Singham Returns has been released on Independence Day to reiterate the fact that cinema in India will never be independent. The only form of cinema that will find a release and be successful at the box office is bound to the shackles of mainstream Bollywood. There will never be an indie Gandhi – there will only be a mainstream Bajirao Singham.
The thing about films like Singham Returns is, they never surprise you. If we consider the Expectations vs Reality split screen ( from 500 Days of Summer) , Singham Returns plays out exactly the same in both the sides of the screen. You walk in expecting a mostly tacky, completely stupid movie with no sense of footing, charm or humour, and you get exactly that. Director Rohit Shetty has certainly had a wonderful box office run over the past few years with his brand of cinema, and no one can blame him for sticking to his formula.
But after a point one can’t help but humbly request Mr Shetty to offer us something other than a product that renders a blinding migraine.
Singham Returns is a sequel toSingham like Night Eyes 2 was a sequel to Night Eyes 3. It’s the exact same film, with a bit more action. There is a bit of horror too, like Kareena Kapoor’s acting and character development, and the computer graphics. Plus there are added layers of social commentary, moral science, women’s empowerment slogans and existential angst.
None of these are executed with subtlety because Mr Shetty believes transferring information to audiences requires direction and sound executed at approximately the intensity of the sun’s core. Social commentary is delivered via bawling vidhwas.
Moral science is rendered via a screaming and lathi-wielding mother. Women’s empowerment is established right before showcasing Kareena’s supremely dumb character ( which ends up being more offensive than empowering to women) . Existentialist angst is produced by Mahesh Manjrekar playing a politician who has no choice but to support the corrupt. Some of the angst is in Ajay Devgn’s Singham, but most of it is to be found in the minds audiences when they realize they’re watching yet another ’80s’ film in 2014.