Malhar Palladia is an impulsive young man who takes on any challenge without weighing the cost. When he loses a friend to the negligence of a corrupt system, he turns his grief into a campaign against those in power. Threatened by the Chief Minister himself, Malhar refuses to back down and vows to unseat him within thirty days.
Saheb is Gujarati cinema reaching for the political register, and it hands Malhar Thakar the kind of angry, idealistic hero that student-politics dramas are built around. Directed by Shailesh Prajapati and written by Paresh Vyas, the film follows Malhar Palladia, an impulsive youngster who converts private grief into public revolt after the system he trusts fails a friend. What begins as a personal grudge swells into a movement, and the film's spine is his thirty-day dare to bring down a Chief Minister.
The film works best as a star vehicle. The Times of India, which rated it three and a half out of five, singled out Malhar's performance, and that is where the energy sits. He carries the crowd scenes and the quieter beats of conscience with equal conviction, and Kinjal Rajpriya gives Mahek enough presence to keep the emotional thread from fraying. Amar Khandha's songs, from the rousing Vaage Re to the reflective Nostalgia, do real work in lifting the campaign sequences rather than just padding the runtime.
Where Saheb wobbles is in the writing around its hero. The corruption-and-comeuppance arc leans on speeches and convenient turns, and at two hours and twenty-two minutes it asks patience it does not always earn. The politics stay broad rather than specific, so the outrage lands more as sentiment than argument. Still, for a regional industry not known for this genre, it is a sincere, watchable swing, anchored by a lead who makes the anger feel real. Worth a look for Malhar completists and for anyone curious how Dhollywood handles protest.
Verdict
A sincere political drama that lives on Malhar Thakar's performance even when the writing plays it safe.
What works
- Malhar Thakar anchors it with real conviction
- Sincere attempt at the political-drama genre
- Amar Khandha's songs lift the campaign scenes
- Kinjal Rajpriya grounds the emotional thread
What holds it back
- Writing leans on speeches and convenient turns
- Runtime of 142 minutes tests patience
- Politics stay broad rather than specific
- Outrage reads as sentiment more than argument
Cast & crew
Writers: Paresh Vyas
Music: Amar Khandha
Cast: Malhar Thakar (Malhar Palladia), Kinjal Rajpriya (Mahek), Nisarg Trivedi (Saumitra), Prashant Barot (Jayanti Bhai), Parikshit Tamaliya (Chintu)
Producers: Aashi Patel, Sagar Shah, Malhar Thakar
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore Drama Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Saheb worth watching?
A sincere political drama that lives on Malhar Thakar's performance even when the writing plays it safe. Kevu Che rates it 3.5 out of 5.
What is Saheb about?
Malhar Palladia is an impulsive young man who takes on any challenge without weighing the cost. When he loses a friend to the negligence of a corrupt system, he turns his grief into a campaign against those in power. Threatened by the Chief Minister himself, Malhar refuses to back down and vows to unseat him within thirty days.
What is the IMDb rating of Saheb?
Saheb (2019) holds an IMDb rating of 5.7 out of 10.