THE SABARMATI REPORT fails to impress

The Sabarmati Report Review 1.5/5 & Review Rating

Director: Dheeraj Sarna

The Sabarmati Report Movie Review Synopsis:

THE SABARMATI REPORT is the story of two journalists trying to search for the truth. The year is 2002. Samar Kumar (Vikrant Massey) is a Delhi-based cameraman who works for EBT News in the entertainment beat. The star reporter of this news channel is Manika (Ridhi Dogra). Her reporting is quite respected and also watched by millions across the country. On February 27, 2002, her editor Raman Talwar informs her that two bogies of the Sabarmati Express were set on fire early in the morning at Godhra. Manika rushes to the sleepy Gujarat town along with Samar. Both investigate and talk to the locals in Godhra and they realize that what happened on February 27 was not an accident. Yet, Manika stresses that the episode was an accident and blames the state government for it. Samar has reservations about the stifling of truth. He independently goes to the civil hospital in Godhra and speaks to the survivors who confirm that certain miscreants purposely set fire to the coaches. Samar submits these tapes to the EBT News. However, only Manika’s tape is aired on air. Samar blasts Raman and Manika in front of the office. Samar is fired and the management makes sure that he doesn’t get a job elsewhere. 5 years pass. In 2007, Amrita Gill (Raashii Khanna) joins EBT and is a fan girl of Manika. Manika and Raman realize that the sitting chief minister of Gujarat will be re-elected. As part of the plans to get into his good books, they decide to get Amrita to do a follow-up story on the Godhra episode. While going through the archives, Amrita stumbles upon Samar’s hospital footage. She realizes that it’s contrary to the rest of the investigation conducted by Manika on the incident. She decides to meet Samar and both start working on The Sabarmati Report. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

The Sabarmati Report Movie Story Review:

The story is one-sided and doesn’t cover all aspects of the episode. Arjun Bhandegaonkar and Avinash Singh Tomar’s screenplay is gripping but also has several loose ends. Dheeraj Sarna’s dialogues (additional dialogues by Arjun Bhandegaonkar and Avinash Singh Tomar) are sharp.

Dheeraj Sarna’s direction is not up to the mark. To give credit where it’s due, he has extracted fine performances from the lead actors. He also keeps the duration in check. A few scenes stand out like Samar’s outburst, Samar and Amrita escaping from the Vadodara locality, etc. The bond shared by Samar and Amrita makes for a nice watch. It’s also heartening that the makers pay tribute to the victims of the train incident.

Raja Ram – The Sabarmati Report | Vikrant Massey, Raashii Khanna, Ridhi Dogra | Kavita Krishnamurthy, Suresh Wadkar, Kartik Kush

On the flipside, the film tries to put the blame of the episode majorly on wrong reporting, as if that’s the only reason for what conspired later on. If one goes by the film, then EBT News is the only news channel operating in India and that they had the power to alter the truth single-handedly. Those who are aware of this incident will know that many others were also responsible for the deaths that occurred later on but the film makes no mention of it. The direction is also haphazard at times and the story abruptly jumps as well. The audience will fail to understand how and why the case was filed against Samar and why no legal action was taken against Amrita since she was also a part of the investigation. Towards the end, we see Amrita reporting on the ‘real’ truth before Manika cuts her off. But how come a novice like Amrita even gets the opportunity to go on air without the approval of the seniors? These minuses far outweigh the pluses and hence, the film becomes a laughable affair.

The Sabarmati Report Movie Review Performances:

Vikrant Massey puts in an earnest effort and delivers a hard-hitting performance. The film is a bit watchable, thanks to him and the other lead actors. Ridhi Dogra shines and looks convincing as a no-nonsense media personality. Shockingly, she disappears after a point. Raashii Khanna has a late entry but makes up for it with her memorable performance. Barkha Singh (Shloka) is lovely in a cameo. Sundip Ved (Senior Minister), Digvijay Purohit (Rajeev; EBT head) and the actor playing Raman Talwar leave a huge mark. The others who do well are the actors essaying the roles of Mishra ji, Zainab (receptionist at Tiranga Lodge), Sadia, Arun Barda, Sajid Batlawala, Sadam Supariwala and Hamid Qadri. Lastly, Hella Stichlmair (Senior leader of the opposition party) is very bad.

The Sabarmati Report movie music and other technical aspects:

As for the songs, ‘Tere Mere Darmiyan’ is forgettable while ‘Raja Ram’ manages to register. Ketan Sodha’s background score is impactful. Amalendu Chaudhary’s cinematography is appropriate. The late Rajat Poddarr’s production design is well-researched. Leepakshi Ellawadi’s costumes and Aejaz Gulab’s action are realistic. Manan Sagar’s editing is slick but has jerks in some places.

The Sabarmati Report Movie Review Conclusion:

On the whole, THE SABARMATI REPORT fails to impress due to its haphazard execution & loose ends in the script. At the box office, it will be flop show.