Raag Desh is essentially about the 1945 Red Fort trials of the forgotten heroes of Netaji's (Subhash Chandra Bose) Indian National Army.
The film revolves around the creation of INA, it's rise & it's fall. Even today, Netaji is nothing short of an enigma, with his now famed slogan “Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe aazaadi doonga” a part of rich Indian history.
Though, as a writer I am swayed that before I review the film, I put in a special mention of one actor, who is the best in his generation. Mohit Marwah is simply superlative as Lt. Col Prem Sahgal. He is a joy to watch onscreen, his timing, his pauses, his detailing of the character; he really lifts the film, with his valiant act!
The narrative unfolds through intermittent flashbacks, as the trial of three young soldiers (Kunal Kapoor, Amit Sadh and Mohit Marwah) of the INA, charged with murde
r and treason, is fought by Bhulabhai Desai (Kenny Desai).
The three soldiers belong to different faith - a Hindu, a Sikh, and a Muslim - and the film very subtly talks about national integration.
After the positives, the flaws - the usual suspect, script & editing hamper the film's prospects greatly. Also, Tigmashu is not in his Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster or Paan Singh Tomar groove; rather a shade better than Bullet Raja, his last directorial outing. Still these flaws are more than covered by Mohit's flawless act.
I am going with 4 out of 5; an extra 2 stars only for Mohit's deft portrayal of Lt. Col Prem Sahgal.