Aamir Khan’s Mangal Pandey - The Rising was premiered at the Locarno Film Festival and also screened for the British media in London. The initial reviews suggest that though the audience will love the acting hestronics of Aamir Khan but will fail to capture mainstream audiences with its melodramatic style and jarring combination of stirring action, brutality and musical numbers.

‘The Rising’ based on the life of a martyr Mangal Pandey who launched the first war of Independence on May 10th in 1857, will release on August 12. Film critics are debating the issue if ‘The Rising’ will take its hero Aamir Khan to the same fame his earlier avatar Bhuvan in ‘Lagaan’ took him to.

Mangal Pandey played by Aamir Khan is a soldier under the British rule. During the war, he saves the life of his British officer in Afghanistan. Thus, they come close and become friends. Later, Pandey and other Indian soldiers refuse to charge hand grenades.

They plead that these grenades are made of bones of the animals that are considered sacred by their religions. Even, the British officer fails in convincing Indian soldiers, including Pandey. Consequently, the news about the use of bones of holy animals in the manufacture of hand grenades spreads all over the country. As a result, the soldiers revolt against the Britishers. The Raj calls it a mutiny, while Indians hail it as a war of independence.

Aamir Khan studied a number of books to play his character as realistically as possible. He grew hair and moustaches to look like Mangal Pandey. Rani Mukherjee plays the character of a prostitute and Amisha Patel that of a widow.