- Date of Release: 05 November 2021
- Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
- Language: Hindi
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Sooryavanshi
RATING
Introduction
Finally Police aa chuki hai!(Finally The Police Have Arrived). A film that was supposed to release in March 2020 before the pandemic delayed it to being rescheduled in April ’21 to again being rescheduled and now finally releasing on Diwali, Sooryavanshi has arrived. The hoopla around it was such that the makers kept delaying its release instead of opting for an OTT release and that decision has paid rich dividends! This is probably the second highest opener for an Akshay Kumar starrer. And if I am rambling, I cannot help it! The wait has been long for me and finally I have made it to the theatres and I cannot hold my excitement. And finally(yes finally), I have finished watching Sooryavanshi, another origin cop film in the Singham universe. Does it manage to live upto the massive expectations, stay tuned.
Story & Screenplay
You surely wouldn’t be watching Sooryavanshi for its story but here goes. This is the origin story of supercop Veer Sooryavanshi in the Singham universe where a mission to bomb Mumbai must be foiled. The story is routine and nothing new but for once I did not really care about the story! The screenplay standing at almost 3 hours might seem daunting in the beginning but it is fast paced and keeps you glued throughout. Unlike most Rohit Shetty movies, this one has a prelude and a structure to it which was great to watch as opposed to some mindless clutter of scenes to set the tone. Ofcourse our protagonist gets a stylish and whistle worthy introduction. The screenplay does not boast of any twists or turns that are unpredictable, if you are familiar with the world then you would know the pulse of the screenplay too. But it is highly entertaining and engrossing, be it the cop drama or the action sequences that are mounted brilliantly. Also, the religion issue is excellently tackled here with a good message at the end although I felt it to be slightly stretched as well. On the downside, the love story did not really work and certain sequences seemed to be repetitive. But heck, all is fine when you have Simmba and Singham joining in the fun to conclude the film ofcourse with Sooryavanshi. Overall, a predictable but entertaining screenplay!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are a mixed bag. I could literally point out the dialogues written by Farhad Samji that try to introduce a little humour even in some serious sequences. But to be fair, some jokes land too and some dialogues are quirky and clap worthy. The music comprises of a bunch of remakes and Aila Re Aila stands tall amongst them. The BGM is perhaps on power with the other Akshay Kumar starrer Bell Bottom and is enthralling and exciting. The cinematography particularly in action scenes is excellent. Director Rohit Shetty really knows the pulse of the audience and he yet again delivers the goods be it the trademark car chases or scorpios turning over or the trademark entry of the three protagonists – he throws in everything to sure entertainment which is guaranteed here. Also creating a cop-verse ain’t easy and he does a great job with it! Overall a job well done!
Performances
The performances are pretty good. There are excellent cameos by Jackie Shroff, Gulshan Grover, Sikander Kher, Kumud Mishra and Nikitan Dheer who are excellent. The two girls Haelyn Shastri and Niharica Raizada are good in a limited scope that they have. Jackie Shroff seemed to be wasted here but probably he will have a more significant role in the next film of the franchise. Abhimanyu Singh was good but the film probably lacked a powerful antagonist. Yes, there were plenty of them here but no one who could take on the protagonist(remember Jaykant Shikre in Singham?). Katrina Kaif as Aditi does a good job but this is an alpha male dominated universe and so she does get limited scope only. I was really impressed with Vivan Bathena who had a great screen presence and does a terrific job despite not being a lead here. Anil Charanjeett is hilarious in a cameo and I can’t help but praise his impeccable comic timing here too. Jaaved Jaaferi is well under control here and doesn’t go overboard. The main players Singham and Simmba aka Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh add a lot of star value especially in the extended climax that spans more than 45 minutes. Particularly Ranveer Singh who was terrific and just nailed some of the one liners. But the show belonged to Akshay Kumar who shines as Sooryavanshi. He was totally in his elements and it was almost like him paying a homage to himself from the 90s. Some of the stunts that he performs is outrageous and brilliant and it oozes of some machizmo!
Conclusion
Sooryavanshi is the mass masala entertainer that welcomes the audience back to the cinema. Do not look for story or logic, just enjoy its cinematic experience, you won’t be disappointed, go have a blast! Available in theatre near you and premiers on Netflix on 3rd December. Take your pick either way!