RESEARCH PROJECT

On the movie
‘Legend of Bhagat Singh’
Submitted to

MAHARASHTRA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, AURANGABAD

Submitted by

SAMRIDDHI BAMMIDI

B. A.LL.B. (Hons.) Semester-II

Roll No. 2020/BALLB/75
Paper : History

Under the guidance of

Ms. Deeksha Ingle
Assistant Professor of History

Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad

March, 2021

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, I would like to thank our Hon'ble Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. K. V. S.
Sarma for providing me an opportunity to do this research project.

I owe a debt of gratitude to my mentor Ms. Deeksha Ingle, Assistant Professor of History for
her intensive support and helping me complete the project. My class mentor has always been
supportive in all my endeavours and I am grateful for her support.

I humbly thank my friends for their constant support and help whenever I was feeling low. It
is their inspiration that made me complete the project with precision. I would also like to
express my gratitude to my teachers, friends and my relatives for helping me and providing
me support, inspiration and encouragement throughout the study.

And lastly but not the least I thank my Lord and Saviour for helping me in every way
possible. He has been my strength and my supplier and his providence always helps me to
desire for more.

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S.NO. CHAPTER PAGE NO.

1. INTRODUCTION 4

2. PLOT OF THE MOVIE 5-6

3. REVIEW OF HISTORICAL CHARACTERS 7-8

4. CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE 9

5. MAJOR TAKEAWAYS FROM THE MOVIE 10-11

6. CONCLUSION 12

7. BIBLIOGRAPHY 13

INDEX

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 INTRODUCTION

Bhagat Singh, who was born on September 27, 1907, Lyallpur, western Punjab and died on
March 23, 1931, Lahore, was a revolutionary hero of the Indian independence movement.

He attended the Dayanand Anglo Vedic High School that was operated by Arya Samaj and
then National College, both of which were located in Lahore. He was keen on fighting for
independence even as a young child and devoted his entire life fighting for it. He worked as a
writer and editor in Amritsar for Punjabi- and Urdu-language newspapers espousing Marxist
theories. Bhagat is remembered for his ever young slogan “Inquilab zindabad” meaning
“Long live the revolution”.

Bhagat was hardly 23 when he was executed by the British and yet he was able to think and
write so profoundly about the seemingly complex social, philosophical, economic and
political issues. And this definitely is not surprising because he was a voracious reader who
read anything and everything that enabled him to learn and grow. This is something not even
his contemporaries had written in their memoirs but also his own family members. As a
young man, he participated in many dramas and plays which helped him to learn many
things. He was also fond of insightful and romantic movies.

This research project on the movie ‘Legend of Bhagat Singh’ aims to do a comprehensive
study on the plot of the movie, the characters shown followed by a critical analysis of the
movie. It also presents the major takeaways from the movie that highlights the importance of
historical period covered in the movie.

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 PLOT OF THE MOVIE

As a child, Bhagat Singh witnessed the blatant cruelty and inhumanity of Britishers who
came to India disguised as mere traders but later took hold of the entire nation in their hands.
He was a living witness of the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre which further left him
broken and shattered. Young Bhagat was quite influenced and impressed by the ideals of
Mahatma Gandhi. He actively participated and promoted Gandhi’s non-cooperation
movement which saw nation-wide boycott and uproar against British goods, clothing,
government institutes and colleges but was left extremely disappointed when Gandhi himself
called off the movement following a violent protest. Undeterred and resolute, he turned
determined to become a revolutionary and fight for the freedom of the motherland. Growing
up, he joined the Hindustan Republic Association to contribute towards its cause.

When Bhagat’s close ally Lala Lajpat Rai was tortured and beaten to death by the police, he
along with Shivram Rajguru, Sukhdev, and others carried out the assassination of Saunders
who was a British police officer mistaking him for the police chief responsible for Lala
Lajpat’s death. Bhagat was eventually convicted and imprisoned for Saunders murder case
and was mercilessly tortured and ruthlessly beaten while in lock up. Worried and tensed
about his beloved son, Bhagat’s father bailed him out paying a hefty sum of money as he
wanted to make him run his own dairy farm and marry the girl his family had looked for him.
But Bhagat was far from a ordinary civilian, the blood of a true patriot was flowing down his
veins and all he ever wanted was to devote his life to the freedom of his country.

