There is dramatisation of events. Fictitious characters have been introduced. We did this because there is no record about what Mangal did in real life.
Writer Farokh Dhondy and director Ketan Mehta have tried to represent a particular section of the Indian society who felt that what the Britishers were doing was wrong. Mangal represented those people.
Only the Britishers have recorded history about Mangal Pandey. They call the Revolt of 1857 a 'sepoy mutiny' while we Indians call it the First War of Independence.
The common man had joined this rebellion. In Uttar Pradesh, a lady who owned a brothel joined the rebels. So for me to see the rebellion as a sepoy mutiny is inaccurate.