Jul 29, 2016 04:58 PM
112867 Views
Imagine if the star cricketer of Indian team gets kidnapped 48 hours before a crucial match. Imagine the pressure on the Indian government and the authorities to find the player at any cost before the match. And what if something happens to him? Who will be responsible and what will be the consequences? Dishoom deals with such a scenario and is primarily a tale of two cops who have to find the cricketer in a race against time. The plot gives the makers a lot of opportunity to come up with a hard-hitting and action-packed film. Sadly, they make limited use of the chance. The result: Dishoom is good but not great. Worth watching once!
The story of the movie: Cricketer Viraj Sharma(Saqib Saleem) gets kidnapped 48 hours before the crucial India vs Pakistan match at a Middle Eastern city where the match will be held. Kabir(John Abraham), a no-nonsense police offer, flies down to catch the culprit. He takes the help of a localite police officer, Junaid Ansari(Varun Dhawan) in finding Viraj. However, the task is immensely difficult. The kidnapper, Wagah(Akshaye Khanna) is quite smart and knows what he is upto. But Kabir and Junaid’s task becomes a tad easy when they bump into Ishika(Jacqueline Fernandez).
The best part about Dishoom among many other things is its pace. It is fast paced and what’s more, it’s just 124 minutes long. And it packs in a lot in these 2 hours. There are 2 songs – one during the opening credits and one during the end credits – and the third one, Sau Tarah Ke, obstructs the flow, but it’s very well shot and hence, viewers won’t mind. Also, it has already become a chartbuster. Viraj’s portions in the beginning are clapworthy. Also, it makes it clear that the film is a masala entertainer and that one should not apply too much of logic to the narrative. Things obviously get better when Kabir and Junaid enter the narrative. The chase sequences keep cropping up every now and then that keeps the interest going. The intermission point is quite something. Post-interval, the fun continues as the drama shifts to the Pashtun town. The film drops after a while but picks up dramatically during the dog and the bomb sequence.
Sadly, Dishoom has its share of blemishes. The film has the scale, high octane chase sequences and a lot more. But barring a few moments, it doesn’t really go on a high ever. The twist in the end makes for an exciting watch but the entire explanation of how the twist came about sadly takes the film down. The character of Kabir is unconvincing. Why is he so angry all the time? Junaid at least has a back story but no such explanation exists for Kabir. Also, the way Kabir makes Junaid his partner with hardly any opposition is a bit difficult to digest. Also, it’s rather too quick. The helicopter chase sequence could have been great but it’s too short. In fact, one wonders why the makers claimed it’s as long as 12 minutes when it’s hardly 3 minutes long. Not done!
Dishoom belongs to John Abraham and Varun Dhawan. John plays the role perfectly – it suits him very well. And he makes it look very dashing. Varun is very adorable as the naïve rookie cop and entertains with his one liners and antics. But the real fun is when both of them are together. Their bromance is damn good and would surely be loved and appreciated. Jacqueline Fernandez oozes oomph without revealing much. Her character however is weak and she is overall strictly okay. Akshaye Khanna is terrific especially in the pre-interval portions. It’s a pleasure to see him on the big screen, looking as energetic as he was before he took the 4 year sabbatical. Hope we get to see him more! Saqib Saleem essays the part very well bringing in the right amount of attitude and restrain. His scenes in the beginning and the end will be greeted with claps in single screens. Rahul Dev as always plays the part of the baddie nicely. Mona Ambegaonkar’s(External Affairs minister) Sushma Swaraj act is praiseworthy. Akshay Kumar is the best part of the film. He’s totally crazy and hats off to him for agreeing to play such a part! Parineeti Chopra is super-hot. Nargis Fakhri will take the breath away in her entry shot. Satish Kaushik(Qureshi) is only heard and not seen in the film and yet, he is immensely funny!
Pritam’s music goes well with the film’s mood. Sau Tarah Ke is the best followed by Toh Dishoom and Jaaneman Aah. Abhijit Vaghani’s background score enhances impact. Ayananka Bose’s cinematography as always is eye catching. Allan Amin and Stefan Richter’s action is spectacular but nothing new. However, what’s notable is that there are hardly any fights or hand to hand combat scenes. The action is mainly centered around chases. Rohit Dhawan and Tushar Hiranandani’s story is quite exciting and refreshing. But the screenplay could have been better and more exciting. Husain Dalal’s dialogues are naughty and funny and contribute to the humour quotient. Rohit Dhawan’s direction is fine but fails when it comes to hiding the minuses well. It is better than his previous outing Desi Boyz but the man has the potential. With the correct screenplay, he can come up with a rocking film. Here’s hoping he is equipped with an even better screenplay the next time he helms a project!
Some of the best scenes:
Viraj’s entry
Virat gets kidnapped and the government gets a shocking video
Entry of Kabir and Junaid
All scenes of Akshay Kimar
Ishika gets arrested
Wagah’s entry and flashback
The chase sequence in the Pashtun town
The twist in the end
The final scene
On the whole, Dishoom packs in a lot in 2 hours 4 minutes. Varun Dhawan and John Abraham’s bromance is the soul of the film while the storyline is very fresh and exciting. The chase sequences keep the interest going while the dramatic twist in the finale makes for a great watch. On the flipside, it is too quick at places and few developments are very unconvincing. Hence, the film at best is worth watching once. Even if the film’s plot and maar-dhaad doesn’t impress, Akshay Kumar’s cameo will surely put a smile on the viewers’ faces!
