With the Emraan starrer Aksar still fresh in the minds , you go to watch Gangster with preconceived notions and not many expectations! Gangster may not be the most intriguing experience you’ve had, but you do feel positive at the end of the screening.
The film has its share of plusses and minuses, but more than anything else, Gangster drives home the point that its the content that does the talking!.Also, Anurag Bose is a competent storyteller.
Gangster is yet another film that exposes the dark reality of underworld. In this case, every characters are painted black without beating around the bush.
A number of similar-sounding flicks have been witnessed in the past , but what makes Gangster rise to a watchable level is Basu’s deft execution of the subject.
Though the story moves at an indolent pace at most times, there’re some riveting and entrancing moments in the film that connect with the viewer instantly. Instances: The sequences in the Seoul with when Kangana narrates her story.
The film gathers momentum when Shiney gets to know that Kangana has been inolved with Emraan. From thereon, the sequence of events keeps you on the edge.
What makes Gangster watchable is the way Basu unfolds the story - it moves on a singular path from start to end as there’s no romantic track or an item song or a comedy track to mar the smooth flow of the narrative!
Besides, several sequences have been handled with flourish. Scenes such as the one in seoul station or even the one when Lovers meet in jail show Anurag’s command over the medium.The flashback - revealed by Kangana - is gruesome, but well handled.
Music is terrific, in keeping with the mood of the film. The film has five songs in all and at least two stand out - ’ya ali’ and ’tu hi mera’. The background music is adequate.
Cinematography is first-rate. Dialogues are punch-packed. In fact, the lines delivered by Shiney and Gulshan stands out in the enterprise. Action scenes are well executed, especially the encounter in the first half. However, a better climax was the need of the hour, for not only does it look contrived, but is even a compromise in terms of writing.
Gangster is a triumph for Shiney, who takes full advantage of the role offered to him and gives his best shot. He displays the gamut of emotions like a seasoned performer and delivers a knock-out performance. In fact, it won’t be wrong to state that this is amongst his best performance to date!
Kangana looks lovely and delivers an equally fine performance. Though it was difficult role for a newcomer to handle, she is at her natural best . Emraan is competent yet again. Gulshan is flawless.
On the whole, Gangster is a well-made entertainer.