Mangal Pandy, the hero of the film, is a bit anonymous in histrorical terms. However according to British sources the incident which lead to his courts-martial and execution apparently went like this. He was a Hindu Sepoy of a company regiment, the 34th Native Infantry stationed at Barrackpore. He apparently loaded his musket (so no animal fat on the cartridge issues there then?) and went to berate thequarterguard. He demanded all the sepoys present to join in a rebellion to overthrow the HEIC. The Sepoys on duty at the quarterguard made no attempt to restrain him. The (European) Sergeant Major appeared and Mangal Pandy fired at him and missed! The 34th's Adjutant, a Lieutenant Baugh, was informed about this incident and wentto the quarterguard on horse-back. Mangal Pandy fired at him , missed again but killed his horse. Baugh was wounded in hand-to-hand combat with Pandy, who was over powered by Shaikh Paltoo, a Muslim Sepoy!
The British Sergeant Major and Adjutant escaped at this point. A crowd of Sepoys gathered at the quarterguard and threatened to kill Shaikh Paltoo. The situation was finally controlled by Major General Hearsay who personally arrived at the scene. Mangal Pandy tried to commit suicide with his musket but was only wounded. He seems not to have been quite the gun-toting, rootingest, shootingest hero of the Mutiny after all!!
