Producer: Kumar S. Taurani, Ramesh S. Taurani 
Director: RajKumar Santoshi 
Cast: Amrita Rao, Farida Jalal, Raj Babbar, Ajay Devgan
Music: A.R. Rahman
Lyrics: Sameer

The film begins with three bodies - those of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru -- being surreptitiously smuggled out of a jail during the British Raj. They are taken to an unknown destination, chopped up into pieces and burnt. When the public chance upon the dastardly act, all hell breaks loose.

Flashback to a young Bhagat Singh who is distressed at incidents such as the Jalianwala Baug massacre and other atrocities committed by the British. As he grows up, he vows to take revenge. He joins the revolutionaries and works in tandem with Chandrashekhar Azad. When the Simon Commission arrives to decide on the degree of autonomy to be given to the Indian states, it is boycotted with the now famous lines 'Simon go back.' When the commission reaches Lahore, it is faced by a large gathering of non-violent freedom fighters (including Bhagat Singh) which is led by Lala Lajpatrai. Inspite of the non-voilent protest, Scott, the chief of police, orders a lathi charge against the protestors. Lala Lajpatrai who is grievously injured in the chaos, succumbs to his injuries.

Now completely disillusioned by Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence, Bhagat Singh swears revenge and plots to kill Scott. However, their daring plan fails when they are unable to recognize Scott and kill Sanders, a junior officer instead.

Meanwhile, with both Gandhi and Nehru denouncing them as extremists who are hindering the freedom struggle, Bhagat Singh now realizes that unless the revolutionaries' point of view is publicized, they will never succeed in awakening the masses or driving their point home with the British. He comes up with the ingenious plan of lobbing a hand grenade in the Assembly Hall, taking care not to hurt anyone - the resulting publicity in the press would be sure to drive their point home - not only in British India, but in Britain as well. Also, he decides that whoever carries out this mission must give themselves up and continue to voice their opinions during the ensuing court case. Everything goes according to plan. The trio of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru court arrest and immediately become national heroes - even rivaling the popularity of Gandhi at one point. Unfortunately, the British come down hard on the revolutionaries and arrest the entire group. When Chandrashekhar Azad is cornered, he shoots himself rather than fall into their hands. Disturbed by Bhagat Singh's popularity, the British then secretly execute the three revolutionaries.

Now, irrespective of the box-office outcome of The Legend of Bhagat Singh, one thing is certain: director Raj Kumar Santoshi and producers Tips have secured a permanent place in the annals of the film industry.

The passionate intensity of the Indian freedom hero who laughingly embracing death in March 1931 in pursuit of his dream of an independent India shines in every frame of Santoshi's film.

The Legend..., shot in sepia tone recreates Bhagat Singh's mercurial passion for patriotism and the sheer madness of the revolutionary impulse in colours that convey both nostalgia and immediacy. The rusts and oranges suggest a rugged rage and an incendiary intensity. Credit must go to cinematographer K V Anand and art director Nitin Desai for reaching a flawless balance between past and its present day re-visitation. Anjum Rajabali's screenplay in no way tampers with history. The film looks unflinchingly at Bhagat Singh's all-consuming love for his motherland as it extracts romanticism from dry pages of history. The same goes for the songs which are superbly written and composed, a well done job from A R Rahman.

Performance wise Ajay Devgan playing the martyr hero is a role well executed, cannot thing of any other actor from the present cadre being able to match the intensity that the role demands of the actor. Sushant Singh as Sukhdev steals the show with a power packed performance. D Santoshi as Rajguru or Akhilendra Mishra as the volatile Chandrashekhar Azad, every actor effortlessly crosses the line between make belief and reality. Even Raj Babbar fills his sketchy role of Bhagat Singh's father with great emotion. Farida Jalal as Bhagat Singh’s mother and Amrita Rao as his fiancée effortlessly sway through the emotional interlude.

But the actors who play the British are bad. They look like tourists picked up from the road. Though the narrative has great momentum, the film's closing moments with the hanging of the revolutionary trio lacks dramatic punch.

That apart, there's little in The Legend... to disqualify it as being not a comprehensive film on Bhagat Singh. It is at par with Richard Attenborough's Oscar winner Gandhi, a must for lovers of good cinema.