Films that ride on the bond between a human and an animal never lose sight of the simple fact that it is this ‘bond’ that will drive the film. For instance, Haathi Mere Saathi (1971), Teri Meherbaniyan (1985) or more recently 777 Charlie (2022). Azaad — the launch vehicle for Ajay Devgn’s nephew Aaman Devgan and Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha Thadani — tries to be many things alongside being a story of a young man’s bond with a horse.
Director Abhishek Kapoor adds a dash of rebellion, freedom, loyalty and love to subplots that have nothing to do with the horse, and Azaad ends up being a missed opportunity.
Set in 1920, the story follows a gorgeous black horse — Azaad — owned by a rebel leader, Vikram Singh (Ajay Devgn). The horse becomes the object of fascination for a young villager Govind (Aaman), who joins the rebels in order to win Azaad’s trust and be able to ride him one day. Govind has a love-hate relationship with Janaki (Rasha Thadani), the daughter of a local zamindar, but the real love story here is between Govind and Azaad.
The first half of Azaad is, to put it bluntly, a test of patience. It feels like a chaotic mix of subplots — rebels plotting against oppressive landlords, a love story flickering in the background, and a horse throwing tantrums. It’s messy, disjointed and hard to invest in. You get a sense the film is trying to juggle too many things and fumbling.
Things pick up pace in the second half, with the Govind-Azaad bond taking centrestage. Vikram Singh is grievously injured in a run-in with British soldiers and, before dying, passes on Azaad’s ownership to Govind. Aaman shines in moments where he tries to connect with the horse, as just a guy learning to trust and be trusted by this magnificent animal.
But since it’s Bollywood, Azaad isn’t just a horse but a proud, temperamental, almost human-like figure who grunts, flirts, mourns and commands every frame he’s in. It works for a while, until you realise the film doesn’t have anything else to lean on. The other guy-girl love story doesn’t take off, the stakes are never quite high and the emotional notes are flat.
Debutants Aaman and Rasha show promise. Rasha’s character is underdeveloped and her presence is more ornamental. Ajay Devgn and Diana Penty, in supporting but very brief roles, add some gravitas. Ajay brings his signature understated intensity, while Diana adds a touch of elegance. As the antagonists, the oppressive zamindar and his even crueller son, Piyush Mishra and Mohit Malik are disappointing.
What works is the cinematography by Setu, capturing the rugged landscapes and period details with finesse. The shots of Azaad galloping across fields, with his mane flying in the wind, are stunning. The background score by Amit Trivedi complements these moments.