Based on the life of Udham Singh, who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in London to avenge the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar,[2] the film starred Vicky Kaushal in the title role, along with Shaun Scott, Stephen Hogan, Amol Parashar, Banita Sandhu and Kirsty Averton in supporting roles.

[3] Sardar Udham features musical score composed by Shantanu Moitra, cinematography handled by Avik Mukhopadhyay and editing done by Chandrashekhar Prajapati.

Initially being delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the makers headed for a direct-to-digital premiere through the streaming service Amazon Prime Video.

The film follows a non-linear narrative, going back and forth from the present, where Sardar Udham Singh is in London, to his past when he was part of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) and explores his reasons for assassinating Indian Civil Service officer Michael O'Dwyer.

Upon hearing this, Udham makes an impromptu speech where he denounces British rule in India and reaffirms his support for the Indian freedom movement.

On 13 April 1919, in favour of O'Dwyer, General Dyer opens fire on a crowd of 20,000 peaceful protestors inside Jallianwala Bagh.

After the independence of India, Udham's ashes are brought to the country upon the request of Punjab Chief Minister Giani Zail Singh, and were immersed in the Sutlej river.

[5] Kaushal stated it as his dream project as he admired of Sircar's filmography, further saying "The way he is looking at the character (Udham Singh) and the world is extraordinary as well as beautiful.

[7] The film's storyline traces from Singh's age of 20 to 40, showcasing the events of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, to the assassination of Michael O'Dwyer, the Governor of Punjab who was responsible for the incident.

[16] Television and theatre actor Amol Parashar was assigned to play the role of Indian freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

[23][failed verification] With a three-month shooting in parts of Europe and other countries, the team returned to India to commence a schedule in Amritsar, Punjab in October 2019.

[25] Vicky Kaushal stated in an interview on the recreation of the incident that "it was physically exhausting, heart-wrenching and emotionally numbing as an individual, but as an actor, we have to be prepared at all sorts.

[35] Sircar wanted to resume visual effects in the second phase of post-production, but this was pushed back, as this required a larger crew of about 150–200 people.

[41] In June 2019, Shoojit Sircar announced that the film would be released theatrically on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti (2 October 2020),[42] while also rumoured to be clashing with Satyameva Jayate 2 and Jayeshbhai Jordaar.

[50] The producers later sold the distribution rights of the film to Amazon Prime Video,[51] which scheduled for a release date of 16 October 2021, coinciding with Dusshera weekend.

[15][59] On 15 October 2021, a day prior to the release, a special screening of Sardar Udham was conducted to the press, critics and celebrities at a theatre in Mumbai.

[62] The film received widespread critical acclaim, praising the performances of Kaushal and the supporting cast, realistic portrayal of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the setting of pre-independent India, technical aspects, script and direction.

[63] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave a positive review stating it as "a long, unhurried re-creation of a turbulent slice of India's colonial past, going back and forth from Punjab to London, with a few detours here and there".

"[65] Namrata Joshi of National Herald India wrote "Shoojit Sircar's biopic of the patriot is a stunning slice of history mirroring our fractious present and cautioning us about the pitfalls of the future".

[66] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV stated "The brilliantly lensed biopic also draws power from lead actor Vicky Kaushal's intense and intuitive performance.

"[68] Writing for The Week magazine, Aishwarya Venugopal stated "For the biopic of a revolutionary, the film does not throw punch dialogoues or the over-used trope of jingoism.

[69] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu stated "Shoojit Sircar explores contentious definitions and concerns, as India continues to grapple with the idea of dissent, and Section 144 remains a repressive tool in the hands of the government of the day".

[70] Soumya Srivatsava of Hindustan Times wrote "Sardar Udham, if there was ever any doubt, also proves once again that Shoojit Sircar is in top form and among the most dependable filmmakers in Hindi cinema right now.

"[71] Nandini Ramanath of Scroll.in stated "Sardar Udham follows a handful of biopics about a historical figure whose colourful life readily lends itself to fictionalisation.

The non-linear screenplay by Shubendu Bhattacharya (who also has a story credit) and Ritesh Shah is based on facts but takes creative licence with them.

"[72] On the other hand, Syed Firdaus Ashraf of Rediff gave a mixed review saying "You neither get goosebumps nor the adrenaline rush of desh bhakti (patriotism), which a film like Sardar Udham should give every Indian.

The jury members — Bengali music composer-director Indraadip Dasgupta and production designer Sumit Basu — criticised the length of the film and its delayed climax, which was the reason for not being selected to the nominations.