The Black Prince: A sad but true tale

Cast: Jason Flemyng, Amanda Root, Shabana Azmi, Kavi Raz, Satinder Sartaaj

Rated: 6/10

The Black Prince is the no punches spared film on the life and times of Sher-e-Punjab Ranjit Singh’s son Duleep Singh’s life and times.

It was a life ridden with injustices. Taken away by the British forcefully to England as a five-year-old to be raised as a baptised Christian by a royal lady and a faithful doctor, told that his mother had lost her mind and was in no condition to take care of him, serenaded in English society as The Black Prince, Duleep Singh’s life was sad, unfortunate and unhappening.

And these are the shades reflected in this Hollywood film on a chapter of Punjab history which killed the most powerful kingdom of its times. Indian-origin British director Kavi Raz keeps it lowbrow and slow to bring in the fact that Duleep was the king who never could be the maharaja he was meant to.

The film centres around how Duleep Singh, a little late in life, questioned the might of the British Empire after realising the deceit with which he was brought away from his destiny, his kingdom, his richness and his mother. He rebels, tries to fire up the Sikh population back in India, plots a way into a proposed war with the Tsar’s help — but fails to even raise a finger at the British.

Raz captures the ambience of those days with perfection, gives those delectable sepia shades to anti-British conspiracies of yore and tries to be real with the real story of this king who never was. It, however, goes wrong with its lead character played by singer-actor Satinder Sartaj. He is a bit too petite, too dark and too big —and— lonely eyed to fit a would-be maharaja’s role.

His life is sad but intensely un-happening which makes the movie rather static. The long years of him building up a conspiracy which goes nowhere and is blown up by the British, going to places like France and Russia to garner support from underground movements, his marriage to an Egyptian Christian and his long wait for the war which never happens lends the film pathos and ennui in equal measure.

Shabana Azmi as Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s wife Rani Jindan and Duleep’s mother does a commendable role but she dies very early in the film.

It is unfortunate that Duleep could not cremate her in Punjab as per her wish, that he was deserted by his family, that he died in penury and despite converting to Sikhism was buried by the British as a Christian in France. The film in that way is well meaning and well made. But it is slow and grudging too. 

Source: Sunday Pioneer, 23 July, 2017