What makes it different from others?

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

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

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.

The movie is about Indian soldiers held as war-prisoners in Pakistan since 1971. The plot is of 1978 when they plan a final escape. The protagonist is one of the soldiers. With Manoj Bajpai in the leading role, the movie is very meticulously made. No 'gadar' like stuff and thank-god no amitabh bacchan as army major (he is there is every freaking movie i watch). No songs in the wrong place (infact there r only 2 songs...wow !) The action and direction is awesome. I liked the story, the plot...the way they plan for an escape. The idea/message that the director might have wanted to put across, the story of POW in Pakistan, has been put across. The end of the movie is sad and quite unexpected. I would strongly suggest to watch this movie.

1971 is the war story depicting the struggle of Indian prisoners of war in Pakistan. It shows how the Pakistani government treated Indian prisoners of war, past the Bangladesh Independence war. The bottom line is break and escape from the prison. The movie has resemblances with recently made film DEEWAR (starring Amitabh, Sajay Dutt etc). However this film is far more realistic than Deewar. Full points to the director Amrit Sagar. The portrayal of characters and the screenplay is exceedingly well. I recommend this film to every viewer. I barely know any actor in the movie other than Manoj Bajpai. Inspite of that, the maturity shown by other starlets is simply mind blowing. The storyline is so tight that there is not a single moment in film which makes you feel bored. Indians should encourage making of such films. I wish it "was" received well...It is high time that we start appreciating well made movies with a different story lineup.