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Mangal Pandey: The Rising (Indian title) or The Ballad of Mangal Pandey (international title) (released in India on August 12, 2005) is an Indian movie based on the life of Mangal Pandey who is known for his role as a leader in the Indian rebellion of 1857 which led to the downfall of the British East India Company. It is directed by Ketan Mehta, produced by Bobby Bedi, and with a screenplay by Farrukh Dhondy.

Aamir Khan, a leading Bollywood actor, plays the lead role of Mangal Pandey. Mangal Pandey was a Sepoy who helped spark the Indian rebellion of 1857. Subsequently the mutiny was called "The Sepoy Mutiny" or "The Sepoy Rebellion" by most of the English-speaking world, while Indians referred to it as the "First War of Independence".

Synopsis

The film begins in 1857, when India was ruled by the British East India Company. Mangal Pandey (portrayed by Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan) is a soldier (Sepoy) for the East India company who is fighting in the Anglo-Afghan Wars and who saves the life of his British commanding officer, William Gordon (portrayed by Toby Stephens). Gordon is indebted to Mangal and a strong friendship develops between them, transcending both rank and race.

The friendship, however, is soon challenged by a number of factors. One is the arrival of a charming and beautiful young aristocrat, Emily Kent (portrayed by Coral Beed). Later, after Gordon rescues the young widow, Jwala (portrayed by Amisha Patel) from committing Sati (the act of following her deceased husband into the funeral pyre), he falls in love with her. In addition, Heera (portrayed by Rani Mukerji) has been sold into prostitution, to work for Lol Bibi (portrayed by Kiron Kher). She soon catches the eyes of Mangal Pandey and a liaison follows.

The most significant factor, however, is the introduction of a new rifle, the Enfield Rifled Musket. Rumors began to spread among the Sepoys that the cartridges (referring here to cardboard wrapped powder and shot, not metallic cartridges) were greased with either pig fat or beef tallow- an abhorrent concept to Muslim and Hindu soldiers, respectively, for religious reasons. British military drills of the time required soldiers to bite open the cartridge, pour the gunpowder contained within down the barrel, then ram the cartridge paper down the barrel to act as a wad, before finally ramming a musketball down the barrel, removing the ram-rod, shouldering the rifle, adding a percussion cap, and firing. The idea of having anything which might be tainted with pig or beef fat in their mouths was unacceptable to the Sepoys. When they objected, it was suggested that they were more than welcome to make up their own batches of cartridges, using a religiously acceptable greasing agent such as beeswax or vegetable oil. This served to the Sepoys as "proof" that the issued cartridges were, in fact, greased with pig and/or beef fat, and a further suggestion that the sepoys tear the cartridges open with their hands (instead of biting them open) was also rejected as being impractical- many of the sepoys had been undertaking musket drill daily for years, and the practice of biting the cartridge open was second nature to them.

Gordon assures Mangal that the cartridges are free from pollution and demonstrating his total trust in Gordon, Mangal bites the cartridge. The soldiers soon discover that the cartridges really are greased by animal fat and the rumour of this imposed pollution is the spark that ignites the powder keg of resentment in the country. Mutiny breaks out, led by Mangal.

The film ends with documentary footage of Mahatma Gandhi.