The unhurried pace of Sardar Udham may not be for everybody. But Vicky Kaushal's honest performance makes it nearly impossible to take your eyes off the screen as he retells the story of freedom fighter Udham Singh who avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Almost a fortnight since the film's release, the actor admits he is constantly tracking social media. “I am curious to know what people have to say about the film. I can sense that it has [struck a chord with] the audience. [In an OTT release], the film is not judged by box-office numbers. Instead, people are recommending it to their friends and family,” says the actor.

The rave reviews aside, Shoojit Sircar's period drama was among the contenders for India's official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2022 Academy Awards. Finally, P S Vinothraj's Tamil film Koozhangal landed the coveted spot. The decision was followed by a controversy — Indraadip Dasgupta, a member of the Film Federation of India (FFI) jury that chose India's entry, faced flak when he said that Sardar Udham was denied a shot at the Oscars because it portrayed “our hatred towards the British.”

Broach the subject with Kaushal, and he gracefully says, “Everybody has the right to their opinion. We have a jury [comprising] experts in cinema. They made a selection, and we have to respect that selection. I haven't seen the Tamil film, but Shoojit da has seen it and is gung-ho about it. I am sure it's the best decision taken for Indian cinema to be on a global platform. We should now root for the film that is selected, and hope that it brings us glory.”

While the Amazon Prime Video offering is being widely appreciated, many have noted that the film's languid pace may be a deterrent. Sircar, however, says that he wanted to make a movie “as elaborate” as this. “I like things slow and steady; I'm not a fast-food guy. I listen to classical music. That served as my base when I was shooting the film. People said similar things about October [2018] and Gulabo Sitabo [2020]. But I'm happy I made the film on my terms.”