Premium22 years of 23rd March 1931: Shaheed! Bobby Deol and Sunny Deol star in the Bhagat Singh biopic, streaming now
The historic drama 23rd March 1931: Shaheed, which recounts the life of Bhagat Singh, celebrates its 22nd anniversary.
Last Updated: 12.32 PM, Jun 07, 2024
23rd March 1931: Shaheed, the historical biopic based on revolutionary leader Bhagat Singh, was released this day 22 years ago, on June 7, 2002. Bobby Deol plays the title role in the film, while Sunny Deol, his older brother, plays Chandra Shekhar Azad, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan makes a cameo appearance as Mannewali, and Amrita Singh, her mother, triumphantly returns as Vidyavati Kaur. The film can be streamed right now on ShemarooMe (also on OTTplay Premium).
Plot summary of 23rd March 1931: Shaheed
23rd March 1931: Shaheed follows the lives of Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad, two Indian independence fighters in the mid-1920s in British India. Two additional men, Sukhdev and Rajguru, joined them in attempting this mission. After witnessing the brutal murder of his mentor, Lala Lajpat Rai, at the hands of the police, Bhagat Singh becomes infuriated and vows revenge. While he and his colleagues successfully assassinate one of the responsible authorities, the case links Bhagat and Rajguru to their arrest and torture.
When brought before the court, they make a spectacular admission of guilt, stating that they carried out the killing in the name of "freedom." The judge and public prosecutor rejected their arguments, giving them both life sentences. As Bhagat's imprisoned mother Vidya pays him a visit in prison, he prophesies that India will endure hardship long after it gains independence from Britain, and that he will come back to liberate his motherland in a subsequent incarnation. The death penalty is a result of the treason and assassination allegations against all three.
Competition and controversy between parallel Bhagat Singh biopics
At the same time, director Rajkumar Santoshi released The Legend of Bhagat Singh, another film about Bhagat Singh. At the box office, neither film did well. However, both became beloved classics.
According to reports, tensions between Sunny and Ajay surfaced in 2001–02 while filming both films based on Bhagat Singh. Since Ajay's film was more successful than the Bobby-starring biopic, the two actors apparently clashed.