Set in the 1800s, Shamshera follows a “dacoit” tribe, led by Shamshera, that fights for their rights and independence against the British.
Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, and Vani Kapoor, Shamshera is a period drama about a tribe ‘Khamerans’ and their struggle against slavery. Directed by Karan Malhotra, the movie also stars Iravati Harshe and Ronit Roy. The movie was released on 22nd July 2022.
The official synopsis of the movie reads, “The Khamerans were a warrior tribe who were deceitfully imprisoned and enslaved in the fort of Kaza by Shuddh Singh (Sanjay Dutt). Their leader Shamshera (Ranbir Kapoor) tried to escape the fort to earn the price of his tribe’s freedom but in vain. 25 years later, his son Balli begins a journey to fulfil his father’s legacy and come to be the next Shamshera battling to win the freedom of his tribe.”
Shamshera Story Summary
Back in the 1800s, the Khamerans were an essential part of the Rajput kingdom. They were the native residents of the Rajputana jungles and led dignified lives. Around 1871, when Mughals attacked the Rajput, the Khameran tribe joined their army and fought for their honour but the efforts went in vain. The Mughals dilapidated and captured the whole empire.
The Khamerans took refuge in Kaza, a region in North India. At that time, Kaza was dominated by caste divisions. The upper caste of Kaza believed that the Khamerans were of lower caste and threw them out. The Khamerans who survived took refuge in a forest nearby.
Amongst all the oppression and dwindling population of the tribe, there was a saviour who came up for his tribe. His name was Shamshera, and he believed that “Khamerans are dacoits by duty and freedom is their faith”.
Under Shamshera’s leadership, the tribe became fearful dacoits who inflicted their terror on the Kaza’s upper castes. He started to loot the upper castes in the kingdom of Kaza. The people of Kaza became terrified by his reign, and they knew that it was the consequence of their past.
When the British arrive in India and the wealthy, rich and upper castes of Kaza try to seek help from them to eradicate the Khamerans, the Britishers agree to help them in exchange for 50,000 grammes of gold. The Britishers launch a manhunt with their army in the forest. But the Khamerans fight with all their valour and the Britishers are forced to back off.
The Britishers know that they cannot win this battle, so they devise a cunning plan. They tell Shamshera that he and his tribe could live with complete dignity and that the Britishers would not bother them. They would also provide them land and once again the Khameran tribe would rise but in exchange, they have to surrender and stop plundering the Kaza lands.
This whole plan is commuted to Shamshera by Shuddh Singh. Shamshera felt that this could be a bait, but he also knew that he and his children could not live in these forests forever. He wishes to have a better future for them. Keeping all this in mind, he takes his people to the Kaza fortress. As soon as they enter the fortress, the doors are closed by Shuddh Singh and the whole tribe is enslaved by the Britishers.
With chains around their choking necks and shackled wrists, they are tortured ruthlessly. Shuddh Singh not only beats them, but he also breaks their spirits.
Shamshera meets the British officers who give him an offer that if he can procure 100,000 grammes of gold, which is double the amount paid by the Kaza upper castes, then he and his people would be freed from their slavery.
But he knew that achieving this insurmountable goal is impossible from inside the fortress, so he decides to find a way to escape the fortress.
He knew about an escape tunnel built under the fortress that meets with the Azaad River. There was a well inside the fort, and Shamshera knew that the tunnel lays somewhere inside it.
His friend Pir Baba (Ronit Roy) warns him, but Shamshera takes the chance to save his people. His wife is pregnant at this time.
Shamshera wants a free world for his child. He plans to climb the wall of the fortress to dive deep into the well. While he is climbing the wall to reach the top of the fortress, he is spotted by the police officers, who open fire on him and makes him fall from the wall.
His body is then hung on one hand and the people of his tribe start pelting stones at him as they assume that he was a traitor who wanted to escape from the Kaza fort. Shamshera dies at the hands of his people, who were unaware of the fact that he was not a coward but was trying to do everything for their good.
25 years later, Balli, the adult son of Shamshera, is a scandalous thief who makes the children of his tribe do petty robbery and wishes to become a police officer.
One day he reaches Shuddh Singh and asks him to take his test and make him a police officer. To prove his worth Shuddh gives him a task to beat a culprit, who indeed is a small child. Balli takes his punishment and in the place, he himself is beaten. That night Balli’s mother along with Pir Baba tells him about the sacrifice his father made and how he was killed by the Khamerans.
Balli is stunned after knowing the reality and decides to fight for the people and their freedom.
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Shamshera Ending Explained
The next morning Balli climbs the wall of the fort just like his father and dives deep into the well. He finds the tunnel and escapes. Pir Baba had placed a dead body in the well so the officers thought Balli is dead. Balli follows a map given to him by Pir Baba and crosses a mountain to reach the valley.
When Shamshera left to surrender to the Britishers, he left a handful of Khamerans to stay back. They took shelter in a town named Nagina and did petty jobs.
Balli meets Shamshera’s friend and ally, Dawood Singh. Balli meets the remaining people in the forest and together with a dancer, Sona (Vani Kapoor), who is also his love interest, starts looting the rich people of Kaza.
The new British General comes to know about this looter whom people referred to as Shamshera. Balli meets the General in a wrestling competition, as he had heard that he upbraided Shuddh Singh and also stopped him from killing innocent Khamerans.
During their fight, Balli gives him a piece of parchment, on which it was written that he would come to steal the gold from a wedding. Shuddh Singh enters and gives his wedding invitation to the General.
The General knew that Balli would come to the wedding. Even after high security at the wedding, Balli is able to steal gold from Shuddh Singh’s wedding but the youngest member of the family is shot during the escape.
The tribe disintegrates for a few days and goes undercover as disguised workers. One of the gang members reveals the secret place, where the stolen gold was hidden, to the British officers and Shuddh Singh. Many of the gang members are killed during the fight that follows.
The British police officers, along with Shuddh Singh, cease all the gold. Sona is also found by them and is rescued by the General before Shuddh Singh could shoot her and the newborn. Balli, along with Dawood Singh, flees the spot but the fire for freedom remains ablaze in him.
Did Balli free his people?
Balli plans the final step. The Queen’s crown is coming to Kaza, and Balli plans to steal it amidst the tight security. Capturing the crown, he puts a stain on the British empire. He leaves a note for the General which said that he will give back the crown in exchange for the freedom of the Khamerans.
Balli and the surviving members come back to meet the General at the Kaza fortress, but Shuddh Singh comes up with a cruel plan. He kills the British forces and plots the blame on Balli in return for the queen’s crown.
In the meantime, Pir Baba tells the truth about Shamshera to the Khamerans and how he died for their freedom.
Shuddh Singh was about to succeed in his plans when the Khamerans break the fortress door open. With boiling blood, they wish to avenge the death of their leader and save his son. They kill the police force and finally, Shuddh Singh is caught by Balli.
Balli hangs Shuddh Singh on one hand just like his father was once hung. The Khamerans stone pelt the officer, and Balli leaves the crown with a note for the General, who saves his wife and child.
Finally, the Khamerans become a free tribe as they progress towards leading a new, happy and dignified life under their new leader – Balli aka Shamshera.
Shamshera is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Very nicely and interestingly framed summary. I haven’t seen the movie yet, still those words were attractive enough to make me read the whole article.
#greatread