biographical
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
about
Sarabjit Singh
Sarabjit Singh Attwal (also spelled Sarabjeet Singh; 1963 or 1964 – 2 May 2013) (alleged to be Manjit Singh Rattu by Pakistan) was an Indian national convicted of terrorism and spying by a Pakistani court. He was tried and convicted by ...
, who was sentenced to death by the
Supreme Court of Pakistan
The Supreme Court of Pakistan ( ur, ; ''Adālat-e-Uzma Pākistān'') is the apex court in the judicial hierarchy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Established in accordance to thePart VIIof the Constitution of Pakistan, it has ultimate a ...
in 1991 and then consequently spent 22 years in prison for alleged terrorism and spying. Directed by
Omung Kumar
Omung Kumar Bhandula is an Indian film director, and production designer, known for his works in Hindi cinema. He had hosted one of the famous show Ek Minute on Zee TV 90s. He made his directorial debut with the 2014 biographical sports drama '' ...
, the film stars
Randeep Hooda
Randeep Hooda (; born 20 August 1976) is an Indian actor and Equestrianism, equestrian known for his work predominantly in Hindi cinema. Hooda made his Hindi film debut with ''Monsoon Wedding''. He had a turning point in his career with the ga ...
as Sarabjit Singh.
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she has established herself as one of the most popular celebritie ...
,
Richa Chadda
Richa Chadda (born 18 December 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. After debuting in a small role in the comedy film ''Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!'' (2008), Chadda's breakthrough came in 2012 with a supporting role in the noir gangs ...
, and
Darshan Kumar
Darshan Gandas, known by his stage name Darshan Kumar, is an Indian actor who appears primarily in Hindi films. He made his debut with the film ''Mary Kom'' (2014), opposite Priyanka Chopra, as a male lead. He is best known for the 2022 film, ' ...
play pivotal roles.
Made on a production budget of 15 crore and marketed at 8 crore, ''Sarbjit'' premiered at the
69th Cannes Film Festival
The 69th Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 May 2016. Australian director George Miller was the President of the Jury for the main competition. French actor Laurent Lafitte was the host for the opening and closing ceremonies. On 15 Marc ...
and was released on 20 May 2016 to mixed reactions from critics. The film turned out to be a profitable venture at box-office by grossing about 43.88 crore worldwide after its two-week run.
Plot
Dalbir Kaur (
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she has established herself as one of the most popular celebritie ...
), two years after she suffers the
stillbirth
Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. The term ...
of her
daughter
A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between groups ...
, leaves her abusive husband Baldev (
Ankur Bhatia
Ankur Bhatia (born February 1985) is an Indian actor and model. He grew up in Bhopal, India. He made his acting debut in 2010 in Payal Sethi'Grant St. Shaving Cowhich was produced by Mira Nair. In 2012, he won the Best Actor Commendation Awar ...
) and arrives to stay with Sarbjit's family. She works in a textile mill to support the family alongside Sarbjit. Sarbjit Singh (
Randeep Hooda
Randeep Hooda (; born 20 August 1976) is an Indian actor and Equestrianism, equestrian known for his work predominantly in Hindi cinema. Hooda made his Hindi film debut with ''Monsoon Wedding''. He had a turning point in his career with the ga ...
) lives in
Bhikhiwind
Bhikhiwind is a town and a nagar panchayat, just about 33 km from Tarn Taran Sahib in Tarn Taran district in the Majha region of state of Punjab, India. The town is located along the India-Pakistan border in Tarn Taran district of Punjab, India, ...
, Punjab with his wife Sukhpreet (
Richa Chadda
Richa Chadda (born 18 December 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. After debuting in a small role in the comedy film ''Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!'' (2008), Chadda's breakthrough came in 2012 with a supporting role in the noir gangs ...
), their two daughters Poonam (Ankita Shrivastav) and Swapandeep (
Shiwani Saini
Shiwani Saini (born 31 December 1988) is an Indian actress and model who appears in Hindi and Punjabi language films. She made her debut with the Punjabi film ''Happy Go Lucky''.
Early life
Saini has previously worked as a fashion designer. ...
) and his father Darji. He works as a farmer and is a loving younger brother.
