of Variety commented, "This is the classic structure of all the best historical epics, and though the film employs recognizable Bollywood trademarks, helmer [director] Mehta's approach is more "Western" in its rhythms, pacing and avoidance of Asian melodrama. Musical set pieces are more integrated into the action, and the focus is kept tightly on the Gordon-Pandey relationship." Film scholar Omer Mozaffar of RogerEbert.com commented that this film is a study in imperialism and sensitivity, comparing the issue of the rifle grease to the 1992 Los Angeles riots and the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. The inciting event that leads to the Rising could have been avoided or quickly rectified. However, in the context of the situation, it was a larger issue of unrest due to negligent power brokers. Controversy In India, the Bhartiya Janata Party demanded a ban on the film, accusing it of showing falsehood and indulging in character assassination of Mangal Pandey. As an example, the BJP spokesman stated that the film shows Mangal Pandey visiting the house of a prostitute. The Samajwadi Party leader Uday Pratap Singh called in the Rajya Sabha for the movie to be banned for its "inaccurate portrayal" of Pandey. The Uttar Pradesh government criticised the film for "distortion" of historical facts, and considered banning it. Protestors in Ballia district, where Pandey had been a native, damaged a shop selling cassettes and CDs of the film, stalled a goods train on its way to Chapra (Bihar), and staged a sit-in on the Ballia-Barriya highway. A recently (2014) published analysis of the opening stages of the Great Indian Rebellion is critical of the lack of historical evidence supporting the events of 1857, as portrayed in Mangal Pandey: The Rising. Awards 51st Filmfare Awards: Nominated Best Actor – Aamir Khan Soundtrack The music was scored by A. R. Rahman with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar. See also List of Asian historical drama films References External links Official website 2005 films 2000s biographical drama films 2000s historical drama films Indian biographical drama films Indian historical drama films English-language Indian films 2000s Hindi-language films Films about the Indian Rebellion of 1857 Films set in the Indian independence movement Films set in the 1850s British Empire war films Films set in Uttar Pradesh Films set in the British Raj Films directed by Ketan Mehta Indian independence movement in Uttar Pradesh Films scored by A. R. Rahman Films distributed by