‘THUGS OF HINDUSTAN’ (TOH) is an utter disappointment. In a year where offbeat subjects and films like ‘Bhadhai Ho‘ is making the audience get back to cinema, Thugs of Hindostan experience may hold them away from theatres.
‘Thugs of Hindostan’ got nothing new.
THUGS OF HINDOSTAN
When the Britishers kill the king and Queen, the loyal, brave warrior Khudabaksh (Amitabh Bachchan) takes the young princess Zafira (Fatima Sana Shaikh) under his protection. He sole aim is to regain the freedom for India and maybe install the princess in her rightful place. Britishers fail to find Khudabakash who now goes with the name Aazad. They hire Firangi (Aamir Khan) to track Azaad’s gang and deliver it to them. Rest you can guess.
‘Thugs of Hindostan’ give all the wrong cues.
Aamir is joyful playful and cunning character of Kajal eyed Firangi Mallah. He is the one whose services are there for sale. He has no regret and no qualms in changing sides. As he says, deceit is his behaviour. He seeps into his character and brilliant in certain scenes.
It is promoted as an Amir Khan and Katrina Kaif movie. Aamir Khan is understandable, but Katrina Kaif! She is a mere Item girl in the film. And yes she dances well as only she can dance, but you do end up questioning choreographer reliance on contemporary Bollywood moves for the period movie.
Amitabh Bachchan is in his familiar territory playing to the gallery in semi Shenshah and Allahrakha role. He delivers his part and rules the screen in Thug of Hindostan. Fatima Sana Shaikh is impressive in her stoned non-expressive face (a need for the role) and well-executed stunts. It’s like the huge garage you see in a big bungalow and find out that the only thing it holds is an old kids tricycle.
‘Thugs of Hindostan’ is too long for comfort.
When you don’t really have a story, you depend upon impact creating action sequences and larger than life amplified characters. Well, TOH fails in all parameters. It never rises to the set expectation of first Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan film. The film at 165 minutes is too long, and it anyway fails to hold your attention.
Not everything lost for ‘Thugs Of Hindostan’.
The cinematography (Manush Nandan) is excellent. The fight scenes are well choreographed and shot. The stunts are worth every penny spent on them. The Katrina item numbers are lavish and may give the movie a flip among specific audience class.
‘Thugs of Hindostan’ is a commercial success.
A 7000 screen release in the long post-Diwali weekend with satellite rights already sold, it will recover the investment in the weekend itself. It may dip on Saturday and Sunday with the justified negative response and feedback from the audience.
Produced by Aditya Chopra and Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya,
Thugs of Hindostan is a movie you could avoid.
Blog/69/movie/10/2018
