Veer (2010 film)

2010 Hindi historical action film directed by Anil Sharma

Veer

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Anil Sharma
Screenplay by| Shailash Verma
Shaktimaan Talwar
Story by| Salman Khan
Based on| Taras Bulba
by Nikolai Gogol
Produced by| Vijay Galani
Starring| Salman Khan
Mithun Chakraborty
Jackie Shroff
Zareen Khan
Sohail Khan
Cinematography| Gopal Shah
Edited by| Ashfaque Makrani
Music by| Score:
Monty Sharma
Songs:
Sajid–Wajid

Production
company

Vijay Galani Movies

Distributed by| Eros International

Release date

* January 22, 2010 (2010-01-22)

Running time

| 164 minutes
Country| India
Language| Hindi
Budget| ₹63 crore
Box office| est. ₹68.11 crore

Veer (transl. Brave) is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language epic action film directed by Anil Sharma and produced by Vijay Gulan. It stars Salman Khan, Mithun Chakraborty, Jackie Shroff, Zareen Khan, and Sohail Khan.

Veer was released on 22 January 2010, and received negative reviews from critics.[1][2]

## Plot

[edit]

In 1875, Veer Pratap Singh (Salman Khan) is a Pindari warrior and the son of the great Pindari warrior, Prithvi Singh (Mithun Chakraborty), who was known for his great battles for his people. The Pindaris have a long feud with Gyanendra Singh (Jackie Shroff), the king of the Rajasthani Kingdom of Madhavgarh. The king had allied with the British and massacred several thousand Pindaris, leading to years of war and unrest. Along the way, Veer encounters Princess Yashodhara (Zareen Khan), the daughter of Gyanendra Singh, and is mesmerised by her beauty. As the Pindaris are illiterate with little knowledge of the world outside their country, Veer and his younger brother, Punya Singh (Sohail Khan), are sent to complete their education at a college in London. Although the college had several class and racial distinctions, Veer and his brother managed to use their time to learn the ways of the British. He also manages to get close to Yashodhara, who is also a student at the college with her older brother, Crown Prince Gajendra (Puru Raaj Kumar). A few months before the completion of their education, Yashodhara’s brother, who has been planning to quell the Pindari revolution, discovers Veer and Punya’s true identity. As Veer runs in to save his brother and kill Gajendra's men, Gajendra is killed by Veer. A heartbroken Yashodhara asks Veer to never see her again and to not step foot in Madhavgarh.

On their return to India, Yashodhara is crowned the Crown Princess of Madhavgarh but is unable to forget Veer despite them being on opposing sides of the war. Gyanendra, who is still reeling from Gajendra’s death, vows to avenge his son. Veer, on the other hand, receives permission from his parents to take Yashodhara as his wife. However, he finds opposition from the King of Madhavgarh, Gyanendra Singh, who sees Veer as a threat to Madhavgarh and his rule and orders for Veer to be killed. Veer and Punya, along with their supporters, make a plan to infiltrate Madhavgarh, while Singh makes an alliance with the British Governor of Rajasthan, James Fraser (Tim James Lawrence), saying that Madhavgarh will support the British in crushing the Pindari movement and eliminating Veer.

After Veer promises his father that he will destroy Singh, he gatecrashes Yashodhara's Swayamvara. As he takes the princess away from the fort, Gyanendra Singh sees a vast army of Pindaris surrounding his fort. He asks the British to help him, but they refuse and are trapped as well, and so they make the Pindaris their ally in a bid to escape from Madhavgarh. Before the British leave, a battle follows in which Governor Fraser and Gyanendra Singh are killed. Wounded from a gunshot, Veer dies in the arms of his father. Years later, Veer's son "Veera" (Salman Khan) and Prithvi have a friendly brawl as credits roll.

## Cast

[edit]

* Salman Khan as Veer Pratap Singh/Mahendra Pratap Singh/Veera Pratap Singh (triple role)
* Zareen Khan as Yuvraji Yashodhara Singh
* Mithun Chakraborty as Prithvi Singh, Veer's father
* Jackie Shroff as Raja Gyanendra Singh
* Sohail Khan as Poonam ''Punya'' Singh, Veer's brother
* Neena Gupta as Mangla Singh, Veer's mother
* Aryan Vaid as Sujan Singh
* Shahbaz Khan as Naunihaal
* Rajesh Vivek as Poojary
* Ashok Samarth as Magan
* Karmveer Choudhary as Mantri of Raja Gyanendra Singh
* Tim Lawrence as James Fraser, Governor General of Rajasthan
* Lisa Lazarus as Lady Angela Fraser, Governor James's wife
* Puru Raaj Kumar as Gajendra Singh
* Rishabh Jain as Dashrath, Veer's friend
* Yuri Suri as Haider Ali

