The discontent among the countrymen towards the manner in which the government deals with cross-border terrorism is fairly known and escalating after each terror attack, especially when, on the other hand, the mighty US of A has gone ahead and assassinated Osama Bin Laden, world’s most wanted terrorist, on Pakistani soil. What if India can also do something of this sort? After all, our most wanted chap is also believed to be ‘hiding’ somewhere in Pakistan. D-Day is based on this exciting and intriguing idea and sure enough meets more or less all the expectations. A riveting thriller!
The story of the movie: Iqbal Seth aka Goldman (Rishi Kapoor) is a terrorist of Indian origin believed to be behind numerous terror attacks that happen in the country. After the 1993 Bombay serial blasts, he shifts base to Dubai and then Karachi, Pakistan. In the first quarter of 2013, he is getting his son married to the daughter of an ex-cricketer and the wedding is scheduled to take place in the posh Baituz Zahab Hotel. The chief of India’s R&AW, Ashwini Rao (Nasser) entrusts the responsibility of nabbing Goldman during the wedding to four undercover agents – Wali Khan (Irrfan Khan), Rudra (Arjun Rampal), Zoya (Huma Qureshi) and Aslam (Aakash Dahiya). The four research extensively and design a near foolproof plan. Will they succeed? And even if they do, how will they manage to bring the dreaded terrorist back to India?
D-Day starts with a bang and grips viewers brilliantly. Once the flashback portion commences, one does get a bit dejected as the thrilling sequence was too good to get over so soon. Nevertheless, one soon gets zapped into the flashback sequences as well which is also well executed. The tension levels go on a high during the intermission point. Things get slightly uninteresting in the second half but not boring or yawn-inducing. Things soon get exciting with the last 30 minutes being the best part of the film where it’s difficult to predict what will happen next. Again, at one point, the film takes a sad turn of events but the twist in the tale at this juncture brings the film back to life and how! The finale boasts of a hard-hitting and sharp dialogue that should serve as an eye-opener. The film ends on a great note.
Sadly, the film isn’t devoid of glitches. As said before, the film gets a bit low at places. And also the biggest problem with the film – there are scenes that are too quick especially in the second half which was not a good idea. Moreover, it’s surprising that the foursome didn’t possess a GPS and were virtually ignorant as to where they are heading to, especially when they were undergoing a covert operation in foreign land. Lastly, the film gets bit unconvincing and filmy in the climax but thankfully, the finale is so good that one won’t mind.
Every actor plays his part well. Arjun Rampal is terrific as the no-nonsense cold-blooded killer. His looks and persona was ideal for this role and the actor makes great use of the opportunity. Take a look at the scene when he goes back to whorehouse in the second half – what expressions, what performance! Irrfan Khan moves viewers with his brilliant and heartfelt performance. He brings out the best out of him in the last chapter of the film. Huma Qureshi surprisingly doesn’t get much to speak but performance wise, she was first rate. Although many poke fun at her flab body, I personally feel she looks great and it’s good that she manages to stand out and doesn’t give in to the diktats of her critics who want her to be slim like other beauties and thus get lost in the crowd! Rishi Kapoor as expected rocks! The pace and plot of the film is such that he doesn’t get to showcase his brilliance initially but he gets full scope to do so in the later stages and does great! His long monologue in the climax is epic! See it to believe it! Shreeswara Dubey (Nafisa) has a significant part to portray and delivers a topnotch performance. Aakash Dahiya does fairly well. Nasser leaves a huge mark. K K Raina (General Raza) is a bit loud but never over the top. Chandan Roy Sanyal (Goldman’s nephew) is menacing. Dwij Handa (Kabir), Nissar Khan (Niyaaz Ahmed), Imran Hasnee (Salim Pathan) and Sandeep Kulkarni (Atul Mishra) and the actor who plays the Indian Prime Minister do a fine job. And don’t miss Raj Kumar Yadav for a fraction of a second in the film!
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music is alright but each song is brilliantly shot. Duma Dum is thrilling which is evident from the promos. Dhuaan gives goosebumps. Ek Ghadi and Murshid play a key role. However, the best is without a shred of doubt Alvida. Believe me, one has never seen something like this in any film ever! Hats off! Background score is exhilarating. Tushar Kanti Ray’s cinematography is flawless. Action is stylized, raw and real though there were few scenes where one failed to comprehend as to what’s actually happening. Ritesh Shah and Niranjan Iyengar’s dialogues are for most of the places short, convincing and effective. Nikhil Advani, Suresh Nair and Ritesh Shah’s story is quite exciting and well-written. Screenplay too has its merits though the various moments and references make it very obvious that the film is about Dawood Ibrahim. Even the ministers are not spared. In a scene, the PM of India is shown immediately attending to the order of a certain ‘madam’! Few scenes however could have been better, though. Same goes for Nikhil Advani’s direction. But he surely deserves praise for keeping the film gripping enough. Also, the entire angle of Wali’s family and Rudra’s love interest and the manner in which it’s woven in the narrative is worth a praise. And once again, the ‘Alvida’ song is just outstandingly shot! Advani entered the industry with the blockbuster Kal Ho Naa Ho. Except Chandni Chowk To China which was a disaster, his other two films – Salaam-E-Ishq and Patiala House were good but not great. But with D-Day, he’ll get back his lost prestige and reconsolidate his position as one of the best filmmakers around!
Some of the best scenes:
The entire operation Goldman sequence
All songs of the film
Wali meets the sex worker for the first time
The intermission point
The action at the container yard
The last 30 minutes, particularly the final scene
On the whole, D-Day is a hard-hitting action thriller that serves its purpose. Most importantly, one feels patriotic after seeing the film which doesn’t often happen in films nowadays. Flaws sadly are there but nevertheless, the film is definitely worth a dekko. Go for it and hope that something of this sort happens in real ;)
My rating - * * * 1/2