In 1990, after becoming drunk, Sarbjit accidentally crosses the border and arrives in Pakistan, where he is convicted as an Indian spy. He is alleged as Ranjit Singh, and accused of causing bomb blasts in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
. His claims of innocence are ignored and he is tortured for months before he is able to inform his family of his captivity through a letter. In an attempt to appease the Pakistani police, Sarbjit falsely confesses to terrorism and is promptly given a death sentence. Dalbir, determined to free her brother, enlists the help of lawyer Awais Sheikh (
Darshan Kumar
Darshan Gandas, known by his stage name Darshan Kumar, is an Indian actor who appears primarily in Hindi films. He made his debut with the film ''Mary Kom'' (2014), opposite Priyanka Chopra, as a male lead. He is best known for the 2022 film, ' ...
). Their plea for justice is supported across India and condemned in Pakistan; the media in both countries continues to cover the case, causing Sarbjit's sentence to be repeatedly delayed.
In 2012, after 22 years of imprisonment, Sarbjit's family is allowed to visit him in jail. They are heartbroken to witness him as a tortured prisoner but he rejoices in the short-lived reunion. Subsequently, his death sentence commutes to life in prison; having already served nearly twice the length of a standard Pakistani life sentence, it is assumed that he will be pardoned and released imminently. The Pakistani government soon clarifies that the release order they issued was not for Sarbjit, but for a prisoner named ''Surjeet'', devastating Sarbjit's family. A year later, Sarbjit is attacked in his jail cell by Pakistani prisoners, and is admitted to a local hospital in critical condition, eventually succumbing to a comatose state. His sister, wife and grown daughters visit him but are forced to leave shortly before his death. Sarbjit's body is delivered to India, where his village and family mourn as they reminisce his life. As the film ends, Dalbir promises that she will always continue trying to fulfill his dying wish of being recognized as an innocent man.
Cast
*
Randeep Hooda
Randeep Hooda (; born 20 August 1976) is an Indian actor and Equestrianism, equestrian known for his work predominantly in Hindi cinema. Hooda made his Hindi film debut with ''Monsoon Wedding''. He had a turning point in his career with the ga ...
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she has established herself as one of the most popular celebriti ...
as Dalbir Kaur - Sarbjit's sister
*
Richa Chadda
Richa Chadda (born 18 December 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. After debuting in a small role in the comedy film ''Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!'' (2008), Chadda's breakthrough came in 2012 with a supporting role in the noir gangs ...
as Sukhpreet Kaur - Sarbjit's wife
*
Darshan Kumar
Darshan Gandas, known by his stage name Darshan Kumar, is an Indian actor who appears primarily in Hindi films. He made his debut with the film ''Mary Kom'' (2014), opposite Priyanka Chopra, as a male lead. He is best known for the 2022 film, ' ...
as Awais Sheikh - Sarbjit's lawyer
*
Shiwani Saini
Shiwani Saini (born 31 December 1988) is an Indian actress and model who appears in Hindi and Punjabi language films. She made her debut with the Punjabi film ''Happy Go Lucky''.
Early life
Saini has previously worked as a fashion designer. ...
as Swapandeep Kaur - Sarbjit's elder daughter
*Ankita Shrivastav as Poonam Kaur - Sarbjit's younger daughter
*
Ankur Bhatia
Ankur Bhatia (born February 1985) is an Indian actor and model. He grew up in Bhopal, India. He made his acting debut in 2010 in Payal Sethi'Grant St. Shaving Cowhich was produced by Mira Nair. In 2012, he won the Best Actor Commendation Awar ...
as Mandev Singh
*Trishaan Singh Maini as Maninder
*Charanpreet Singh as Sanjay
*Ram Murti Sharma as Darji - Sarbjit's father
Production
Casting and characters
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she has established herself as one of the most popular celebritie ...
, Randeep Hooda and Richa Chadda was Omung's first choice for principal characters in the film. The Media has questioned Omung on casting Aishwarya as she does not resemble Dalbir Kaur.
He said that "It is the story of the character not the resemblance. Everybody told me I was mad to cast Aishwarya. But then, they said similar things when I cast
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India's highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awar ...
for ''
Mary Kom
Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom (born 01 March 1983) is an Indian amateur boxer, politician, and former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. She is the only woman to win the World Amateur Boxing Championship six times, the only female boxer to ha ...
