mohdirshad-bias I must say, its one of the best movie of 2007 and one of the best movie made on similar theme. I am not sure why such movie do not get the deserved appreciation. It can bring tears to anyone's eyes such is the story and the acting of the cast. Manoj bajpai does not need an introduction if we talk about acting skills, but here rest of the cast too justified their roles.Does not matter which country you belong to, give it a try and you wont regret.

abhishekagrawal7408 There are many good Indian movies which are left unnoticed. 1971 is one of them.In fact, its a great movie which deserves every bit of appreciation and applauds. Kudos to director (Amrit Sagar) for handling such a sensitive issue with such an ease. Its a story about 6 Indian POW's kept in a Pakistani Jail and their struggle to reach their motherland. The plot is so engaging that you never get bored even for a second. This kind of movies makes you believe in a world called "HOPE". Acting wise, each and every character has done justice to their roles. But for me, Manoj Bajpai steals the show. Every time I watch him, it amuses me the versatility of his acting skills. This has to be one of the 'finest' Indian movie based on war and their after effects. i will rate it as 8.5

eldino33 The Left Elbow Index considers film in terms of seven variables--acting, plot, production sets, dialogue, character development, continuity, and artistry--on a scale from a high of 10 to a low of 1. The acting seems generally weak, basically on par with the typical adventure film with a lot of screaming and running, augmented by a prolonged chase scene, thereby rating a 4. The Plot is fairly uncomplicated, since an escape movie is an escape movie. There are patriotic issues in the film, yet the disclaimer indicates the this story is not based on a real incident or real people. The plot rates 5, mostly from the inclusion of seemingly unrelated subplots and distractions, like POWs dancing the Bhangra. The production sets are judged relatively strong, and a 6 seems a logical rating. This includes the POW camp, the small towns, and the costumes-or uniforms, in the case. Dialogue is average and functional , resulting in a rating of 5. Some of the dialogue seems strange: "This is not a movie scene" and "You have not seen a movie in a long time" appear somewhat puzzling. The characters are stock and stereotypical, a 3 since there appears to be little development beyond their introduction. Continuity seems challenged, mostly because of the episodic nature of the production, therefore a 4. There seems to be little artistry beyond standard special effects. At times the background music can be annoying, and the repeated strains from from the beginning of the "Col. Bogey March" seem strangely imperial. Artistry therefore rates a 2. The composite ranking for this film according to the Left Elbow Index is a 4. If you like escape movies, you'll like this one. If you like patriotic films, so too. Films do not have to be technically correct to be entertaining. Abbott and Costello movies were continually panned by the critics, yet audiences loved them. In addition, the continuing conflict between Pakistan and India tends to raise support for this film. Abbott and Costello movies have stood the test of time. It will be interesting to see how 1971 does.

HeadleyLamarr Amrit Sagar has crafted 1971 straight from the heart. It is the story of about 50 POWs captured by Pakistan and never released despite a prisoner exchange after the 1971 war. The tale is told from the perspective of the POWs and is a story of the escape attempt made by 6 of them so that the truth can be revealed to India and to the world. The events shown in the film may never have happened, but the question of these unaccounted for soldiers persists and is sufficient motivation for this rousing tale.Manoj Bajpai plays Major Suraj Singh of the Rajputana rifles in a role that was tailor made for his excellent histrionic abilities. He has a loyal cohort of soldiers who will lay their life down for him. Upon discovering that they have been moved from prison to a new camp to escape detection by a Red Cross delegation, the gang plans a daring escape. The events that unfold will keep you on the edge of your seat. Bravery, self-sacrifice, extreme bravado and even foolhardiness come into play as the small band tries to escape through the countryside and high altitude snow-covered passes. This part of the tale stirs up the blood but the expected ending (the fate of these soldiers is still unknown in real life) is a bit of a downer. The Pakistani military is also realistically shown to be a mix of the usual rabid, pragmatic, patriotic and intelligent soldiers. Deepak Dobriyal shines as one of the soldiers but no one turns in a bad performance and the film is of very high quality.In my opinion the best war film ever is still Chetan Anand's Haqeekat, but 1971 comes close in realism, quality, and the ability to tug at emotions. A must watch.