Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 1st May, 2015
Time : 130 minutes
Director : Krish; Writer : Rajat Arora (remake of Ramana by A R Murugadoss);
Music : Chirantan Bhatt, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Manj Musik
Starring : Akshay Kumar, Shruti Hassan, Suman Talwar, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sunil Grover
Five Reasons Why You Should Watch Gabbar
1. It’s on the right topic – corruption in our country has become so ubiquitous we don’t even notice it, think about it anymore – and it truly is an evil that needs to be eradicated
2. The solution suggested – ie we individually have to get up and do something about it – not just start a chat group or hashtag on Twitter but actually shake off our inertia and take some concrete steps. Our politicians, bureaucrats & big businessmen are living in too much of a cozy “You scratch my back, I scratch yours” relationship to ever really break things up. Different political solutions have been tried and failed – each one has vested interests…
3. Akshay gives a decent performance – manages to be understated even while delivering the crowd-pleasing lines. Jaideep and Sunil, both of whom play cops, also lend credibility to their roles
4. The story remains reasonably true to the topic – a crusade against corruption. Few diversions do come up (a back story, a romantic angle), but thankfully it doesn’t stray too far. There is also a hospital sequence that was great fun, will resonate with many!
5. One song – Teri Meri Kahani – is sung and pictured very nicely! Enjoyed watching it for a change – else normally songs in most Hindi films are a great moment to catch up with the rest of the world for the audience.
Five Reasons Why You Should Not Watch Gabbar
1. There is nothing really new in the film. Nothing not seen in five hundred films on corruption, one-man crusades, revenge sagas. Not a single new thought or visual. Action wise – it’s the same old – people flying all over the place with the aid of cables, dialogue-wise, it really couldn’t get cheesier than some of the lines (Hamara system baby ke diaper ki tarah ho gaya hai – kahin se geela aur kahin se dheela!)
2. Lots of things really stretch credibility. The size of his team / staunch supporters, the college angle, the kind of people he manages to catch & kill with impunity – all of this beggars belief. And he, of course, acquires miraculous powers when he chooses, decimating gangs of villains single-handedly…
3. Our cops have to be the dumbest in the world – they really are shown to be the sort who literally sit with their heads in their hands, and eat samosa with lal chutney, while top officials get kidnapped and killed around them. Even their top CBI guy seems clueless on what specifically to do…
4. What is Shruti Hassan doing here? What is her role – apart from one song in Lavasa, what does she really bring to the party? Wonder why film-makers feel forced to add an unnecessary romantic track. I also thought Suman made for a very weak villain…quite ordinary…
5. There is a really crass, crude, vulgar item song – Aao Raja – starring my one time hot favourite Chitrangda (of all people). Am surprised with the kind of visuals and lyrics it has (and it wasn’t even needed in the film, was a kind of force-fit), the film got away with a less than A rating. And why, pray why, Chitrangda, are you stooping to this level?
Overall, I went with really low expectations but the film, thankfully, wasn’t all that bad, or maybe my standards have dropped in terms of what Hindi commercial, masala films can deli.
Review Written By- Apurv Nagpal, Author of Eighteen Plus