''; that she won't fit the role, she doesn't look North Eastern, and so on. But I’d decided that for Dalbir's part, I wanted someone who's mature enough, who could play a 22-year-old and 60-year-old as well, someone who commands and demands respect when she speaks. Aishwarya is a director's actress, she is a fantastic. We can see her in any role possible, but yes, they talk about her beauty more."
It was reported that Sarabjit's daughters were also keen on
Randeep Hooda
Randeep Hooda (; born 20 August 1976) is an Indian actor and Equestrianism, equestrian known for his work predominantly in Hindi cinema. Hooda made his Hindi film debut with ''Monsoon Wedding''. He had a turning point in his career with the ga ...
playing the title role. The actor had lost 18 kg in 28 days.
Richa Chadda
Richa Chadda (born 18 December 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. After debuting in a small role in the comedy film ''Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!'' (2008), Chadda's breakthrough came in 2012 with a supporting role in the noir gangs ...
was selected for the role of Sarbjit's wife. This is her second film opposite Hooda.
Darshan Kumar
Darshan Gandas, known by his stage name Darshan Kumar, is an Indian actor who appears primarily in Hindi films. He made his debut with the film ''Mary Kom'' (2014), opposite Priyanka Chopra, as a male lead. He is best known for the 2022 film, ' ...
was cast as Pakistani lawyer who fights for Sarabjit in the film.
Ankur Bhatia
Ankur Bhatia (born February 1985) is an Indian actor and model. He grew up in Bhopal, India. He made his acting debut in 2010 in Payal Sethi'Grant St. Shaving Cowhich was produced by Mira Nair. In 2012, he won the Best Actor Commendation Awar ...
was confirmed to play as Aishwarya Rai's husband in the film.
Filming
The film locations included
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
,
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
and
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. Few crucial scenes was shot at the
Wagah
Wagah ( ur, ) or Wagha (Shahmukhi pnb, ) is a village and union council (UC 181) located in the Wahga Zone near Lahore City District, Pakistan. The town is famous for the Wagah border ceremony and also serves as a goods transit terminal and ...
Border. The director had created the by-lanes of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
Bohri Mohallah, besides Punjab. The protagonist's house was recreated in Aarey Colony in the city though it could have been shot in Tarn Taran (Sarbjit Singh's hometown), the filmmaker reasoned that the town looks a little too modernized for the Punjab of 90s. Since Sarbjit's home was to be shown over a period of two decades, the set was changed accordingly. It was reported on 18 March 2016 that the film shoot was halted for over four hours and producer (Zafar Mehdi) was arrested for hurting national sentiments while shooting a rally sequence with
anti-India
Anti-Indian sentiment, also known as Indophobia or anti-Indianism, is a modern term referring to negative feelings and hatred towards the Republic of India, Indian people, and Indian culture. Indophobia is formally defined in the context of ant ...
Bhendi Bazaar
Bhendi Bazaar is a market (bazaar) in South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Bhendi Bazaar occupies an area between Mohammed Ali Road and Khetwadi. The closest Central and Harbour lines station for the Mumbai Suburban Railway is Sandhurst Road, an ...
and they filed a complaint against the makers. However Police officials has released Zafar Mehdi as they had valid permission to shoot for the film.
Release
''Sarbjit'' was selected for the ''Indiwood Panorama Competition section'' at the 2nd edition of ''Indiwood Carnival 2016'' in
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
.
Pre-release revenue
The makers of Sarbjit recovered the total budget including production and marketing/promotional costs and made profit via sales of theatrical-Satellite-music-home video rights even before the release. India and Overseas rights were sold for while the Satellite, Home video and music rights were sold for .
Music
The music for ''Sarbjit'' was composed by
Jeet Gannguli
Jeet Gannguli (, born Chandrajeet Ganguly, on 24 May 1977), is an Indian score composer of Bengali and Hindi movies.
Early life and education
Born in a Bengali Brahmin family, Gannguli was initiated into the world of music at the age of thr ...
