Sarzameen ending explained: A mother’s truth and a son’s sacrifice in Kajol and Prithviraj’s patriotic thriller

Sarzameen ends with a tragic climax as patriotism, betrayal, and parental failure collide—Vijay loses everything, Harman redeems himself, and Meher’s secret past changes everything.

Sarzameen ending explained

In his directing debut, Kayoze Irani attempts to cram a number of high-octane subjects into the two-hour running length of Sarzameen including military bravery, broken family relationships, treachery, radicalism, and espionage. Despite the film's chaotic, overdramatic, and noisy execution, a series of plot twists in the final act attempts to unify the disparate storylines. If you're still confused by the events of the past half an hour, I've broken down the Sarzameen climax for you.

Family at the heart of the story

An army commander commanding a battalion in Kashmir, Vijay Menon (Prithviraj Sukumaran) is the protagonist of the film. His portrayal as a patriotic soldier who has let his allegiance to his country take precedence over his responsibilities as a parent is admirable. Harman, Vijay's emotionally fragile and speech-impaired teenage son, is helped along by his wife, Meher (Kajol), who attempts to reconcile the growing gulf between the two.

A terrorist gang abducts Harman, turning the family's life upside down. The organisation demands the release of two captured terror suspects in exchange for Harman's life. Meher begs Vijay to negotiate, but he is unwilling to compromise national protocol due to his agenda. It would appear that the group retaliates by killing Harman after he accidentally kills one of the suspects.

ALSO READ: Sarzameen review: Prithviraj, Kajol and Ibrahim Ali Khan's 'Mission Kashmir' navigate an overfamiliar terrain

Return from the dead?

Years go by. The Indian army rescues a group of detainees during a clandestine military operation. Now an adult, Harman is one of them; he's cold and aloof. Despite Meher's elation, Vijay remains sceptical that the man standing before him is actually his son. The emotional distance between Harman and his family widens despite the DNA test confirming his identity.

In a fit of paranoia and distrust, Vijay approaches Harman brandishing a revolver and accusing him of being a fraud. In her wrath at her husband, Meher steps in since he can't trust her. However, Vijay's instincts are not entirely wrong. Kabil, a notorious terrorist leader, radicalised Harman during his captivity by playing off his feelings of hurt and anger, which he then channelled against his father and nation.

Shocking revelation of Meher

The most wanted terrorist, Mohsin, whose whereabouts have been unknown since 2006, is finally revealed to be Meher—a shocking turn of events. Despite her initial plans to enter India as a spy, she ultimately fell in love with Vijay, married him, and started a family. A glaring irony is that one of the terrorists was residing beneath Vijay's house as he was hunting them down.

Despite her history, Meher had been providing intelligence to the Indian army for quite some time, as is now discovered. Even if it meant keeping her own family in the shadows, she was discreetly trying to defend India, a devotion she had never completely abandoned.

Final countdown begins

An approaching terror assault targets a dam inauguration celebration, where the finale unfolds. After years of rejection and betrayal, Harman starts the bomb's five-minute countdown to get even with Vijay and destroy everything important to his father symbolically.

In a desperate attempt to reconcile, Vijay expresses his apologies for his fatherly mistakes and begs for forgiveness. Attempting to disarm the device, Harman, who appears visibly terrified, is unsuccessful. During this time, Meher cornered Kabil and violently removed the bomb deactivation code from his possession. While he's at it, he stabs her to death, but she kills him just in time to give Vijay the code.

Tragedy strikes in the end

Arriving just as Vijay and Harman are about to detonate the device, Shoaib—a former buddy of Harman's who has turned terrorist—opens fire on them. Killing Shoaib with his last remaining strength, Harman rescues his father. With three seconds to spare, he uses the code that Meher supplied to detonate the explosives.

But it's a bittersweet victory. Tragically, his father holds Harman, who lies bleeding from his wounds. After her last sacrifice, Meher also lies dead. After losing his wife and son to his own personal shortcomings and inflexible principles, Vijay is ultimately left alive but devastated.

Critique of patriotism and parental failure

The ending of Sarzameen attempts to critique blind patriotism, emotional repression, and generational trauma. Vijay paid a heavy price for prioritising duty over family. Harman became a target for enemies because he did not receive the love and acceptance he deserved. Meher, living a double life, was the only source of strength for both the family and the country.

Sarzameen packs a powerful emotional punch in the climax, despite its disjointed plot and abrupt tone changes. Here we have a heartbreaking full-circle moment: a father who never fully embraced his son dies while fulfilling his kid's lifelong dream of serving his nation.

Considering how little is said about Meher's past, a sequel could be in the works. For now, nevertheless, Sarzameen ends on a note of nationalistic sacrifice, agonising redemption, and permanent sorrow.

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