- Date of Release: 19 March 2021
- Genre: Action, Drama
- Language: Hindi
- Watch On: Theatres only
Mumbai Saga
Introduction
Surprise Surprise, here I am with the review if the new theatrical release this weekend Mumbai Saga. The film is directed by Sanjay Gupta who has a whole filmography of Gangster Films be it Kaante or Shootout at Wadala or even Shootout At Lokhandwala which he had co-written. So where does Mumbai Saga fit in the list, stay tuned.
Story & Screenplay
Set in the 80s and loosely based on a true story, Mumbai Saga follows the rise and ultimate fall of a gangster Amartya Rao. The story is your routine gangster flick. If I were to rate the story of top Gangster films from Bollywood then Satya and Company would take the cake followed by Kaante and Shootout at Lokhandwala. This story falls many notches below the rest. There is zero novelty in the story. The screenplay is decently well penned. Firstly it is massy and so my prism of viewing a film will definitely change. I wouldn’t go into a film looking for a screenplay, I would be looking for entertainment and in that respect it is decent. I wasn’t bored while viewing it and can term it as a one time watch. The first half had its share of twists and turns, the second half is a touch slow but decently maintains pace. The climax though is a big letdown. Also the screen space shared between the two main leads is not enough which is a huge drawback. Also nothing that you haven’t already seen here, so keep your expectations low.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are massy and definitely cater to the front benchers. The music is below average but the BGM is pulsating and adds a lot of style to the drama. The cinematography is poor with so many wide angle shots which were really not required. Also the colour pallete of yellow throughout the runtime is a recipe for a disaster. Director Sanjay Gupta has done a fair job though he is at a risk of repeating himself.
Performances
The performances are good generally. Samir Soni as Sunil Khaitan has done a decent job. His wife playec by Anjana Sukhani has very little to do. Shaad Randhawa and Rohit Roy have a few moments to shine, they are good. Prateik Babbar as Arjun has done a good job here. Mahesh Manjrekar as Bhau is excellent. Amole Gupte as Gaitonde is also brilliant. Gulshan Grover and Sunil Shetty are wasted. Kajal Aggarwal as Seema does a fine job in a limited role. Emraan Hashmi as Vijay is superb even though his character is introduced way too late just before the half way mark. But this is an out and out John Abraham show. As Amartya Rao he is superb and hos physique is to die for. His act will cater to the masses.
Conclusion
Mumbai Saga has an age old formula gangster story backed by some good performances that make it a one time watch. Available at a theatre near you.