“Amidst the marshy swamp, a lotus will bloom.”
– Pankaj Tripathi as Atal Bihari Vajpayee
An iconic political figure, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s biography, and playing his character was indeed a tough job for Pankaj Tripathi.
The movie is being celebrated for unraveling a decade of history that very few know and understand.
AB Vajpayee was not just a BJP politician and India’s 10th prime minister, he was an advocate of democracy and a supporter of a harmonious India, where each faith is respected.
This is just one facet of a true leader and statesman because AB Vajpayee was also an excellent orator and poet.
Creating a movie on a subject where the fight for social justice and complex politics intermingle, director and writer – Ravi Jadhav, did complete justice to the film.
Let’s explore how the ‘Main Atal Hoon’ movie available on ZEE5 represents the era of new movies showcasing AB Vajpayee’s vision of a progressive India.
Summary Of The Movie
The movie Main Atal Hoon is a biographical drama depicting iconic politician and leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s struggle against social injustices, his training at RSS (Rashtriya Seva Sangh), and his political career.
As a movie, the director and writer, has also included part of his personal life with his probable love interest Rajkumari Kaul.
Produced under the banner of Bhanushali Studios Limited and Legend Studios, the plot of the movie showcases three key aspects of AB Vajpayee’s career – establishing a strong foundation of the BJP party, the Kargil war with Pakistan, and Pokhran nuclear tests.
Through the movie, it becomes clear that he was influenced by many of his contemporary politicians and leaders like Babasaheb Apte, Syama Prasad Mukherjee, and Pandit Deendayal Upadhaya.
To provide the audience with a complete personality of Vajpayee Ji, his interests in poetry, literature, and Hindu mythology are also explored.
Characters in the Movie
An experienced actor, Pankaj Tripathi, acts out the serious stature of the politico-leader AB Vajpayee with ease. Tripathi lets the character and the script take over through the ups and downs of Vajpayee’s life.
Other actors who share prominent screen time are Benedict Garrett as British Forest Officer, Rajesh Dubey as Shri Nanaji Deshmukh, Harshad Kumar as Pramod Mahajan, Krishna Saajnani as a reporter, and Lovekush Kundu as Swayamsevak (Atal’s friend).
Many contemporary politicians during AB Vajpayee’s life also find their place in this biography such as Shivkumar Pareek, Sonia Gandhi, Prem Bihari Vajpayee, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, and LK Advani.
FUN FACT In the movie Main Atal Hoon, Piyush Mishra serves as both the narrator and Vajpayee’s father.
Dialogues And Poetry
AB Vajpayee loved to write poetry and his speeches in the Parliament are still remembered by fellow party workers and opposition leaders.
Emulating the same in the character, Tripathi delivers each dialogue with the correct pause and confidence.
Tripathi’s outcry of Bharat Mata ki Jai will give you goosebumps relating to the struggles of Vajpayee.
Writers Ravi Jadhav and Rishi Virmani have done an excellent job of making the audience get up and applaud the masterpiece.
MOVIE TRIVIA In an interview, Pankaj Tripathi revealed that when he was young, he had attended two of Atal ji’s political rallies, standing in the crowd five hundred meters away.
Direction And Editing
A biography of a prominent leader should be handled professionally and creatively even if it is mostly sequential.
In most biographical dramas there is a flashback depicting the journey since childhood, teenage years, and adulthood.
There is also a chance that some people may find it boring because of documentary narration.
The director Ravi Jadhav does complete justice to the movie but even after receiving a good opening, the movie had mixed reviews from many film critics.
Conclusion
The movie Main Atal Hoon on ZEE5 is bigger than a mere biographical concept or box office success.
The intention of the director and the writer was clearly to show an honest depiction of the life of AB Vajpayee.
It requires confidence in your skills, in-depth research capability, trust in the actor’s experience, and much more to handle a project of an eminent political personality.
There have been many icons in history, but AB Vajpayee paved the way for a new vision for India, inspiring and garnering respect from leaders across the nation.
At every walk, dialogue, narration, scene, and music, the audience will feel inspired by AB Vajpayee’s personality, and that is why Main Atal Hoon is a success.
