Laal Kaptaan
Movie Info
Synopsis
In late 18th century Bundelkhand, a bounty hunter wanders in search of a man he has sought for 20 long years. A mysterious young woman obstinately attaches herself to him. Meanwhile, a convey led by a devious leader makes an arduous journey to the Yamuna, as a prophecy hangs over his infant heir. Somewhere, a “jungle” tracker pieces together a trail as he follows a scent. As fate draws them all together; journeys, prophecies and promises find their truth buried in a bloody but forgotten past.Wikipedia
Starring Cast
Laal Kaptaan Reviews
3
There are flashes when you feel the film will finally say something important, but then it lapses back into stodgy set-pieces which go on and on.
-
Laal Kaptaan is a boring and self-absorbed period drama – one that is so obsessed with historical detailing, eccentric characters, bare physicality and country-style pace that it forgets to be narratively and humanely absorbing.
5
Even though Singh keeps away from the sentimentality common to Hindi cinema, Laal Kaptaan lacks pace and certain scenes feel unbearably long. Dialogues, so essential for a historical thriller like this one, falter and flail in critical scenes, puncturing the impact of a unique story. As far as Hindi films go, Laal Kaptaan treads a path less trodden, but it meanders and spectacularly loses steam. It should have cut to the chase, literally and figuratively, but instead, it becomes an unbearably long and pointless pursuit.
-
Saif Ali Khan’s slow-burning period Western beautifully sets up its period and ambition, only to peter off at the most crucial juncture.
8
Laal Kaptaan deserves a watch just for Saif's spunk.
5
Somewhere, 'Laal Kaptaan' was perhaps attempting to be a Western movie, with horses, dust, guns and the works, but ultimately, a tedious narrative and a very lengthy runtime pull it down.
4
ensational; but a stretch, sadly...In Laal Kaptaan we effectively experience a valiant attempt at merging the East, with the Western
4
Sensational; but a stretch, sadly...In Laal Kaptaan we effectively experience a valiant attempt at merging the East, with the Western
5
Singh, the director, had all the pieces to craft an effectual Indian western: the terrain, the long-suffering sadhu, an age of flux, elements of magic realism, and touches of Shakespearean tragedy. But Laal Kaptaan falters on an over-written script and visually over-told story.
-
Laal Kaptaan is the sort of film I wish there were more of – an exploration of the richness and weirdness of old India, one which doesn’t try to smooth the edges or create a Disney-esque franchise. Recent films have used our nation’s distant past as a reflecting pool of orthodoxy (Padmaavat) and proto-nationalism (Manikarnika). Singh, on the other hand, admits that we’ve always been a complicated, fractured country, and that entire lives can be defined by nothing more than a desire for revenge.
-
All the interesting disparate elements in the film don’t come together well enough to build it into a compelling whole
4
‘Laal Kaptaan’ is strictly for Khan’s fans who dig his cerebral conversations in person and therefore will be easy on him.
Audience Reviews for Laal Kaptaan
-
This is an unmistakably bland attempt to a period drama which can't even correct it's entertainment. Saif Ali Khan delivers a bizarre performance as a Naga Sadhu and the experiment, however interesting it might have been, didn't work for me. The weakest link though is Zoya Hussain, the interesting 'Mukkabaz' debutant. I didn't expect such a bad act from an otherwise very interesting actress. Deepak Dobriyal is the strongest, the most out-and-out thing from an otherwise bland historical thriller which fails it's characters repeatedly.
0December 20, 19 -
I think the reviews are deeply unfair. Yes the director fails to keep the twist hidden long enough. (Think, Once Upon a Time in the West) However this is a great slow burn Western. It has the Peckinpah or even J. P. Dutta style of film making. Well worth a watch. Check out the audience reviews on Amazon Prime. I personally think someone has paid to have this movie trashed!
0January 13, 20
