‘Subedaar’ movie review: Anil Kapoor’s angsty intensity lifts this action drama above its formulaic flaws

The rank of Subedaar evokes humble authority in the Hindi heartland. As the army’s backbone, these quiet mainstays, often drawn from the subaltern classes, are more respected than idolised. Anil Kapoor’s status in Hindi cinema is similarly earned. The analogy finds shape in director Suresh Triveni’s emotionally charged action drama, with the repurposed folksy number “Balam Subedaar” underlining the title’s regional draw, where a culture of entitlement is pervasive.

Set amidst the illegal sand mafia that is fast changing the shape of our rivers and social ecosystem, Subedaar follows the reluctant rise of retired junior commissioned officer Arjun Maurya against a ruthless syndicate — a kind of modern-day zamindaar. This central conflict anchors the film’s exploration of power and resistance.

Haunted by the tragic death of his wife Sudha (Khushboo Sundar), Arjun wrestles with civilian disillusionment, suppressed anger, and a strained relationship with his daughter Shyama (Radhikka Madan).

Looking for stability, Arjun takes a job through his loyal friend Prabhakar (Saurabh Shukla tries to fit into a role that perhaps better suited Satish Kaushik had he been around), which draws him into the circle of the illegal sand mining mafia led from prison by Babli Didi (Mona Singh), with her psychopathic stepbrother Prince (Aditya Rawal) and wily henchman Softy (Faisal Malik) enforcing control through intimidation and violence.

Anil Kapoor in the film
| Photo Credit:
Prime Video

The conflict escalates when provocations turn personal. Starting with poking fun at his background and age, it soon takes the shape of humiliation, threats to his family, and damage to his cherished red Gypsy, which holds sentimental value for him. It triggers Arjun’s transformation from a restrained, grieving veteran into a force of vigilante justice.

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Powered by Anil Kapoor’s smouldering, quietly intense presence, which echoes his vexed, brooding police inspector in Thar (2022), Arjun’s internal conflict feels palpably authentic, where a soldier’s rigid military ethos bristles against the corrosive chaos of civilian corruption. Driven by deep-seated grief and guilt over his absentee fatherhood, this emotional core promises to lift the film beyond the confines of generic action fare.

The father-daughter relationship — despite Radhikka being largely typecast as the tough-yet-vulnerable young woman with a perpetually sullen, guarded expression —adds genuine emotional layers, delivering poignant moments of awkward silence, raw confrontation, and tentative reconnection. The triggers, like Gypsy as a symbol of lost love, feel personal, and Arjun’s righteous restraint aligns with the soldier archetype of discipline over rage.

However, after vividly building a tense, unnerving atmosphere on the scarred riverbanks, Triveni shuns the theme’s rooted politics for big-screen flourish and falls back on tired tropes, eventually getting stuck, like that child in the film who could not wade through the shallow river. He gets too focused on the Arjun-Prince track and loses sight of the bigger picture. While Aditya brings unhinged menace and Faisal is suitably wily, the narrative doesn’t allow the stakes to grow. Meanwhile, Mona gets a short shrift as the appetising contest between Arjun and Babli bubbles out.

Mona Singh in ‘Subedaar’
| Photo Credit:
Prime Video

The subplots — Shyama’s struggle with college goons and Arjun’s engagement with the community — feel tacked on and lack strong integration, which slows the story’s momentum. As the climax unfolds, it first drags on and then abruptly accelerates past its own logic. Consequently, the emotional stakes never detonate fully, as if the filmmakers are deliberately saving some fireworks for a possible sequel.

Perhaps the form itself informs the film’s dual voice. First, it immerses you in the grim, grounded aesthetic of an unjust land — evocatively captured by cinematographer Ayan Saxena and Rohan Vinayak’s compositions. But as you settle into this world, the makers seem to expect you to step back and appreciate a whistle-worthy Indianised Western starring Anil Kapoor as the retired badass. This tonal duality frames the viewing experience.

Ageing warhorses in Hollywood have famously extended their careers with this union of style and substance. However, whether it’s the screen size or the execution, the shift in tone emerges as jarring in the film’s second half. Despite an urgent theme and internalised performances, the film eventually bursts forth as a tribute to the 1980s action-hero formula, devoid of nuance.

Mostly watchable, but a little more guile, a little less hero worship would have made Subedaar sahib proud.

Subedaar is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Published – March 05, 2026 06:23 pm IST