"Hey Ram" is a fictionalized period drama revolving around the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and delves into the Hindu Muslim riots during India Pakistan partition. Gandhi had been made accountable for these riots and few Hindus vowed to assassinate him. Such character is portrayed by Kamal Hassan whose wife is raped and brutally killed in the riots, which leads him to join Hindu extremities to kill the Muslims and Gandhi till he withdraws the idea.
Subject wise the film is commendable which delves into a much untouched arena. While "Garam Hawa" portrayed the agony of the partition and "Bombay" vividly portrayed the Hindu Muslim riots, "Hey Ram" shows much of the brutality of the riots and the assassination of Gandhi goes into a background. Undoubtedly the film is technically superb and makes a gruesome depiction of the brutality of the riots. The film gets some brilliant acting and a right touch of period details. But the film is not for the masses and fails to grip in the absence of a tight script. The film feels more a preachy drama which at times is messed in the lengthy sequences of the riots than the ideologies of Gandhi and misses the human theme, for which the film doesn't work with the masses despite a brilliant film making it treasures.
Rating: 2 stars out of 4.
Subject wise the film is commendable which delves into a much untouched arena. While "Garam Hawa" portrayed the agony of the partition and "Bombay" vividly portrayed the Hindu Muslim riots, "Hey Ram" shows much of the brutality of the riots and the assassination of Gandhi goes into a background. Undoubtedly the film is technically superb and makes a gruesome depiction of the brutality of the riots. The film gets some brilliant acting and a right touch of period details. But the film is not for the masses and fails to grip in the absence of a tight script. The film feels more a preachy drama which at times is messed in the lengthy sequences of the riots than the ideologies of Gandhi and misses the human theme, for which the film doesn't work with the masses despite a brilliant film making it treasures.
Rating: 2 stars out of 4.