(Ketan Mehta, India 2005, 150 min., 35mm, Hindi and Urdu with English subtitles)
Following his success with Lagaan in 2001, Aamir Khan jumped back into the historical epic Mangal Pandey for this true story of a Sepoy (Indian soldier) in the army controlled by the East India Company, which ruled India as an occupying force. In the 1850s, Pandey (Khan) forms a friendship with British soldier William Gordon (Toby Stephens) as they fight side-by-side in Afghanistan. Though their relationship is restricted by the hierarchy of the military, they begin to understand each other and their respective cultures. However, when the Enfield rifled musket is introduced as a new weapon, a rumor spreads that the paper cartridges holding the powder and ball are greased with either pig fat or beef tallow, the Indian soldiers voice their cultural and religious objections to bringing the cartridges to their mouths. Pandey, a leader of the Sepoy, confronts Gordon about the situation, who reassures Pandey. But when the rumors are proven true, Pandey leads a revolt against the East India Company and its army. A.R. Rahman once again provides a propulsive soundtrack for this dramatic film.