,
Amaal Mallik
Amaal Mallik (born 16 June 1990) is an Indian music director, composer, singer, music producer, arranger, background scorer, performer and lyricist. He is the elder son of Daboo Malik and Jyothi Malik, and grandson of Sardar Malik. He debuted ...
,
Tanishk Bagchi
Tanishk Bagchi (born 23 November 1980) is an Indian music producer, composer, singer and lyricist in Hindi films. He is known for tracks like "Bolna", "Ve Maahi", "Aankh Maarey"(recreated), " Dilbar" (recreated), "Jehda Nasha" (recreated) and "L ...
, Shail-Pritesh and Shashi Shivam. The first song "Salamat" was released on 18 April 2016. The
music rights
Music licensing is the licensed use of copyrighted music. Music licensing is intended to ensure that the owners of copyrights on musical works are compensated for certain uses of their work. A purchaser has limited rights to use the work without ...
The film opened to positive response from reviewers, with praise drawn towards its screenplay, engaging realistic portrayal of the situations and editing.
Rachit Gupta from
Filmfare
''Filmfare'' is an Indian English language, English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, r ...
gave 4 stars and noted "The actors really save the film. Hooda as Sarbjit is beyond brilliant. Rai Bachchan performance is a bit inconsistent, but scenes where she lets the silences and eyes take over are just marvelous. Richa Chadda plays the stoic wife with just the right amount of underplay.
Zee News
Zee News is an Indian Hindi-language news channel owned by Subhash Chandra's Essel Group. It launched on 27 August 1999 and is the flagship channel of the Zee Media Corporation.
The channel has been involved in several controversies and has ...
rated 4 stars said "The biopic will strike a chord for its genuine attempt to share a story not told on the celluloid before, coupled by stellar performances of its lead, particularly the man himself – Randeep Hooda". Critic
Shaiju Mathew
Shaiju Mathew is an Indian–Canadian author, screenplay writer, movie reviewer and director, known for his 2010 book ''Knocked Up''. ''Knocked Up'' is set to become a feature film in Hindi, with Mathew co-producing. A Marathi movie '' Timepas ...
gave 4 out of 5 stars and said, "The movie is a dark movie with no scope for entertainment but Omung Kumar does a fabulous job with his direction to keep the audience attention captivated. Randeep Hooda has given his career best and gets into the skin of Sarbjit. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan barring few high-octane scenes where she goes overboard with histrionics delivers a strong performance.
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is a Bollywood entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000.
The website provides ...
gave a rating of 3.5 stars mentioned "On the whole, SARBJIT is a landmark film with great performances and a superbly told narrative. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan delivers a performance of a lifetime. Randeep Hooda is outstanding. Richa Chadha makes a solid impact and Darshan Kumaar is effective as the liberal Pakistani lawyer".
The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
which also gave 3.5 noted "Sarbjit breaks your heart – It makes you cherish your loved ones – and appreciate others too. Randeep imbues Sarbjit with beautiful, powerful humanity".
IANS
Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. It was founded in 1986 by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the "India Abroad News Service" and later renamed. Their main offices are located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The ser ...
rated 3.5 stars stated "The film is evenly paced with a few lengthy and unwarranted scenes but overall, Sarbjit Aitwal's story is worth a watch, as it touches the right emotional chord. Aishwarya as Dalbir Kaur puts her heart and soul into her character. Randeep Hooda as Sarbjit steals the show".
Deccan Chronicle
''Deccan Chronicle'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded by Rajagopal Mudaliar in the 1930s & currently owned by Samagrah Commercial Pvt Limited. It is published in Hyderabad, Telangana, by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited ( ...
gave the film 3 stars said "Overall, the film takes you on an emotional ride. Randeep's stellar performance may earn him loads of accolades and respect as an actor. Rai Bachchan convincingly portrays Dalbir's ordeal through her role. Scenes between Aishwarya and Randeep in the Pakistan prison will leave you teary eyed".
Anupama Chopra
Anupama Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist, film critic and director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She is also the founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion, which offers a curated look at cinema. She has written sev ...
who gave 3 stars for the film explained "What kept me hooked were the performances. Randeep Hooda is terrific and Richa Chadha is excellent as his wife. This is easily Aishwarya's bravest and most challenging role. There are scenes in which she impressively holds her own. But in places she is shrill, and the accent never sits right".
