I guess i’ll probably get hate mail for giving this movie a bad rating. Well, if I want to write a review then I guess I need to be truthful about it. So here goes.
The plot here is very thin. Revenge, revenge and more revenge! So 80% of the film is about the Hero Chulbul Pandey beating up the bad guys.
To start from the beginning. no offence to either Dimple or Vinod Khanna.cos I really like these 2 actors. but tell me from what angle did they even remotely resemble a person coming from the heart of UP. They both looked very urban. For all the trouble they went to with Vinod Khanna wearing a safari suit and Dimple in lovely handloom saris. they just didn’t feel rustic enough. When we have some very good actors like Shabana Azmi, Ila Arun or Neena Gupta who could have done this role, why choose Dimple who looked too polished for the role?
Lets come to Salman bhai. I like him. he was playing himself unapologetically. It was almost childlike. how a child decides" today I am going to be a conductor. "he is essentially himself but dresses up for it. Salman bhai was doing the same. Probably thought it was a police themed fancy dress. He went through the whole movie with an ironed expression( I didn’t quite fathom whether that was intentional or the botox). His facial expressions were as ironed as his clothes.
I don’t know whether I should even go into the story. The total spotlight is on Salman Khan and his gym toned body. Probably the special effects company was only contracted to help enhance this muscle show. So we get to see Salman’s muscle movement in slow motion FX style. Lots of film footage has been given to this. If one edits out the fight sequences what you would be left with would be a film which would be 45mins long(this includes the song sequences).
The dialogues were absolute gems. in one fight sequence Sallu bhai warns the villian that he would hit him so bad that he wouldn’t know which hle he would need for eating and which for fting. That was when I had an archimedes moment. I understood why sallu bhai had a constipated expression all through out. was himself confused! One mystery solved. I was pleased with myself.
The other mystery that I couldn’t quite solve is the female lead Sonakshi asking Sallu on their wedding night. What’s your name ji? Wow. Height of romance.That you don’t know the name of the person you married. And that too when the guy enjoys iconic status in the town as Robinhood Pandey. The other mystery that remained unsolved was the scene where Sallu and Sonakshi get married at the venue where his brother is supposed to get married. Sonakshi asks Sallu why he did that. He said you will come to know later. no go. waited till the end for an explanation. didn’t get any. He spoils the wedding for his brother and later talks about being a family. Getting together to beat up the bad guys.
I can only thank the PVR Cinema guys for keeping the airconditioner at such low temp that I was freezing and since my brain was also frozen, I could watch the full movie without trying to decipher much of what was going on.
Hey and how could I forget to write about the Shirt sequence? That bit could well go into a Harry Potter movie. Sallu is glowering at Sonu(the villian), due all this glowering there is a sudden rise in the wind around them and the Shirt sallu is wearing develops a mind of it’s own. It starts tearing and then all the buttons come off and the shirt is ripped off his back. WOW! In his other movies, Sallu would always shed his shirt to show off his toned body, in this movie, the shirt does the needful, Sallu doesn’t need to do anything. After the climax, the shirt reappears on Sallu’s body.
How can I not write about THE item number. "Munni Badnam hui". The song is foot tapping enough. Malaika Arora Khan at her best(obviously since it’s her home production). It’s shot quite well. Don’t try to look for deeper meaning into the https://lyrics.there isn’t one. Actually Zandu balm instead of suing the production house for using their brand name should be paying them for free publicity. Zandu balm sales are going to skyrocket especially in UP. I mean you are getting Malaika Arora Khan sexily pouting the Zandu balm brand name. what more can you ask for!
I have said that I will recommend this movie. I do so for the following reasons:
1) It’s a complete masala bollywood film. you don’t need your brains with you. Make sure you keep them at home. or they will be taken off from your skull like the shirt from Sallu.
2) The music is foot tapping. The dances are the Govinda kind. all hip movements.
3) Please do not go to any multiplexes to watch this movie. Go to the old cinema house. where you still get audience who whistle to Sallu’s dialogues and who dance in the aisles during the Item numbers. Only then will you be able to enjoy this movie to it’s fullest.
4) The actors to watch out for are Sonakshi Sinha. This newcomer is good. She is very confidant and I feel that if she chooses her movies well and doesn’t opt to remain in the shadows and play a bimbette she will go places. Sonu Sood as the villian is good. Here’s an actor to watch out for, Real Talent. The surprise package was Arbaaz khan. He portrays the weak brother quite well. There is a vulnerability about him.
5) If you are a Sallu fan. go watch this movie. Sallu in all his glory.
To end this review I can only say if you are not into masala movies then just stay at home. don’t waste your money. You need to be dabangg(fearless) to sit through more than 2hrs and watch this movie.