Kesari Veer movie review: Sooraj Pancholi, Suniel Shetty's historical drama suffers from a Chhaava, Padmaavat hangover
Kesari Veer struggles as a historical drama. Its hero, Sooraj Pancholi, lacks emotional depth, and the film suffers from poor VFX and subpar performances.
Kesari Veer movie review Director: Prince Dhiman Cast: Sooraj Pancholi, Suniel Shetty Star Rating: ★★.5
Setting out to make a historical drama is a mammoth task, especially when the Bhansali hangover is a real thing. It simply means that any other epic made for the big screen will inevitably be compared to his larger-than-life films—replete with stunning frames, meticulously detailed sets, and high points in the story that often make up for other flaws. Kalank (2019) was a victim. Kesari Veer falls prey to that hangover too.
Kesari Veer, directed by Prince Dhiman, struggles as a historical drama, suffering from a Bhansali hangover.
While filmmakers can try to replicate the aesthetics, nothing comes close to the performances Bhansali manages to extract from his actors. From Ranveer Singh in Padmaavat to Priyanka Chopra in Bajirao Mastani, many have delivered the best work of their careers under his direction. Kesari Veer? It falters on both fronts.
Directed by Prince Dhiman, Veer Kesari revolves around Hamirji Gohil, a warrior who stands up for Saurashtra and the Somnath Temple, which Zafar Khan (Vivek Oberoi) is hell-bent on destroying. Aiding Hamirji in his mission is Vegdaji (Suniel Shetty) and other members of the Bhil tribe. Do they manage to fend off the invaders? Watch the film to find out.
The first half of Kesari Veer confuses the viewer—is it a war drama? A biopic? Entry sequences for each of the three main characters—Hamirji, Vegdaji, and Rajal (Akanksha Sharma)—are as bland as they are OTT. Suniel gets a solid makeover, but that’s about it. Characters flit in and out of the story with little impact. Vivek Oberoi as Zafar attempts to channel the madness of Ranveer’s Khilji from Padmaavat, but ends up hamming quite a bit.
The second half becomes progressively—and unintentionally—funny. Sooraj’s character, pressed for time and setting out for war, literally riding out on horseback, is intercepted by his love interest Rajal. She wants to be his wife “if only for one day”—and the film cuts to an elaborate wedding sequence. Apparently, that was more important, despite the invaders being at the doorstep. Only after the wedding night does our hero get back to the pending task.
And of course, there’s the visual nod to that famous line from Padmaavat: “…jiska sar kate, phir bhi dhad dushman se ladta rahe, voh Rajput!” We told you—the Bhansali hangover is hard to shake. Seems even Veer Kesari’s makers couldn’t.
The climax seems to have taken ‘inspiration’ from Chhaava’s brilliant battle scene where Vicky Kaushal’s character and his team fight near a water body—outnumbered, but not giving up.
Despite all this, Kesari Veer could have worked as a decent historical drama.
But its biggest shortcoming is its hero—Sooraj Pancholi. The man just doesn’t emote! Growing one’s hair for a role doesn’t magically grant acting abilities. Suniel Shetty tries to lend some gravitas, but the story lets him down. Akanksha Sharma as Rajal is average, and falters in a key scene where she had the chance to shine. The VFX here is shoddy too.
The music by Monty Sharma is okay, though the incessant song placements could have been avoided.
Overall, the heart of Kesari Veer’s makers lies in the right place, no doubt. But noble intentions rarely guarantee a good cinematic experience.
Rishabh Suri is an Assistant Editor, film critic, and professional overthinker of plot points. He writes for HT City, keeping pace with an industry where news cycles expire long before the popcorn gets cold.
He completed his graduation in English Honours from Kirori Mal College, followed by a Master’s degree in English Literature-effectively training his brain to over-analyse classic texts before applying those exact same skills to 3-hour Bollywood blockbusters. He got into the profession when he had barely graduated from college and has been at HT ever since.
At HT, Rishabh reviews films with a simple rule: skip the dense academic jargon and get straight to the point. Beyond reviews, as Assistant Editor, he helps navigate the broader circus of showbiz, tracking everything from OTT shifts to sudden box office panics.
In a beat driven by loud PR machinery and carefully scripted answers, Rishabh prefers cutting through the noise to focus on how stories get made and why trends shift.
When he isn’t writing against a deadline, he is usually sitting in a dark theater, compulsively memorising dialogues. For Rishabh, analysing movies isn't just a day job- it’s a habit he couldn't turn off even if he tried.Read More
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