Set against the rise of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj), the film draws its emotional core from the Rani of Jhansi Regiment
Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Suresh Oberoi, Roopa Iyer, Indira Tiwari, Dr. Subhash Chandra, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Suchendra Prasad
Director: Roopa Iyer
Language: Hindi
Shreyas Talpade has been a part of the Hindi film industry for two decades. His rousing and remarkably restrained debut in Iqbal is one for the ages. But post his collaborations, and rather successful one, with filmmaker Rohit Shetty, directors only gaze at him as a comedic actor purely for relief. Watch Dor and see what he can bring with intensity. And the same holds true as he steps into one of the most ambitious roles of his career, that of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. His new film is called Azad Bharath.
Director Roopa Iyer brings the fire of INA’s women warriors to the big screen, in a film that chooses truth over comfort. Most films on India’s freedom struggle celebrate well-known heroes. Azad Bharath does something braver — it turns the spotlight toward the women who carried guns, codes, courage, and sacrifice, but were rarely given chapters in mainstream history. Set against the rise of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj), the film draws its emotional core from the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, the women’s combat unit of the INA, and one unforgettable name at the centre of it all — Neera Arya.
But unlike a conventional star-driven historical, this never feels like a vanity project. Her Neera is sharp, flawed, ferocious, and human — a woman who carries revolution in one hand and heartbreak in the other. The film doesn’t treat its narrative as a background theme; it makes it a personal battlefield, especially in the shocking arc where Neera confronts her own husband, Shrikant, played convincingly by
Priyanshu Chatterjee. The conflict is ideological, marital, and existential, making the film’s boldest moments feel like emotional punches rather than dramatic flourishes.
Shreyas Talpade as Netaji surprises with a measured and dignified performance. Instead of theatrical mimicry, he opts for restraint — the kind that makes Netaji feel less like a legend and more like a man carrying the weight of a nation. His scenes work best when he quietly observes the storms around him, offering belief instead of orders. The supporting cast, particularly Suresh Oberoi and Indira Tiwari, provide emotional grounding to a film that could have easily drowned in its own intensity.
The music in Azad Bharath plays the role of emotion, not distraction. The anthem-style tracks, especially “Jai Ho,” blend naturally into the narrative, lifting the patriotic spirit without breaking the story’s rhythm. The dialogues lean into inspiration, grit, and national pride— making them quote-worthy without sounding like speeches.
Azad Bharath is a reminder that freedom movements are not only led by famous voices, but also by fearless footsteps that history sometimes fails to record. The film honors those footsteps — loud enough for the present to hear.
Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)
Azad Bharath will release in cinemas this Friday
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