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Major Movie Review: Adivi Sesh's Heartfelt Tribute To A War Hero Shows Us What It Means To Be A Soldier
In the midst of debris and fire, a fatally injured Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan (Adivi Sesh) tells the NSG officer on the other side of the intercom, "Do not come up, I will handle them." He then sets out to singlehandedly corner the four terrorists to the Ballroom in the northern end of under-sieged Taj Mahal Hotel.
In a similar vein, Adivi Sesh holds this biopic on his sturdy shoulders when the writing goes off the mark in places. Does he emerge victorious in the end?
What's Yay: Adivi Sesh, Action sequences
What's Nay: Adivi Sesh-Saiee Manjrekar's romantic track impresses only for a while
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Story
Major opens with the fateful night of 26/11 where NSG commando, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan (Adivi Sesh) stares death in the face.
Through a series of flashbacks, the film gives us a peek into the making of this war hero with the help of a few chapters from his childhood and adolescent years. As a kid, Sandeep is home-grown on a staple of Arnold Schwarzenegger's action flicks, but when it comes to his real-life 'Commando', the boy looks up to his father.
An outing to a Navy Day celebration changes the direction of a young Sandeep's life, and he soon discovers his true calling. The film then takes us through his high-school days where a chance encounter with a Delhi-born newbie Isha (Saiee Manjrekar) in the boys' washroom leads to a frothy teenaged romance between the two.
While Sandeep's parents want him to take up medicine or engineering after completing his schooling, the former expresses his wish to serve the country instead. Initially reluctant, they soon give in to his choice. After years of grueling military training, Sandeep is appointed as a training officer in the elite 51 Special Action Group of the National Security Guards (NSG).
Years pass by. Besides fighting wars, the soldier now finds himself struggling on the domestic front, trying to make amends with his now-wife Isha. And then, the dreadful night of 26/11 arrives....
Direction
Director Sashi Kiran Tikka, known for helming films like Goodachari and Areyrey, executes the bravura story of a real-life hero in an engaging way. Adivi Sesh who is credited for the story and the screenplay, makes sure that your eyes stay glued to the screen despite the fact that Major Unnikrishnan's story of martyrdom is known to all.
With a few cinematic liberties, he picks up a few chapters from the brief life of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan besides the 26/11 Mumbai attacks episode. While the portion involving Sandeep's equation with his parents involves a few tear-jerking moments, the soldier's love life engages you in bits and pieces. One wished that this track was penned in a better way.
What starts as a cute budding love story later gets repetitive and boring. To add insult to the injury, Saiee Manjrekar's inability to have a strong grip when it comes to enacting emotional scenes, takes away some points from the film.
Performances
Adivi Sesh who makes his Hindi film debut with Major, appears confident on screen. He has it in him what it takes to flesh out a real-life martyr on screen. At the same time, he is convincing when it comes to bringing the vulnerability, innocence and resolute in the childhood and teenage chapters of Major Unnikrishnan.
Saiee Manjrekar is one of the weakest links in Major. Though she starts off well, it barely lasts for long. The actress really needs to up her game when it comes to dialogue delivery and emotional scenes.
Prakash Raj and Revathy prove yet again why they are known to be distinguished actors when it comes to reel. Both of them get some really solid moments where they shine. Murali Sharma and Sobhita Dhulipala are effective in their respective brief roles.
Technical Aspects
One of the major highlights of this Adivi Sesh-starrer is its well-crafted action sequences which keep you glued to your seats. Be it on land or in water, there are moments where you hold your breath. Vamsi Patchipulusu's cinematography captures the blood, war, emotions and tension in a gripping way.
Vinay Kumar Sirigineedi and Kodati Pavan Kalyan's editing falters in a few tricky places, but works fine in totality.
Music
Unlike last year's release, Siddharth Malhotra-Kiara Advani starrer Shershaah, Major fails to hit the target when it comes to giving songs with recall value. Thankfully, the makers keep them bare minimum. Sricharan Pakala's music has nothing new to offer.
Verdict
"Uske liye accha beta banne se jyaada, ek accha pati banne se jyaada, kahin jyaada zaroori tha ek soldier banna," recalls the slain war hero's father K Unnikrishnan (Prakash Raj) while addressing a crowd at the 26/11 memorial.
Adivi Sesh's Major largely focuses on this sentiment as it depicts the tragedy of a life cut short by an unfortunate event. At the same time, it also reminds us that the sacrifices made by soldiers ain't just limited to the battlefield.
'We give 3 stars out of 5 to Adivi Sesh-Saiee Manjrekar starrer Major.