When the British proposed the Trade Disputes and Public Safety Bills, he would initiate the
bombing in the Indian Parliament Building, along with Batukeshwar Dutt, be arrested, and
tried in an open court. This act of courage and bravery attracted widespread recognition and
adoration for young Bhagat and it was this act which brought him closer to the general public
and helped him to spread his word to masses. This somewhat publicized the revolution
making him popular among the younger generation, laborers, and farmers, so much so that
his popularity rivalled that of Gandhi himself.

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Even while in prison, Bhagat Singh and his comrades went on a long hunger strike raising
several demands of the Indian freedom fighter prisoners. Some of the demands were to
provide all books, except those proscribed, along with writing material without restriction and
to provide at least one daily newspaper to each political prisoner. Bhagat Singh’s growing
popularity instilled fear and horror in the minds of weak Britishers who were afraid of his
valance and fearlessness. This led to the re-opening of Saunders murder case which found
Bhagat and his allies guilty of Saunder’s muder and punished them with death sentences.

The news of execution spread like wildfire and saw nationwide protests and uproar against
the brutal British Raj ; Congress party too protested against the order and the onus lied with
Gandhi. Gandhi was due to sign the Irwin pact and almost every Indian prayed and hoped
that he would use this as a bargaining opportunity to save the precious lives of the trio and
restore faith in humanity and goodwill.

Set in the background of India’s struggle for independence, this movie assumes a seemingly
bold front in the history of Indian cinemas. It undoubtedly raises questions that the movie
dares to answer; questions which immortalises the indomitable and fearless soul of an iconic
and heroic freedom fighter.

Who was that man whose corpse had struck such fear in the minds of Britishers that they had
to chop it down and erase every bit of it , in darkness?

Who was that man whose death saw Gandhi being accused of dishonesty ?

Who was that man whose mere readings and memory invokes such passion and strength even
71 years after his death?

Bhagat Singh is the one wailing answer of it all – a name that immortalised India’s freedom
struggle. An undaunted revolutionary who single-handedly shook up the powerful British
government, exposing their true barbaric nature. He was indeed a courageous man for whom
victory lay in sacrifice.

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 REVIEW OF HISTORICAL CHARACTERS

BHAGAT SINGH : Bhagat Singh is the lead character in the movie and the entire plot
revolves around him. His valour and bravery has been well depicted. Bhagat was a true
intellectual and not just a raw nationalist. Initially, he was much into writing his mind out
through corrosive pieces, articles and pamphlets against the company and used to distribute
and circulate them among his peers. He attended the Dayanand Anglo Vedic High School
that was operated by Arya Samaj and then National College, both of which were located in
Lahore. He was keen on fighting for independence even as a young child and devoted his
entire life fighting for it.

In his battle against British colonialism, he executed many daring missions putting his own
life at risk. This included the planned murder of the then ‘Assistant Superintendent of Police’
J.P. Saunders mistaking him to be Scott, for taking the revenge of Lala Lajpat Rai’s brutal
death. In yet another such act, in order to showcase his protest against the formulation and
passing of the ‘Defence of India Act’ , the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
planned a bomb blast in the central assembly hall where the ordinance was to be passed
which was executed by Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt on 8 th April, 1929. They shouted
thereby popularising their slogan 'Inquilab Zindabad!' while throwing protest pamphlets in
the air. Their aim, as Bhagat expressed was not to kill the innocents or spread violence but
the simple cause that in order to make the deaf listen, an explosion is what is needed. The
bomb explosion thus was not meant to kill anyone but only to deliver their message loud and
clear. The widespread criticism that followed this incident made Singh to respond

“Force when aggressively applied is 'violence' and is, therefore, morally unjustifiable, but
when it is used in the furtherance of a legitimate cause, it has its moral justification.”