## Production

[edit]

Salman Khan conceived the film in 1990 while shooting for Baaghi,[3] describing it as his dream project.[4] Khan had initially planned to direct the film himself and had considered Sanjay Dutt for the lead role.[5] Eventually, Anil Sharma agreed to direct the film. Veer is also partly based on the Russian novel Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol.[6] To prepare for his role, Salman Khan went on a special diet and worked out with a personal trainer.[7] For her role as a 19th-century princess, Zarine Khan gained eight kilograms.[8]

Principal photography for Veer began on 1 December 2008. Portions of the film were originally scheduled to be shot at the College of Engineering and the Agricultural College in Pune, but due to the swine flu outbreak, the locations were shifted to Mumbai.[9] Filming also took place in Jaipur and Bikaner. Location shooting at Amber Fort in Jaipur was also interrupted when several onlookers were injured and the Rajasthan High Court ordered a halt to filming. A case was filed against Anil Sharma accusing the film crew of damaging the fort, violating several conservation laws and causing the structure's 500-year-old roof to collapse.[10] The crew finished their shoot after paying Rs. 2 million in damages.[11]

Rochester Castle appears as a backdrop for a musical sequence named 'Everytime I look into your eyes I see my paradise' featuring a horse and carriage. The Chatham Dockyard provided the setting for many of the montage shots used in the UK dance sequences as well as the location where Veer first meets Yuvraji Yashodhara.[12]

On 23 January 2010, author Pavan Chaudhary filed a Rs. 2 million suit against Khan, Anil Sharma and producer Vijay Galani, alleging that the film borrowed elements from his novel, Trilogy of Wisdom. The suit called for a halt of the film's screenings.[13][14]

## Release

[edit]

The trailer of Veer was released on 27 November 2009 at the screening of Priyadarshan's De Dana Dan.[15]

ASTPL, an Indian software developer, also released a mobile video game based on the film.[16]

## Reception

[edit]

### Critical reception

[edit]

The movie was generally panned by critics.[1] Taran Adarsh criticized the writing and direction of the movie, describing it as a colossal disappointment.[2] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN termed it as "an impossible film to appreciate", criticizing the performance of the support cast, while praising the performance of Salman Khan.[17] Gaurav Malani praised the performance of Salman Khan, while terming the story as average.[18] Noyon Jyoti Parasara of AOL.in also praised Salman Khan but added "Overall, 'Veer' has its pluses but it is sadly restricted to a very average film. It has nothing new and that only makes it seem slower."[19]

Among U.S. critics, Frank Lovece of Film Journal International enjoyed it as "hokum of the highest order, punctuated with the most rousing musical sequences of the last several Indian imports," and after dissecting the film's numerous historical and chronological fallacies said, "Stateside Bollywood fans more accustomed to modern-day musical romances or stylish crime thrillers will be pleasantly surprised to find a period piece that's more Xena: Warrior Princess than A Passage to India.[20]

### Box office

[edit]

According to Eros, Veer grossed Rs 410 million nett in its first week in India.[21] Veer netted a lifetime of Rs 375.2 million (Rs 497.5 million gross) in India and was the 9th highest-grossing film domestically of 2010.[22]

Veer has a worldwide lifetime gross of Rs 585.8 million ($12,600,000).[23]

### Criticism by Rajput community

[edit]

The Rajput youth organisation Karni Sena was heavily critical of Veer, alleging that portions of the dialogue are "derogatory and demeaning for the Rajput community". Members of the group attacked several multiplexes in Jaipur, vandalising posters and smashing windows. Anil Sharma responded that it was a misunderstanding and no insult had been intended towards the Rajput community.[24]

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

2011 Zee Cine Awards

* Nominated – Best Female Debut – Zarine Khan[25]

3rd Mirchi Music Awards

* Nominated – Lyricist of The Year – Gulzar for "Surili Akhiyon Wale"[26]

## Soundtrack

[edit]

Veer

Soundtrack album by

Sajid–Wajid

Released| 14 December 2009 (2009-12-14)
Genre| Feature film soundtrack
Label| Eros Music

The film's music was released on 14 December 2009. The film's songs are composed by Sajid–Wajid, the film scores are composed by Monty Sharma and the lyrics are written by lyricist Gulzar.

