Star Cast – Vickey Kaushal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra
Director – Meghna Gulzar
Release Date – 1 December 2023
Total Reviews – 14
Overall Word of Mouth (Critics) – Decent (Mixed to Positive)
1. NDTV –
Rating Score -> 3.5/5
It would be easy to describe Sam Bahadur as a Vicky Kaushal show because it is who dominates every major scene in the film. But without the fine balance that Meghna Gulzar strikes between ambition and restraint, neither the spirited central performance nor its emotional (and cinematic) payoff would have been quite as remarkable.
2. India Today –
Rating Score -> 2.5/5
Sam Bahadur is a brave attempt, but it aimlessly meanders in most parts, trying to give us an insight into the life of one of the most revered and celebrated army officers. Perhaps, if the valiant Manekshaw had seen the film, he would have said, “It’s okay, sweetie! Better luck next time.”
3. Hindustan Times –
Rating Score -> n/a
Twisting and fidgeting in your seat for the longest time, you wait for that decisive moment of cinematic brilliance. You smile hard when writer Bhavani Iyer and director Meghna Gulzar try to make you laugh. And yet, at the end of it all, the point of Sam Bahadur eludes you completely.
4. Indian Express –
Rating Score -> 2.5/5
Vicky Kaushal is spot on in an excessively declamatory film. He wins you over by being spot on, eyes a-twinkle, moustache a-bristle. It’s hard to play a character so closely without becoming a caricature, but he becomes Sam Bahadur.
5. Times Now –
Rating Score -> 3.5/5
Vicky Kaushal, Meghna Gulzar’s Film Picks Up Where The Actors Lack Depth
6. India TV –
Rating Score -> 3.5/5
Vicky Kaushal brings Sam Manekshaw to life again with same gait, roaring voice, attitude
7. DNA –
Rating Score -> 2.5/5
Vicky Kaushal’s masterclass can’t save this random series of anecdotes, Manekshaw deserved better. Sam Bahadur excels as an acting masterclass by Vicky Kaushal but fails as a good Manekshaw biopic as director Meghna Gulzar skims through the surface.
8. Komal Nahta –
Rating Score -> n/a
Sam Bahadur is a fair entertainer for the classes. It may have taken a slow start but it will pick up on the strength of its appeal for the class audience mainly. Of course, because mass patronage will be limited, its business at the box-office, in the final tally, will also be limited.
9. Times of India –
Rating Score -> 3.5/5
‘Sam Bahadur’ endeavours to encapsulate the chequered career of a decorated Army officer who epitomized bravery and nationalism, leaving an indelible mark in the annals of the Indian Army as a larger-than-life persona. However, the film only partially succeeds in capturing those moments, lacking a cohesive portrayal of the protagonist’s illustrious journey.
10. First Post –
Rating Score -> 3/5
Vicky Kaushal aptly emulates Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw to showcase his awe-inspiring journey
11. Rediff –
Rating Score -> 2.5/5
Sam Bahadur is a mechanical summary of his life, ticking off one chapter after another without bothering to pause or ponder over their significance and influences
12. The Hindu –
Rating Score -> n/a
An adulatory tribute to India’s most beloved soldier. In Meghna Gulzar’s war biopic, Vicky Kaushal shines in the role of the military strategist who could speak truth to power
13. News 18 –
Rating Score -> 3/5
Sam Bahadur seamlessly blends duty, patriotism, and determination which are rich fodder for any film. The scale of the meticulously structured period narrative is grand as it shuns the trappings of a Bollywood biopic.
14. Mid-Day –
Rating Score -> 3/5
What the film does best, or at best, is take you through times that were changing. And how things don’t change, really. Indo-Chinese hand-to-hand fights at the borders could be from a couple of years ago. Partition is still an issue. India, Pakistan are very much warring enemies at rest.
