In the wake of Sarbjit Singh’s story and its relevance, all shortcomings of the movie become redundant. But end of the day, this is a commercial film and you can’t discount the quality of cinema. On that count, Sarbjit is a definite letdown. Considering the subject matter, this movie should’ve been a lot better than it turns out.

One small mercy is that the film isn’t exactly jingoistic at heart and attempts to further the idea that India and Pakistan are essentially the same country. But the way things are depicted, especially a scene in which Dalbir says of Pakistanis that they are experts at backstabbing (with good reason, at that point), it’s likely that many portions will be interpreted as being anti-Pakistan. This is what happens when a good idea is dumbed down — a tragedy tends to lose its complexity and becomes a convenient tool for propaganda.

When you watch Sarbjit, you must accept it as a given that the makers believe Sarabjit Singh Atwal and his family’s version of events, not the Pakistani authorities. The reason why that is okay is because the film is not pretending to be a journalistic exercise telling all sides of the story; it is open about its stance that it is a feature recounting one side of the story. Besides, unlike the Akshay Kumar-starrer Airlift released earlier this year, the fictionalisation here does not amount to outright, blatant lies revolving around a protagonist who never existed in reality.

Sarbjit has an emotional drama as its plus point but its slow pace, docu-drama-like feel, tragic ending and unfulfilling drama will be the stumbling blocks in its box-office journey. This Sarbjit is destined to suffer at the turnstiles and to fight a losing battle.

While watching a film based on a real-life, heart-wrenching story, you expect it to create an impact on you or perhaps, make you feel patriotic for a bit. But with Sarbjit, you feel that the true essence of the movie is lost.

Omung Kumar’s Sarabjit Singh biopic is too overwrought to be effective

Randeep Hooda stands out in this melodramatic melange of cardboard cut-outs that substitute for characters.

‘Sarbjit’ is a tragedy in capital letters…The loud and insistent melodrama takes away from the pathos of the central character’s story.