Bollywood World

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 28th August, 2015
Time : 136 minutes
Director, Co-Writer : Kabir Khan; Co-Writer: Parveez Sheikh, based on a novel Mumbai Avengers by Hussain Zaidi; Music : Julius Packam
Starring : Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Sabyasachi Chakrabarty



Despite an emotive topic, you struggle to feel anything. Especially for the characters � portions of the blame can be assigned to the script, casting, dialogue and editing � you just kind of go through the motions on this one, till right at the end, where you begin to root (a little bit) for things to go as planned.


Based on the book, Mumbai Avengers, this one is seriously wishful thinking about avenging the 26/11 blasts. About finding someone to go about killing those responsible for those blasts wherever they may be � vigilante justice, American style. A RAW think tank, headed by Sabyasachi and powered by Zeeshan, dreams this mission up, finds the right people and goes ahead without government permission.


They settle on disgraced soldier, Saif. Living in isolation in icy wilderness. Who finally says yes. And then goes about pursuing his assigned targets across the globe. Aided by Katrina Kaif, a London based information source for RAW. And an inept ISI (they really do make someone who regularly conducts operations against India with ease, look like bumbling buffoons).


For starters, Saif isn�t really believable as tough guy on a suicide mission. And it�s not just his fault, as the script doesn�t build him up or point out why he�s the right guy, apart from telling us he was court-martialled. Katrina, she of the famous pout, just doesn�t look plausible firing assault weapons. She doesn�t move or behave like she�s in the counter-intelligence business. And her front, a medical organization (something like Medecins Sans Frontieres), again doesn�t make sense, one minute she�s in London, next in Beirut, then in Syria and then in Lahore, almost as per her desires, going around with heavily armed men. Even the villains aren�t built up well enough � you know a little bit about them from news reports � but if they�re so easy to access (especially the first target), then you really do wonder why India isn�t doing something about it



This one is a little bit of a flatline, despite the exotic locales and the jingoistic plot. Struggles between trying to keep it real or filmy, succeeds at neither and even at the end, when things do pick up it�s just patriotism which eggs you on, aided by lots of Bollywood masala and dialogues, rather than anything substantive.

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 17th July, 2015
Time : 159 minutes
Director: Kabir Khan; Writer: Vijayendra Prasad; Music : Pritam (background by Julius Packham)
Starring : Salman Khan, Harshaali Malhotra, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sharat Saxena, Om Puri, Rajesh Sharma



If you�re prepared to go past an implausible premise, a lack of logic overall and see a tear-jerker kind of drama, laced with good intentions and a good heart (like our hero), but the same old (especially when it comes to the India � Pakistan theme) and strangely a Salman who behaves most unlike his normal screen avatar (throws four punches in the entire film, goes shirtless only once) and has the expression shown below for 80% of the film�. Then you are a better man than I am, Gunga Din�




Harshaali, a mute girl of 6, is lost in India, left behind by her sleeping mother. She somehow lands up with Salman Khan, just as an uncle in Pakistan consoles her sobbing mother with �Koi to nek banda milega use Hindustan mein� (yes, it�s that cheesy a film). He looks after her, takes her to his future father in law�s place (Sharat Saxena) but then when they discover she is from Pakistan and on being given an ultimatum by his To-be-FIL, he vows to deliver her by himself to her home�



Kareena provides support in India and Nawazuddin does the same in Pakistan � both delivering strong performances � Kareena looking spunky, gorgeous (she�s always had this all knowing, superior kind of look, which suits her here) and Nawaz providing a touch of reality to Salman�s bravado � the response to any challenge is �Main Bajrang bali ka bhakt hoon�, which means he wont lie, sneak in, do anything bad or anything that is common-sensical and will bow in front of every simian creature he sees�



The film, more so in the second half, stretches, elongates and uses every trick in the book to try to wring a tear or two from your eyes. Especially with the tried and tested theme of how the people in India and Pakistan are but one, torn asunder by the armed forces and distrust.


Gorgeous visuals are Kabir Khan�s trademark and this movie doesn�t disappoint on that front. The songs are quite ordinary � maybe one which resonates (a bit because it plays in the background and doesn�t halt the story) and no, it isn�t the one with Adnan Sami (found that a bit pretentious). The best part of the film is the early bit in Pakistan when Nawaz is helping them on the run � the humour is subtle but comes through, especially the �aur thoda nazakat se�.


Wish the second half had more of that and an editor who could�ve comfortably reduced about half an hour of its current 159 minutes. It�s not a bad film, way better than say Bodyguard or Ready � but its just a little flat, maybe because the makers try so hard, with moist eyes and a jam-packed background score, to make us feel !