Shamshera, directed by Karan Malhotra, brings together two of the most adored actors in Bollywood in, Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt, for the very first time on the big screen. It is an interesting combination, mainly due to the fact that Ranbir’s previous blockbuster film, Sanju, is a biopic of Dutt. So, with the massive hype around the project, this movie just did not take off at any point.
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Set in the 19th century, the movie begins with Shamshera, a free-spirited dacoit who gets killed by an evil Indian cop Shuddh Singh, who works for the British Raj. Shamshera’s son, Balli, discovers the truth about his dad’s death and decides to complete his father’s incomplete assignment, which is to free his imprisoned tribe. However, he and his girlfriend encounter a few deadly challenges along the way.
My main problem with Shamshera is that it is grossly outdated, with mixed references from masala films from the past. The story from Neelesh Misra and Khila Bisht spared no formulas and formed a huge mess. For example, Balli would get shot three times from a meter’s distance and still manages to stand back and fight again. On the complete contrary, Shuddh Singh faints just after a few belt pelts. The screenplay, written by Ekta Pathak Malhotra and Karan Malhotra also did not do the movie any favors.
Moving on to the performances, Ranbir Kapoor, four years after his top-notch performance in Sanju, settles to a very forceful and mediocre dual character portrayal. YRF’s homegrown talent, Vaani Kapoor carries more variations in her dance moves than her expressions. Most importantly, she is miscast and fits the look of a fashionable 2022 girl rather than a 19th Century. Sanjay Dutt looked like he was just there for the pay cheque. Even a theatre giant like Saurabh Shukla was wasted alongside Ronit Roy.
There were a few positives, one of them being the background score by Mithoon. The songs are a little bland considering the period, but you cannot expect modern hits in a period drama, right? The cinematography of Anay Goswamy will take you back to pre-independence era Bollywood films. Remember those close-up shots? A little shaky and curved? Shamshera displays all of them one after the other to make your IMAX screen look like an ONIDA TV.
Karan Malhotra debuted with a super hit in Agneepath and then shot his own foot with a remake in Brothers. And with Shamshera, his career graph further declines down to the abyss. In reality, Malhotra plays a better bad guy by destroying the film when compared to Sanjay Dutt’s character. All in all, this movie is a complete waste of a massive cast and a big budget. Yash Raj Films, one of the biggest production houses in B-town manages to deliver their fourth disaster in a row, all in a span of ten months.
Review by @samthebestest_
Edited by Surya Komal
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