Music critic Joginder Tuteja of Bollywood Hungama gave it an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5.[27] The songs, Surili Akhiyon Wale, Salaam Aaya and Taali received special praise.[27]

No.| Title| Artist(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Meherbaniyan"| Sonu Nigam| 4:29
2.| "Taali"| Sonu Nigam, Sukhwinder Singh, Wajid, Neuman Pinto| 6:10
3.| "Surili Akhiyon Wale"| Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Suzanne D'Mello| 5:31
4.| "Kanha (Thumari)"| Rekha Bhardwaj, Sharib Sabri, Toshi Sabri, Shabab Sabri| 4:36
5.| "Taali" (Version 2)| Sukhwinder Singh| 6:01
6.| "Surili Akhiyon Wale" (Version 2)| Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Suzanne D'Mello| 5:23
7.| "Salaam Aaya"| Roop Kumar Rathod, Shreya Ghoshal, Suzanne D'Mello| 4:45
8.| "Spirit of Veer" (Instrumental)|  | 0:58

## See also

[edit]

* India portal
* Film portal
* Bollywood portal

* List of historical drama films of Asia

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Veer had a bumper first day at single screens". BoxOffice India. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
2. ^ a b "Review: Veer is a colossal disappointment!". Sify. Archived from the original on 25 January 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
3. ^ "Salman Khan's 'Veer' on January 22". Press Trust of India. 24 November 2009. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
4. ^ Salman Khan (24 November 2009). "My Dream Project ...VEER". Official Blog by Salman Khan. Eros Entertainment. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
5. ^ "When Men Were Men". Indian Express. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
6. ^ Firdaus Ashraf, Syed (8 January 2009). "'I don't want to make depressing films for my fans'". Rediff.com. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
7. ^ Aparajita Ghosh (5 April 2008). "Salman Khan gets brawnier for 'Veer'". ApunkaChoice.com. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
8. ^ Subhadeep Bhattacharjee (16 December 2009). "Salman made Zarine Khan gain weight". One India. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
9. ^ "Swine flu, they fled!". Mid Day. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
10. ^ "Case against Amber bosses,'Veer' unit". The Times of India. 17 February 2009. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
11. ^ "Salman given a second chance to shoot 'Veer' at Amber Fort". Screen. 19 February 2009. Archived from the original on 30 June 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
12. ^ Kent Film Office (4 February 2010). "Kent Film Office Veer Film Focus".
13. ^ "Court notice to Veer Salman over copyright violation". The Hindu. 25 January 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
14. ^ "Court to hear lawsuit against 'Veer' Monday". Indiatimes. 25 January 2010. Archived from the original on 29 January 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
15. ^ "Salman's Veer releases on Jan 22". Times of India. 24 November 2009. Archived from the original on 7 December 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
16. ^ "Veer". phoneky.com. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
17. ^ "Masand Movie Review: Veer is an impossible film". CNN IBN. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
18. ^ "Director: Anil Sharma Cast: Salman Khan, Zarine Khan Rating:** Veer: Movie Review". Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 January 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
19. ^ "Rating:**1/2 Veer: Movie Review". AOL.in. Archived from the original on 31 January 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
20. ^ Lovece, Frank. Veer (review), Film Journal International, 25 January 2010
21. ^ Press Trust India (27 January 2010). "Despite poor review, Salman's Veer steady at box office". Daily News & Analysis. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
22. ^ Boxofficeindia.com Archived 14 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
23. ^ "Boxofficeindia.com". Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
24. ^ Divya Kaushik and Shweta Thakur (1 February 2010). "Sallu's Veer in trouble". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
25. ^ "Nominations for Zee Cine Awards 2011". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
26. ^ "Nominees – Mirchi Music Award Hindi 2010". 30 January 2011. Archived from the original on 30 January 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
27. ^ a b Joginder Tutega (21 December 2009). "Veer: Music Review". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 23 September 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2010.

## External links

[edit]

* Veer at IMDb
* Veer at Rotten Tomatoes
* Veer at Box Office Mojo

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Veer (2010 film).

* v
* t
* e

Nikolai Gogol's Taras Bulba (1835)

Films|

* Taras Bulba (1924)
* Taras Bulba (1936)
* The Rebel Son (1938)
* Taras Bulba (1962)
* Taras Bulba, the Cossack (1962)
* Taras Bulba (2009 Russian)
* Veer (2011 Hindi)

Other|

* Taras Bulba (opera)
* Taras Bulba (rhapsody)

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by  Anil Sharma

director

* Shradhanjali (1981)
* Bandhan Kuchchey Dhaagon Ka (1983)
* Hukumat (1987)
* Elaan-E-Jung (1989)
* Farishtay (1991)
* Tahalka (1992)
* Maharaja (1998)
* Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001)
* The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003)
* Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo (2004)
* Apne (2007)
* Veer (2010)
* Singh Saab the Great (2013)
* Genius (2018)
* Gadar 2 (2023)

*[est.]: estimation
*[transl.]: translation
*[No.]: Number
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*[t]: Discuss this template
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