Plot Checkmate : Review of Wazir

"Khel khel mein, khel khel ke, khel khel ye aa jaega"

Amitabh Bachchan has reached a long distance in his career and experimented with a plethora of roles. He’s played drunkards, patriarchs, gangsters, American gangsters, progeriacs, and Dhanush's voice. So character-wise, there isn’t actually much ground left to cover. So what should be done about it? Then someone went, “I know! Let’s make him a drunken amputee! Who plays Shatranj!! That should do the trick.”

At the first look, Wazir seems like an ambitious project; with Vidhu Vinod Chopra producing and co-writing it with Abhijat Joshi, and Bejoy Nambiar at the helm of affairs, with Farhan Akhtar and Big B in the lead. It starts of as one too. Danish Ali (Akhtar) is a cop who has lost his daughter at the hands of a terrorist and wishes to have revenge upon the organisation responsible. Omkar Nath Dhar a.k.a. Panditji (Big B) shares a similar loss, albeit apparently at the hands of a high ranking politico. A friendship sparks off between the two, which is tested when Panditji life is endangered by an unknown mastermind who calls himself Wazir (Neil Nitin Mukesh).

Going by the above statements, half the people would laugh their guts out at the very mention of Neil’s name. But make no mistake, in the small span of screen time that Neil had, there was actually some commendable output provided by him, with some crisp, evil, dialogue delivery, and a slightly putting-on edge maniac-ish persona. And I know I take a risk when I say this... but I was actually disappointed at the fact that he was not in the movie more (THERE! I said it!!).

Talking disappointments, let’s talk about the plot.

On second thought, let’s just not. Wafer-thin, and not as thrilling as the trailers made it out to be, half the people will have guessed the twist way before it even happens. The filmmakers are not completely at fault there. As audiences, we have become so used to twist-endings and suspenses, that now, we start getting all Sherlock-y the minute a movie starts. BUT, then again, at least one (read: the filmmakers) can cover up the holes on their end, holes being the numerous points where the story of Wazir had been leaking about and passing key points of information that were supposed to be kept locked till the opportune moment. Even the climax though not completely flaccid, fused out way earlier and way sleepier than the audience could realise.

Nonetheless, one really cannot criticise this film on the acting front. Farhan is supposed to look like a tough, impulsive cop, and he fits the bill. Big B is supposed to look like a man on a wheelchair, and Voila! Special praise is due to Manav Kaul who plays a political figure with a mysterious background, and a creepy daughter (Come to think of it, there are a LOT of daughters in this film). John Abraham makes a cameo as a govt. agent, borrowing much from his reel self in Madras Cafe. Even his presence was cut down abruptly (I know it’s a cameo, but seriously?)

 

VERDICT – 2 ½ out of 5 stars.

(Coincidence! Throughout the film Amitabh ranted about the 2 & a 1/2 moves of the ghoda (knight)). 

The game of Chess, or shatranj (the urdu name stressed upon throughout the film) has close to 69 trillion possible moves in one single game. So one could reasonably assume that if a good player should not do something, it is to inadvertently reveal his gameplan mid-play. Wazir fails to work upon that basic prerequisite, and thus falls short of being the suspense thriller it was expected to be. And believe me, there were expectations. 

Punjabi Titanic - The Bugle's Verdict : Dil Dhadakne Do

The Akhtar family comes up with another movie about rich people, tied up in social as well as psychological complexities and difficulties, and how they finally come out of it. We have seen it in Dil Chahta Hai. We have seen it in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and yet again, we see it here, in Dil Dhadakne Do. 

The movie is a peep into the crazy, flamboyant world of the upper-class gentry, and proof that however rich one may get, it shouldn’t be presumed that they can rid themselves of their original (Read: crass, orthodox and extremely short-sighted) mentality and adopt serious class. We are talking about people who gave gender inequality its original definition.

Throughout the film, all the people are shown putting down females and using them as a means to make better their corporate or social standing. Boys are married off to businessmen’s single daughters to receive some sort of corporate dowry shares and whatnot. Let’s not delve way too deep into the details.

Stranded in this scenario are the lead pair, Ranveer Singh and reel sister, Priyanka Chopra, with Farhan Akhtar and Anushka Sharma acting as the winds of change. So no new territory for Anushka too. 

Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh and Anil – the 3 anchors of this extremely talented ship. Priyanka plays the hero and the victim at the same time. When all others, including Ranveer are cowering behind their designated comfort zones, Chopra acts as the pillar of reason and sense to drag people back to reality and sanity, whose absenteeism can be seen in both areas. But simultaneously, she is being crushed mentally by her authoritative husband, played by Rahul Bose, and her unconcerned parents. Ranveer plays the confused son who has been forced into the family business empire while his heart lies somewhere else entirely. He looks extremely smooth, and pulls off the role of the immature and bubbling man easily. In this Indian version of the Titanic, he’s Rose and Anushka is Jack.

By the way, are all free-spirited girls of the Akhtar-verse from London? (Anushka here, Katrina in ZNMD, etc.)

Anil Kapoor is the best and I just can’t say it enough! He is so good, that all his previous sins, MI:4 for instance, are forgiven. There is a scene where Priyanka declares her intentions for divorce, and Anil Kapoor shouts at her. Imagine the time when your father got the angriest at you in your extended memory. Multiply that by 2. Angry Anil was a step ahead of THAT! He had Priyanka as well as the entire audience shaking in their shoes in awe (and a touch of fear).

Somehow, watching the film, I was recalling Anil playing Majnu in Welcome. It is a testament to the diversity of roles the man has bagged in his kitty. He looks oh-so-good as the grey-haired, flamboyant businessman, Kamal Mehra.

A question though: Are Punjabis crazy or are Punjabis crazy? Because that is the idea that DDD seems to be promoting. Well, in their defence, the entire industry wishes to promote that idea, and the Akhtars might have just exaggerated it a bit (Not that I’d know. I’m not a Punjabi). In the previously mentioned divorce scene, Anil Kapoor asks Priyanka, “Dono young ho. Successful ho. Punjabi ho. Squash bhi khelte ho. To phir problem kya hai?” (You both are young, successful, Punjabi and play squash as well. So what is the problem). Yes.  According to him, as long as the bride and groom are Punjabis, there can be no marital problem. And the irony is that all of his extended family and friends are depicted in the same manner.

Rahul Bose is great, as usual, playing a character with grey shades. He, however, does not look even remotely Punjabi.

Despite the few clichés that this film contains, it was some of the most genuine fun I had this year. There may be times when this ship sinks under the weight of its overlarge star-cast, but eventually it is safely anchored, and knows its way about the story, never losing track of the narrative.  

Aamir Khan makes a surprise appearance too. Further, we shall not reveal.

VERDICT - 3 ½ out of 5 stars.

Good movie. Great actors. The film is quite comic, and not in the typical slapstick, Bollywood manner. Though it drags at points, it gains speed and keeps you glued to the tale of its almost eccentric characters. As usual, we see some really good, hummable songs, especially ‘Girls like to Swing’ and ‘Gallan Goodiyaan’.