A tacky remake

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Director-writer Rakesh Ranjan Kumar wanted to do two things: He really, really wanted to remake Oliver Hirschbiegel’s Oscar-nominated Downfall, and he wanted to make a statement about non-violence being greater than violence. He’s done that, and more. He has remade the epic German film, shoddily and in parts, and he makes us nod in agreement that non-violence rocks.

The more bits that he brings to his endeavour is to place together three historical figures, all three whom loved their country, to debate on violence and non-violence through their actions. So there’s Hitler in the last days of World War II in a bunker in Berlin, shaking and stooping with anger and disappointment; there’s Gandhi walking around with his followers, talking about the scars and legacy of violence; and there is Subhas Chandra Bose recruiting and motivating a hapless lot in Germany to be ready to give blood and make India free.
That Gandhi wrote two letters to Hitler is true. Both letters were addressed “Dear Friend” and talked about the price of war, about not wishing any success to Hitler’s arms, and that it’s better to convert one’s enemies than to defeat them in the battlefield. The Fuhrer didn’t receive the first letter. It was intercepted by the Brits.
But that Bose moved a battalion of Azad Hind Fauj from India to Germany is not true. One Free India Legion, also known as Tiger Legion, was created, made up of Indian prisoners of war from North Africa and volunteers. They did fight some Poles and Russians, but that they were trying to walk back to India, where they had families waiting, is not something I have read in history books.
This fictional bit, of Indian soldiers and their lives back home, takes up a good part of the film — mainly because this group is headed by Aman Verma and he demands a romance, a song and scenes where he can imitate Amitabh Bachchan.
Gandhi makes brief appearances, says his piece, and leaves.
The largest chunk of the film is in the bunker, and we spend it with Eva Braun (Neha Dhupia), her Fuhrer, his officers — played by actors who overact (Nalin Singh), or wriggle they wrinkles (Nasser Abdulla) — and minions. Raghuveer Yadav copies Bruno Ganz, who played Adolf Hitler in Downfall, but manages to convey only the ticks, not the man. Yadav’s Hitler is a caricature made out of cardboard — stiff and stupid. Neha Dhupia does her own thing.
The story in the bunker is mildly gripping because what transpired in the bunker, in the final 10 days of Hitler’s life, is both fascinating and shocking, especially how Magda Goebbels put her six children to death, and Eva and Hitler’s suicide.
But have to give it to Rakesh Ranjan Kumar for coming up with a very interesting story idea and actually going ahead with this very ambitious project. But he should have engaged better actors, spent some time in Berlin city to show us what was making Hitler quake underneath, cut out the wailing Indian wife bits and made the Indian soldiers a little less vague. Then Hitler to Gandhi would have been worth its message.

PS: If you are contemplating Gandhi to Hitler, I’d recommend Downfall, Attenborough’s Gandhi, followed by Bose: The Forgotten... That should do the job.