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Emperor vs Sarat Chandra movie review: In August 1926, Bengali novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay published Pather Dabi (The Right of Way), a revolutionary novel centred on a secret society fighting against British colonial rule. The book was banned by the British government on January 4, 1927, for its anti-colonial themes and alleged promotion of sedition.
Srijit Mukherji’s new Bangla film, Emperor vs Sarat Chandra, draws from that slice of history. It traces the events that led to the ban, and also attempts to capture the essence of the book itself. Given the theme, many would say Mukherji’s idea to highlight the notions of freedom and the right to voice protest is well-timed.
Srijit Mukherji employs parallel narratives in a non-linear format to explore Sarat Chandra’s creative transformation that led to the writing of Pather Dabi. The first narrative traces the author’s journey as he becomes increasingly drawn to the growing spirit of nationalism and resistance against British rule, having already earned fame and recognition for his relationship-driven novels such as Devdas and Parineeta. Despite the British ban on Pather Dabi, Sarat Chandra refuses to change even a comma in the novel and seeks the support of Rabindranath Tagore, whom he considers his guru. The ideological clash that follows between the two literary giants over the issue is one of the film’s highlights.
The second narrative follows the story of Pather Dabi and its protagonist, the revolutionary Sabyasachi. Mukherji’s intention in juxtaposing the two narratives is clear: to highlight the similarities and differences between Sarat Chandra’s and Sabyasachi’s struggles against British rule. While the author uses the power of his pen to challenge colonial rule, his fictional creation resorts to violence in his fight for freedom. This contrast is intended to lend the film a compelling dramatic core, as Sarat Chandra draws inspiration from real-life events to shape Sabyasachi’s story.
It doesn’t, however, entirely engage – for two reasons. First, Srijit Mukherji takes too long trying to fit Sabyasachi’s parallel track into the saga of Sarat Chandra’s resistance. His screenplay becomes chaotic as random shots try to capture Sabyasachi’s fictional storyline even as the plot centred on Sarat Chandra and the ban unfolds. Perhaps the filmmaker assumes that everyone watching his film is already familiar with the story of Pather Dabi, as his treatment of Sabyasachi’s narrative feels sketchy.
Before anything, Srijit Mukherji’s real triumph lies in his casting. Tota Roy Choudhury delivers an outstanding performance, bringing Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay to life on screen. It is always a challenge for an actor to play a historical character with little or no reference beyond still photographs. Roy Choudhury adopts a body language and diction that bring alive Sarat Chandra’s understated resilience and wit.
Abir Chatterjee’s portrayal of Sabyasachi perfectly complements Choudhury’s performance. Dapper and fiery at the same time, Chatterjee lets his screen presence do the talking. While Pather Dabi has been brought to the screen several times, Uttam Kumar’s portrayal of Sabyasachi in the 1977 film remains particularly memorable. Chatterjee evades any comparison with the ‘Mahanayak’ simply by interpreting Sabyasachi in his own way. A third performer who catches attention despite limited footage is Sanjay Nag as Rabindranath Tagore (voiced by Joy Goswami).
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Tota Roy Choudhury and Abir Chatterjee deserve much of the attention here because their performances are arguably the best thing about Emperor vs Sarat Chandra. Unfortunately, despite an intriguing premise and an ambitious narrative approach, Srijit Mukherji fails to make the most of the material.
Maybe he was trying too many things. He could just have made a film about Sarat Chandra’s battle over his book against the British Empire (as the title suggests). He could have just made a new version of Pather Daabi to suit new-age tastes. Or, he could have made a tightly crafted film exploring the ideological differences between Sarat Chandra and his guru Rabindranath Tagore over the ban.
Each of these could have made for a complete narrative and a more assured film. Instead, Srijit Mukherji attempts to weave them all into a single film, even incorporating a critique of Mahatma Gandhi’s dominance over the Congress of the time. A sequence intended to explore Sarat Chandra’s creative process while writing Devdas instead devotes an entire dance number to Koushani Mukherjee, who makes a cameo appearance as Chandramukhi. Another sequence, in which Sarat Chandra blames the British for the growing culture of social control, falls flat.
Such scenes only serve to dilute his screenplay rather than add value. Maybe Mukherji would’ve been better off creating a series spread across several episodes given such a multi-narrative approach. Two hours and 15 minutes are clearly not enough.
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Technically, Emperor vs Sarat Chandra looks rather ordinary, especially at a time when even historical OTT series boast impressive production values. Srijit Mukherji makes extensive use of AI-generated visuals to establish his scenes, but these shots fail to blend seamlessly with the live-action footage. The writer-filmmaker makes a credible debut as composer in this film, with an assorted soundtrack that incorporates a Rabindrasangeet, a mellow song of introspection, a semi-classical courtesan’s dance number and a gripping freedom song. A special mention must also go to make-up artist Somnath Kundu.
Emperor vs Sarat Chandra struggles to hold the viewer’s attention after a point, which is disappointing for a Srijit Mukherji film. This is the filmmaker’s second release of 2026, following Winkle Twinkle. Perhaps it is time for Mukherji to slow down and return to making one film a year, as he did in his early days.
Emperor vs Sarat Chandra movie cast: Tota Roy Choudhury, Abir Chatterjee, Sanjoy Nag, Mimi Chakraborty, Rik Chattopadhyay, Divyani Mondal, Kanchan Mallick
Emperor vs Sarat Chandra movie director: Srijit Mukherji
Emperor vs Sarat Chandra movie rating: 3 stars