The revolutionary patriot is remembered even today with much pride. Several movies, &
documentaries have been made ; articles and papers have been published on his life story.
Besides there are many songs which are based on Singh’s life and his independence struggle.

SUKHDEV THAPAR : He was an Indian revolutionary who was a close ally of Bhagat
Singh and Rajguru. He was the one who organised the revolutionary party in Punjab due to
which he was sentenced to death by a special tribunal; the proceedings of the court were
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however boycotted by the accused persons because of the biased and unjust attitude of the
colonial judges. He is best known as Singh’s partner in the 1928 Saunders murder case. He
was an active member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association and assumed the
position of one of the most senior most leaders. He was known to organise study groups in
Lahore’s national college in order to better understand India’s past and to make the youth
aware of its glory. He along with Singh and other started the Naujawan Bharat Sabha at
Lahore whose aim was to activate young minds towards fighting for independence, to refrain
from untouchability, to fight against communal divides and to inculcate a sense of scientific
rationalism in people.

He also participated in the prison hunger strike of 1929 where he along with his jail mates
demanded for improved prison conditions for Indian prisoners. Some of the last letters of his
life that he addressed to Mahatma Gandhi just prior to his execution highlights the glaring
disparities between the two schools of thought.

SHIVRAM RAJGURU : Born on 24th August ,1908 at Khed (Pune), Rajguru was one of
the most enthusiastic members of Hindustan Socialist Republican Army. As a young child, he
spent most of his time in Lokmanya Tilak Library and enjoyed listening to the debates and
speeches organised by the Maharashtra Vidya Mandal. He was referred to as ‘Shahadat ke
betab aashik’ meaning the one who is desperately eager to sacrifice his life for the sake of his
country. He was such a brave and true patriot that all he wanted in his life was to devote his
life to gift independence to the coming generations.

Later in his life, he came in contact with Chandrashekhar Azad who then introduced him to
other revolutionaries. Rajguru- Azad duo was indeed a sight to behold; Azad was keen on
delivering the knowledge he had and teaching the skills he possessed while Rajguru had
extremely fine grasping skills and was overwhelmed to learn from Pandit Ji. He came to the
forefront in light of Indian youth during the Saunders murder case.

Rajguru was an active participator and supporter of the infinite prison fast by his fellow
mates protesting against the deplorable prison conditions of Indian freedom fighters in
Lahore central jail. The Lahore case finally reached a judicial standpoint when Rajguru along
with Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev Thapar were awarded death sentence and were finally
executed on 23rd of March, 1931.

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 CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF ‘THE LEGEND OF BHAGAT SINGH’

The life history of Shaheed Bhagat Singh was truly a legendary one. There are many movies
and documentaries made on the life of Bhagat Singh but ‘The legend of Bhagat Singh’ is
honestly one of those movies which let the audience know India’s history and connect to the
character. Rightly depicting some of the most defining moments of Bhagat’s life story; the
Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the cruel and inhuman British Raj, Congress party’s freedom
struggle, Saunders murder case, central assembly hall bomb explosion etc was an easy task
but this picture indeed made that possible to a great extent. It reflected the narrative and
performance with such an honesty which is rarely seen in Indian Cinema. It captures Singh’s
life story so well that the minute flaws and errors of the movie deserve ignorance. How
young Bhagat visits the Jallianwala Bagh to pick up the blood stained soil, how he comes to
know about Sukhdev and Rajguru, how he partners with Chandrashekhar Azad, the spread of
his ideals and thoughts throughout the country were some of the instances which just couldn’t
have been better.

Coming to the historical flaws of the movie, although they were quite a few but are still
significant. The scene which saw Chandrashekhar Azad cornered by British police officers
and the violent barrage of bullets is something that caught every viewer’s attention; Azad’s
character is seen firing dozens of bullets including a few without even looking which gives
the impression of some videogame.

The unnecessary screen space and focus given on the woman from Mannawali could have
been avoided as Bhagat was far from romantic relationships let alone marriage.

