The movie, Subedaar, is a harsh emotionally-charged action-drama that explores the life of a retired Indian Army subedaar who struggles to settle in the world that seems to be growing less accessible to him. The very basis of the film is that it shows the internal conflict in Arjun Maurya, disciplined military thinking is against the life of chaos and corruption of a civilian. The tensions between the tradition and modernity are set against a rustic but conflict-ridden background of Madhya Pradesh, and the challenges of the veterans struggling to make an adjustment between the service and civilian life are depicted in the story. The story has also been a touching account on the themes of duty, honor, and the indissoluble bond of a family and this has been particularly given Arjun and his sour relationship with his daughter, Shyama, which provides emotional resonance to the action oriented story line.
The movie is exceptional in terms of the relentless struggle to fight the local sand mafia by Arjun, who is a symbol of lawlessness and rottenness in society. The no nonsense type of attitude and fighting capabilities of his character makes his scenes involving conflict and suspense worth watching. The fights are not merely physical, but also moral, because Arjun has to find his way in the dangerous world of local corruption, everything to remain safe on behalf of his loved ones. The screenplay juggles bare action with scenes of reflection, the emotional cost of his combats, both the outer and inner. His supporting characters, particularly his daughter, act as the drivers of his change, and further complicate his character development.
The image of a man confused by the rules of the soldier discipline and the uncertain world of the civil life was what was striking to the heart. The feeling of pride, sacrifice and the overall need to be redeemed manifests in the evocation of the feeling of subedaar. It is a tale of grit, how the past can be used to create the present in a man, and how love in the family, even during hardships, can be enduring. Some sequences might be familiar, but the overall raw emotion and real representation of societal problems in the movie allow one to view it as a good one to watch. In the end, the film Subedaar is such a moving experience of how one can face the toughest of foes, both inside and outside with fearlessness and discipline.