Mid-Day
''Mid-Day'' (stylised as mid-day) is a morning daily Indian compact newspaper owned by Jagran Prakashan Limited. Editions in various languages were published in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune. In 2011, the Delhi and Bangalore editions were ...
rated 3 stars, said "A lot rides on Ash's shoulders as this is the role that demands dollops of courage even when under the most vulnerable of situations".
The Tribune ''The Tribune'' or ''Tribune'' is the name of various newspapers:
United States Daily California
*''Oakland Tribune''
* ''The Tribune'' (San Luis Obispo)
*'' San Gabriel Valley Tribune''
Indiana
*''Kokomo Tribune''
*'' Peru Tribune''
* ''The Trib ...
gave 3 stars summarized "Well intended and fairly well executed Sarbjit makes the viewing grade. The film essentially belongs to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, as Dalbir, she has done a sincere act, even though her Punjabi accent is not quite consistent and Randeep is first rate".
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and journalist. He has worked for Noida based English language news channel CNN-Indian Broadcasting Network (CNN-IBN). He usually reviews Bollywood films and major Hollywood films released in India in hi ...
also gave 3 stars to the film and stated "In many ways Sarbjit feels half-baked and wanting. But the performances – particularly Randeep Hooda's – keeps you invested in what's on the screen. It's not a perfect film, but there is enough to appreciate here". Sonia Chopra from
Sify
Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology company providing end-to-end ICT solutions including telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation in ...
rated 3 stars praised the performances of the leads and noted "Kumar does a fair job, but the film bears the brunt of melodrama rearing its head in the form of flashbacks and over-the-top dialogue". Subhash K. Jha described the film as "Gem" and commented "Sarbjit has immense poignancy at its heart. Though Rai Bachchan performance gets shrill at times, it never loses it power. Randeep Hooda's physical transformation as a traumatized prisoner is astonishing and convincing".
DNA rated 2.5 stars commented that "If you want to know about Sarabjit, google it for free. You'll know more than what the film has to offer. As the film's primary driver, Rai fails to do full justice to Dalbir. Randeep Hooda is restrained but again cannot rise beyond the ordinary screenplay".
Koimoi
Koimoi is a Bollywood entertainment website providing Bollywood news, box-office reports and film reviews. In January 2021, its Alexa ranking in India was 2530.
Origin
On 23 November 2009, Contest2win.com and Komal Nahta's Faith Entertainment j ...
gave 2 stars and noted "A contrived plot and over the top performance by Ash makes this movie a lengthy affair. For not doing justice to the actual Sarbjit issue, I’d say this film is passable".
NDTV
New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. The company is considered to be a legacy brand that pioneered independent news broadcasting in India, and is credited for launching t ...
which also gave 2 stars stated "With the star not shining all that bright and the actors in the mix not allowed to play the game their way, Sarbjit is a well-meaning outing that fails to do justice to its subject. Watch it only if you are an Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan fan no matter what".
India Today
''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new onl ...
reviewer gave 1.5 stars and mentioned "The blame lies largely in the script which doesn't leave much for its actors to do other than excessively cry or scream or otherwise sit sulking". Shubhra Gupta from
The Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split betw ...
gave same rating as 1.5 stars and noted "Randeep Hooda nails the look and the accent, letting neither overpower him, and is the only reason to sit through this sagging saga. If Aishwarya had modulated her act, ‘Sarbjit’ would have been a better film". Raja Sen of
Rediff
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 e ...
gave 1.5 stars said "Sarbjit is an irresponsibly sloppy film, a film so focused on artless emotional manipulation and trying to make the audience weep, that it trivialises an important true-life story".
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
reviewer
Namrata Joshi
Namrata Joshi is an Indian film critic based in New Delhi. Originally working for ''Outlook'', she remained there from 1999 till 2015, when she joined ''The Hindu''. She won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2004
Career
Joshi is ...
commented that " Instead of a coherent narrative the film feels utterly disjointed and on top of that the director doesn't seem to know how to calibrate emotions well. He goes overboard with melodrama".
Box office
At the end of second week, the film has grossed worldwide and became a financially profitable at the box office.