The Master, Charles Sobhraj(71), himself’ll be proud of Randeep Hooda(39) for bringing forth his notoriety with complete honesty. Not an easy task to do considering Charles was born in Vietnam and is a French national with cases in India, Nepal, Thailand, and Malaysia. Charles may even wish to meet Hooda but latter be careful! Enacting a role and meeting in real will be a choice between life and death. So!
And this is where a true artist leaves his mark. Hooda goes through the makeup and body language as if it was he. The smooth operator has no mercy for anyone, be it the girls who just fall for his fatal charm or the cops. He gives them the same treatment.
His motive is money and good life. In the 70s’ Delhi with Dev Anand’s HARE RAMA HARE KRISHNA hippy culture and bell bottoms, he fits in comfortably. But a devious mind is at work and it sets the ball rolling.
R Indian cops an able match to maestro’s mechanisms? Well, he escaped from a high-security Tihar prison to Goa. This is the journey of a free wheeling-dealing psychopath, who has no connect with the real world.
The movie is high on style and flaunders on the narrative but who cares when Hooda is maneuvering the boat so skillfully. It is Hooda’s show all the way. It’s a pleasure to watch him be the devil in contrast to his cop act in KICK(2013).
In the dual personality of a serpent and also the snake-charmer, Hooda brings a new facet to add to Bollywood villainy. He personifies death and his victims love him. And he doles out justice to each one of them until.he is caught.
And the story goes on. He is not a myth but a legend that has been accorded a celebrity sratus. Pooja Bhatt started this venture titling BAD but gave it up mid-way.
The movie may be slow to find its groove but once it takes over, u’ll hardly let it go. The serpent woos u. R u ready.