Major review: Adivi Sesh’s strong performance leads this moving biopic

Over the past few years, a number of projects have examined the harrowing experience of the 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai. There was the international project Hotel Mumbai (2019) that looked at it from the perspective of the staff at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel. The web-series State Of Siege: 26/11 (2020) followed the National Security Guards (NSG) commandos in the operation. Last year, Amazon Prime Video’s Mumbai Diaries 26/11 (2021) examined the time from the perspective of the medical staff at a Mumbai hospital.

With Major (2021), directed by Sashi Kiran Tikka, the story is once again seen from a new perspective, that of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who sacrificed himself to capture the terrorists and save the hostages trapped inside the Taj Mahal Palace in Colaba. Adivi Sesh, who is also behind the biopic’s story and screenplay, is the heart of the film as the kind and just Sandeep.

Major’s second half revolves around the terrorist operation once the NSG commandos are called in, but the first half tells us a bit about Sandeep Unnikrishnan the son, the brother, the boyfriend and later husband, whose duty to the country always took precedence. There are moments of foreshadowing early on that indicate the ultimate sacrifice to come.

A kind and helpful young man, Sandeep dreamed of serving the country in uniform. His parents, played by Revathi and Prakash Raj, were against him joining the army, but Sandeep eventually had his way.

Much of Sandeep’s story also revolves around his romance with classmate Isha (Saiee Manjrekar) whom he later marries. There are scenes in the first half that seem a bit cloying, but the film is a remembrance of Sandeep from the eyes of his parents and those who knew him well.

Once he joins the army, there are several sequences that show Sandeep training hard and leading the way to become a soldier who thinks of the moment at hand. Even with his fellow soldiers, he is fair and just, attributes that lead him to take charge and rise in the ranks.

All this sets us up for those key moments leading up to the events of 26 November 2008, when Sandeep, who was stationed as a training officer with the 51 Special Action Group, steps up and volunteers to go to Mumbai. The second half is when Major really gets going; the first half is but a set-up leading to it.

The film kicks into high gear as the action and stakes are suddenly raised. There are terror attacks happening all over South Mumbai. The police and NSG commandos are operating on very little information, while the terrorists are keeping abreast of the situation thanks to the live television broadcasts being monitored by their handlers in Pakistan.

This portion of the feature is both chilling and distressing as the bodies pile up and the terrorists get vicious. Sobhita Dhulipala plays a hotel guest named Pramoda who is stuck in her room when the attacks begin; saving every hostage possible motivates Sandeep to keep pressing on when the situation is most dire.

The action choreography by Sunil Rodrigues is both tense and thrilling, especially leading up to the finale when Sandeep takes on four terrorists by himself. Sashi Kiran and Adivi know exactly which moments to highlight, tying in Sandeep’s need to be selfless above all.

This is easily Adivi Sesh’s biggest role to date and he embodies every frame as the gallant Sandeep. The actor is also superb in the action sequences, inserting emotion where needed and keep us invested in his journey.

Revathi and Prakash Raj are wonderful as Sandeep's parents who are constantly worried about his safety. Manjrekar fares better in the past sequences as a schoolgirl; she seems a bit overwhelmed when enacting portions of strain between husband and wife. Murali Sharma has a small but strong presence as Sandeep’s superior officer.

While it is primarily a biopic, Major is also a fictional narrative of Sandeep’s life which captures the essence. The bilingual film, which has also been released in Malayalam, is a fitting, moving tribute that honours the commando's valour and sacrifice.

Major was released in theatres today.