leave
you
on
the
edge
of
your
seat.
Music
While
the
songs
strugle
to
make
a
mark,
Sandeep
Shirodkar's pulsating
background
music
lingers
with
you
for
a
long
time.
Verdict
At
one
point
in
the
film,
Tanhaji
Malusare
tells
his
men,
"Pahila
vaar
lakh
molacha".
Staying
true
to
this
words,
director
Om
Raut
delivers
with
a
bang
right
from
the
first
frame.
When
you
like
history
as
a
subject
or
not,
this
page
from
Indian
history
makes
up
for
a
compelling
watch.
The
arresting
climatic
showdown
between
Ajay
Devgn
and
Saif
Ali
Khan
is
an
icing
on
the
cake.
We
give
3.5
stars
out
of
5
for
Tanhaji:
The
Unsung
Warrior.