Azaad
- Director
- Abhishek Kapoor
- Studio
- RSVP MoviesGuy In The Sky Pictures
- Release Date
- 17 January 2025
- Running Time
- 145 min
- Language
- Hindi
- Country
- India
- Budget
- ₹80.00 Cr
- Box Office
- ₹9.17 Cr
Cast
Review
There's a particular sadness that comes when a film arrives with considerable promise yet fails to deliver on even the most basic storytelling fundamentals. Azaad had everything working in its favor—a period setting, fresh-faced newcomers, and a director whose earlier work promised genuine cinematic vision. Yet somewhere between conception and execution, the film loses its narrative compass entirely. The opening hour becomes a slog, suffocated by a script that never establishes solid ground, while the absence of any romantic dimension leaves the story feeling adrift and purposeless. It's not simply that the film misfires; it's that you can tangibly sense its potential evaporating with each passing scene.
What proves most exasperating is that debut performers Rasha Thadani and Aaman Devgan display occasional flashes of capability, yet they're submerged in a film that remains fundamentally uncertain about their purpose. The period drama's visual ambitions transform into mere spectacle—technically accomplished but emotionally barren. The emotional foundation that any historical narrative requires never takes shape, leaving viewers with surface-level craftsmanship devoid of genuine human connection. It's a well-intentioned misfire that raises uncomfortable questions about why such narratives continue attracting investment in Hindi cinema.
Rating: 2/10
Storyline
So basically, this movie follows this guy Govind who's living under this really oppressive landlord and his family. He gets brutally punished just for the crime of riding the guy's horses, which is kind of a huge deal in that society since only rich people are allowed to do that. Things get interesting when Govind playfully throws Holi colors on the landlord's daughter Janaki, and instead of sticking around for more punishment, he bolts and ends up meeting this group of rebels led by a guy named Vikram Singh.
Vikram's actually fighting against the same landlord who's been making Govind's life miserable, and he's got his own complicated love story going on. He used to date this woman Kesar, but she got forced into marrying the landlord's son and now they're sneaking around trying to stay connected. Anyway, Vikram gets betrayed by someone in his group and ends up dying, but before he goes, he gives Govind this incredible horse named Azaad to look after.
At first, Govind has a really tough time connecting with Azaad, but then Janaki steps in and helps him out, which is pretty sweet since she's the landlord's daughter and from a completely different world. As they work together to bond with the horse, they start developing feelings for each other, which is kind of breaking all the social rules. There's also this British official's son James who tries to convince Govind to sell Azaad, but Govind's not having it because of the special connection they've built.
