Azaad (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – In 1920s India, a young stable boy bonds with a spirited horse. Amid rebellion and tyranny, his quest to ride the majestic animal becomes a journey of courage, awakening him to the country’s fight for freedom.

My Take – Unlike the west, with a few exceptions in the 70s and 80s, Hindi cinema hasn’t really dabbled much with friendship stories centered on humans and animals. Something that writer-director Abhishek Kapoor (Kai Po Che, Rock On) aimed to capitalize on for his latest, which focuses on two men’s relationship with a handsome black stallion in pre-independence India.

Acting as a launch pad for Amaan Devgan, nephew of actor Ajay Devgn, and Rasha Thadani, daughter of actor Raveena Tandon, the film, at first glance, promised a unique tale on the human-animal dynamic. But while it stems from an interesting idea and has director Abhishek Kapoor doing his best with the material at hand, it falters due to a lukewarm script.

Though Amaan and Rasha show immense promise, the narrative simply lacks consistency, with its sluggish pace and half-baked characters failing to build the required emotional connection.

Sure, it contains some impactful sequences, but they only provide a brief glimpse into what could have been a far more captivating experience. In the end, making this an easily forgettable watch.

Set in 1920, during the pre-Independence era of India, when landlords used to rule with an iron fist, exact heavy taxes on the villagers and sell them to slavery to rise in the favor of the British. Leaving the poor to rebel as the only way out. The story mainly follows Govind (Aaman Devgan), a poor, stable boy who dreams of owning a horse one day.

However, his village is terrorized by the atrocities of the cruel Rai Bahadur (Piyush Mishra) and his son Tej (Mohit Malik). And when certain incidents with the feisty and beautiful Janki (Rasha Thadani), daughter of Rai Bahadur forces him to run away, Govind ends up under the tutelage of wanted rebel/dacoit Vikram Singh (Ajay Devgn).

But more than Singh, it’s his instant attraction towards the latter’s beautiful black horse, Azaad, that makes him want to stay and indulge in the rebel life. But when fate brings Azaad to his possession, Govind finds himself on an unexpected path towards liberation.

As the title suggests, the film quite bravely and rightly focuses more on the gorgeous black beauty of the film. Dominating his human co-stars in each and every frame, the handsome creature does everything possible to entertain: grunt, flirt, chase, mourn and even drink alcohol. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough to make the film work.

Mainly, as the film abides by the formula of the yesteryear features wherein the initial good-for-nothing hero becomes a savior for the downtrodden and rises against the antagonist. He also falls in love with the young heroine, who is always closely related to the antagonist, giving them the classic star-crossed love story arc.

The only time the script switches is up when it, probably exhausted by the subplots that go nowhere, decides to concentrate on getting Govind friendly with the booze-loving horse, more than wooing Janki, who offers active romantic hints, which the young man ignores.

But while the Abhishek Kapoor directorial also dives into themes of loyalty, courage, rebellion, and determination, something always remains amiss. At its best, it works like a spiritual concoction of Lagaan (2001) and all the animal-oriented films we have seen till date. A concoction which is initially likable but ultimately forgettable.

It also doesn’t help that characters are mostly underdeveloped. Vikram Singh’s character had the potential to be better explored, especially when it came to his rise as a dreaded dacoit. Even his love story with Kesar (Diana Penty) comes across as half-baked. The same goes for the Bahadur men, whose scenes showcasing their tyranny towards the village do not strike a chord entirely and instead add to the pace of the film.

Nevertheless, the performances are good all-around. Ajay Devgn is sincere throughout and mixes it up with his well-known intensity with a bit of leniency. Diana Penty could have had a meatier role with more layers to it, yet manages to remain earnest in her limited screen time. Debutant Aaman Devgan has a good screen presence and is well contained even in the action scenes, never trying to imitate his much popular star uncle.

Rasha Thadani too makes a confident debut. Though she is primarily present in the second half, she succeeds in grabbing attention with a charming and effervescent aura. Both Piyush Mishra and Mohit Malik manage to be despicable villains. On the whole, ‘Azaad‘ is a forgettable affair that fails to offer anything fresh except two new potential faces.