There is a difference between thrillers by Abbas Mustan and
thrillers by Sriram Raghavan. In the former it is a whodunit situation. In the
latter it is sheer thrill. In Johnny Gaddaar(just like in Ek Hasina Thi) the
viewer knows who the ‘gaddaar’ is right at the beginning. And then begins a
tale of crime, betrayal and murder. Heavily borrowing from the noir genre of
films, Johnny Gaddaar belongs to the director and no one else. The story is
filled with murders of different types, some accidental, some intentional and
some vengeful.
Story:
The story starts with one of the gang members Seshadri
[Dharmendra] getting an offer to make a fortune in four days. All the gang
members [they’re five in all] are up for it as this is the deal that will catapult
them into the big league.
The youngest member of the gang Vikram [Neil Mukesh] plans to disappear to some
unknown city and start his own life with his love Mini [Rimi Sen], when a
devilish thought crosses his mind. What if he grabs the entire jackpot? Vikram
decides to double cross his partners.
Performances:
Director Sriram Raghavan took a risk by taking a new comer
as the central character but Neil does not let him down. Neil does a good job
as a young member who is caught in various unforeseen circumstances. The only
let down could possibly be his meek voice but that cannot be improved upon.
Dharmendra as Seshadri is damn good. He looks like a sensitive, mature man who
is a good team leader. Vinay Pathak takes up a role that is most unexpected of
him…one of a gambler and does well. He has his comic moments which we all know
him to be an expert at. Zakir Hussain who was in Raghavan’s debut film ‘Ek
Hasina Thi’ as well does a good job as an insensitive slub owner who knows
nothing about investments and loves being a wannabe. Daya Shetty is hardly
there. Ashwini Kalsekar does a wonderful job, a talented actress that she is.
Rimi Sen is just about alright but that is largely due to the constraints of
her role. Govind Namdeo is good in a short role.
Pros:
1) Screenplay
and direction are possibly the biggest positives of a film and Johnny Gaddaar
has that to its advantage. The story moves fast and you don’t get bored for a
minute.
2) Well
etched characters and good casting is another huge scoring point for this well
made thriller. Everyone fits his/her role to a T except possibly Rimi Sen who
barely has a role.
3) No
songs. Yes, the film has no songs which means the viewer does not lose focus or
deviate on the central plot even once.
4) Great
cinematography by Muraleedharam C.K. who has earlier shot films like ‘Naina’,
‘Ek Hasina Thi’ and ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’. He uses many close-up shots and mid-shots
to provide maximum tension. An essential in a thriller.
5) Fabulous
lighting adds to the effect of some scenes…like the one where Rimi walks down
the back stairs from Zakir Hussain’s office.
Cons:
1) The scene where Dharmendra is shot is taken very
simplistically. Who on earth would leave the gun on a table like that after
discovering the ‘gaddaar’.
Good scenes:
Actually all scenes are good. But if I were forced to
choose….
1) The
train sequence between Daya Shetty and Neil Mukesh.
2) The
scene when Dharmendra discovers who the ‘gaddaar’ is.
3) The
climax.
My Verdict:
A definite recommendation for lovers of noir films. Johnny
Gaddaar does not disappoint. It makes a few points clear…. ‘CRIME NEVER PAYS’
and ‘MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL’. Do watch it ASAP.