The film stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan[1][2][3] alongside Randeep Hooda who portrays the role of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian man who was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1991 and spent 22 years in prison for alleged terrorism and spying.
[7][8] Dalbir Kaur, two years after she suffers the stillbirth of her daughter, leaves her abusive husband Baldev and arrives to stay with Sarbjit's family.
Sarbjit Singh lives in Bhikhiwind, Punjab, with his wife Sukhpreet, their two daughters Poonam and Swapandeep, and his father Darji.
Their plea for justice is supported across India and condemned in Pakistan; the media in both countries continues to cover the case, causing Sarbjit's sentence to be repeatedly delayed.
A year later, Sarbjit is attacked in his jail cell by Pakistani prisoners, and is admitted to a local hospital in critical condition, eventually succumbing to a comatose state.
As the film ends, Dalbir makes a promise that she will always continue trying to fulfill Sarbjit's dying wish of being recognized as an innocent man.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Randeep Hooda and Richa Chadda was Omung's first choice for principal characters in the film.
The protagonist's house was recreated in Aarey Colony in the city though it could have been shot in Tarn Taran (Sarbjit Singh's hometown), the filmmaker reasoned that the town looks a little too modernized for the Punjab of 90s.
The music for Sarbjit was composed by Jeet Gannguli, Amaal Mallik, Tanishk Bagchi, Shail-Pritesh and Shashi Shivam.
The film opened to positive response from reviewers,[21] with praise drawn towards its screenplay, engaging realistic portrayal of the situations and editing.
[24] Zee News rated 4 stars said "The biopic will strike a chord for its genuine attempt to share a story not told on the celluloid before, coupled by stellar performances of its lead, particularly the man himself – Randeep Hooda".
[26] Bollywood Hungama gave a rating of 3.5 stars mentioned "On the whole, SARBJIT is a landmark film with great performances and a superbly told narrative.
[28] IANS rated 3.5 stars stated "The film is evenly paced with a few lengthy and unwarranted scenes but overall, Sarbjit Aitwal's story is worth a watch, as it touches the right emotional chord.
[31] Mid-Day rated 3 stars, said "A lot rides on Ash's shoulders as this is the role that demands dollops of courage even when under the most vulnerable of situations".
The film essentially belongs to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, as Dalbir, she has done a sincere act, even though her Punjabi accent is not quite consistent and Randeep is first rate".
[34] Sonia Chopra from Sify rated 3 stars praised the performances of the leads and noted "Kumar does a fair job, but the film bears the brunt of melodrama rearing its head in the form of flashbacks and over-the-top dialogue".
[37] Koimoi gave 2 stars and noted "A contrived plot and over the top performance by Ash makes this movie a lengthy affair.
[39] India Today reviewer gave 1.5 stars and mentioned "The blame lies largely in the script which doesn't leave much for its actors to do other than excessively cry or scream or otherwise sit sulking".
[40] Shubhra Gupta from The Indian Express gave same rating as 1.5 stars and noted "Randeep Hooda nails the look and the accent, letting neither overpower him, and is the only reason to sit through this sagging saga.
[42] The Hindu reviewer Namrata Joshi commented that " Instead of a coherent narrative the film feels utterly disjointed and on top of that the director doesn't seem to know how to calibrate emotions well.