Shaheed Bhai Kotwal

Story: The story of social reformer and revolutionary Veer Bhai Kotwal, this film traces his journey of fighting and laying down his life for the country.

Review: Vitthal Kotwal, aka Bhai Kotwal, was one of the numerous people who fought for India's freedom. This movie tries to explore the life of the person who gave the country his all since a young age.

The movie opens with a bhajan by Laxman Bhagat (Arun Nalawade) who is blessed with a son. A believer in Lord Vitthal, Laxman names his son after the deity. At young age, Vitthal (Ashutosh Patki) witnesses the British rule and how the British have been troubling Indians. He decides to fight against the injustice. He completes his education from Pune and also leanrs about the freedom struggle and the leaders participating in it. In two minds- whether to choose the path of Gandhiji or Bhagat Singh, Vitthal takes time to decide between the two. However, one this is fixed in his mind that he want's to do something for the betterment of his country. Bhagat Singh, Sukhadev and Rajguru get death sentence and this disturbs Vitthal, who plans to join the movement movement.

He fights for the people, especially peasants, and soon, along with Hari Narayan, Gomaji Patil, Bhagat Master and others who follow Subhash Chandra Bose, Vitthal aka Bhai, forms the Azad Dasta. They hatch a plan to cut of the armament supply of the British and the group becomes a thorn in the Britishers' way. What happens next?

Being a biopic, the film focuses entirely on Bhai Kotwal but is not an exaggeration. It also gives due credit to other freedom fighters who shaped anc contributed to India's freedom struggle. The narration helps viewers understand the happenings of that time. Eknath Desale and Parag Sawant are sincere in their directorial efforts. The film delves into various aspects of the person on who its based and how his decisions took shape.

In the acting department, Ashutosh does justice to the character. The supporting cast is strong, with Kamlesh Sawant standing out. The cinematography and background score are good and add to the appeal of the movie. If you are willing to know more about this unsung hero, Shaheed Bhai Kotwal can turn out to be a decent watch.