Director: JP Dutta
Rating: *1/2
Paltan is war drama film directed by JP Dutta, who has war as his forte.
Paltan is based on the 1967 Nathula pass clashes along the Sikkim border. These events occurred after the Indo-China war of 1962. The film stars Jackie Shroff, Arjun Rampal, Sonu Sood, Gurmeet Chaudhary, and Harshvardhan Rane among others. Paltan is JP Dutta's third war film after Border and LOC Kargil. Apart from war films, Dutta has also directed Umrao Jaan and Refugee among others.
Paltan recreates those real incidents which were repercussions of the 1962 war. Paltan portrays the tension that prevailed along the international border near Sikkim and how the Chinese Army waged a psychological war against the Indian soldiers. From digging a trench near the demarcated line to disrupting the fencing work, PLA did everything to provoke Indian Army. However, Indian soldiers made sure that all hell breaks loose at the right time.
There are few things in the film which are in favor of the film like it has some real characters. Dialogues and one-liners are good and fill your heart with pride. But these are very few things which can bring a smile to your face.
Though there is nothing wrong with the direction but the script and acting performances could be better. Some more emphasize on narration and editing can make this film a good one. Chinese soldiers speaking Hindi will make you scratch your head.
Music is pretty ordinary and fails to impress. Unlike JP Dutta's previous war films where his music holds the strong ground, Paltan's music fell flat.
Overall, Paltan is really avoidable!