Where the movie actually disappoints is when it shows Mahatma Gandhi and Congress party
as weak and wimp politicians who supported and promoted non violence viz-a-viz the
violence of Singh and Azad. Gandhi is shown in a some what bad light, who weakly
negotiates the Irwin pact asking if the trio could be saved. Subsequent viceroy’s refusal gives
the impression that Gandhi failed to save the lives of the three when he could have done that
easily. However, this agreement had different context.

Other than this, I believe the picture has really portrayed the story and the characters with
accurate precision by displaying some of the most strikingly complex nuances in Bhagat’s
life with such precision.

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 MAJOR TAKEAWAYS FROM THE MOVIE

 The great revolutionary ‘Lala Lajpat Rai’ famously known as Punjab Kesari played a
remarkable role in India’s freedom struggle. In the protest against Simon
Commission, he was severely injured. He was brutally beaten up and mercilessly
tortured by the police which ultimately ended in his death.

 Disheartened and avenged by Lala Lajpat Rai’s death, Bhagat Singh vowed to take
the revenge for his death. He along with few other revolutionaries planned the murder
of James A Scott the then Superintendent of Police as he was the one who had
ordered lathi charge on the protestors.

 Mistaken by the identity however, Bhagat and Rajguru ended up killing the police
chief J.P. Saunders instead of Scott although Saunders was also involved in Lala’s
death. While Bhagat and his associates fled from the scenes, it was Azad who shot
dead the police official who tried to chase them.

 In order to display their disagreement and protest against the Trade Disputes Act and
the Public Safety Bill, Bhagat and his ally planned a bomb explosion in the central
assembly hall where the ordinance was to be passed. Though no one was killed or
injured in the explosion that took place, it definitely came as a shocker for the British
government. They could have escaped from the hall but they bravely stayed there,
shouting the slogan ‘Inquilab Zindabad’. This subsequently led to Bhagat’s arrest.

 Bhagat Singh’s arrest soon came to highlight his major role behind John Saunders
murder. While in jail, Bhagat joined his close associate Jatin Da and other
revolutionaries in a hunger strike for raising demands for better prison conditions for
Indian inmates. The strike was taken up with such determination and will, that Jatin
Da died of starvation but did not think of breaking the fast even once.

 After the bomb factories in Lahore and Saharanpur came to light, the police officials
were quick to trace and arrest Sukhdev Thapar. Although Bhagat and Sukhdev were

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 arrested for different cases, but it was not difficult for the officials to join the dots and
understand the broader picture.

 Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivram Rajguru were subsequently tried and
sentenced to death in the Lahore conspiracy case. The heroic trio was unfortunately
hanged on 23rd March, 1931.

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 CONCLUSION

The movie ‘The Legend of Bhagat Singh’ was released in 2002, an year which saw the
making of multiple movies on Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Bhagat was an iconic legendary figure
in the Indian freedom struggle and the movie made a good attempt in doing justice to such
great freedom fighter.

Santoshi’s biopic however did faulter at some points ; especially in showing Mahatma
Gandhi as a coward and weak old man who couldn’t stand up for the mighty right. It felt as if
it was because of him that Bhagat and his allies were sentenced to death or that he had the
opportunity to save their lives but he didn’t choose to do so. Although some parts of this may
hold some truth, but the manner in which general audience perceives the shown content
cannot be ignored.

Also, the picture showed Bhagat Singh and his comrades as completely at odds with the
Congress-led Freedom Struggle and Gandhi which they certainly not.

Having agreed on all the aforementioned points, one cannot ignore the sheer honesty and
dedication with which the frontline characters have been expressed; so much so that one can
actually connect to every character portrayed in the movie. The life history of Legendary
Bhagat Singh has been beautifully and accurately depicted which deserves all our praises;
precisely because it helps us to know so much about the independence period revolving
around the said characters.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Habib, S. I. (2010). To Make the Deaf Hear :Ideology and Programme of Bhagat Singh and

his Comrades. Three Essays Collectives.

Santoshi, R. (Director). (2002). The Legend of Bhagat Singh [Motion Picture].

Singh, B. (2017). Jail Notebook and Other Writings .

Singh, B. (2019). Jail Diary and Other Writings. GENERAL PRESS.

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