Thugs Of Hindostan
“Thugs Of Hindostan Is Like A Mirror Image Of Kranti & Totally Disappointing”
Banner: Yash Raj Films
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya
Star Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Llyod Owen, Ronit Roy, Satyadev Kancharana, Ila Arun, Sharrrat Saxsena, Abdul Quadir Amin & Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub
Music: Ajay – Atul
Director Vijay Krishna Acharya, a screenplay writer cum director’s 1st ever outing was in the small screen arena. Then his 1st ever outing in the celluloid silver screen arena was with Tashan which of course proved to be a colossal disaster. In the interim phase he directed the “Dhoom” franchise which proved to be a moderate success to some extent but with his latest directorial offering Thugs Of Hindostan, Mr. Vijay Krishna Acharya has indeed driven a nail deep into his own directorial coffin.
Now time to dig the grave of Aditya Chopra & Yash Raj Films latest Diwali offering Thugs Of Hindostan. So a Diwali release is an event in itself. And this year, Amitabh Bachchan & Aamir Khan team up for the 1st ever time in the hugely awaited Thugs Of Hindostan. But of course it fails miserably.
So very disappointingly speaking Thugs Of Hindostan is the story of a group of rebels fighting the British. The year is 1795. The kingdom is ruled by a benevolent king (Ronit Roy). The evil Clive (Lloyd Owen) annexes the kingdom by treacherous means & even kills the king & the queen. The king’s guardian, Khudabaksh (Amitabh Bachchan), escapes with the king’s daughter Zafira (Fatima Sana Shaikh). 11 years later, Khudabakash, Zafira & their gang are now considered as the most dangerous thugs. They have already wrecked a lot of havoc in the lives of the Britishers. With no other option in hand, Clive summons Firangi Malla (Aamir Khan) to trace the whereabouts of Khudabaksh. Firangi Malla is a devious character & it’s difficult to trust him. Betrayal is his 2nd nature by his own admitted confession.With the help of his friend Shanichar (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub), Firangi Malla now devises a plan & enrolls into Khudabaksh’s army of thugs. What happens next forms the crux of the Thugs Of Hindostan’s story in a nutshell?
The story is formulaic oriented & utterly predictable. The writer could have done so much with the content but, sadly enough, he lets go of this golden opportunity. The screenwriting has some moments (especially in the 1st ever half), but the narrative loosens the grip as it progresses. Worse, too many cinematic liberties & a lifeless 2nd hour act as a roadblock. The dialogues are interesting, especially between the senior actors, but they are few & far between.
Vijay Krishna Acharya’s direction is shoddy. Frankly, speaking with such a poorly written material on hand, the director couldn’t have salvaged the show either. However, he does manage to make an impact in a few sequences, like Firangi Malla’s entry & sequences between Firangi Malla & Khudabaksh in the 1st ever hour are worth recalling. And then Khudabaksh’s entry would be greeted with seetis & taalis. Even Firangi Malla’s introduction is funny & keeps the interest going on. The interval point & prior to that, the confrontation & the action sequence involving the 2 actors is engaging.
Thugs Of Hindostan straight away reminds you of Manoj Kumar’s multi-starrer movie Kranti, released in the year 1981, almost 3 & a half decades ago, which remains a far more interesting & hugely entertaining movie made on the subject (a group of rebels fighting the Britishers) Besides Thugs Of Hindostan is also a mixed potpourri of many such films made in all language films. But Kranti at least boasted of memorable songs that hold tremendous recall value even to this date.
Not only this Ajay – Atul’s (of Marathi film Sairat fame) music is a total letdown. The supremely talented composers are not in form this time. Even the background score is jarring. Yet all said & done the cinematography is stunning, action sequences are well executed, production design is top notch. VFX should’ve been better, editing is uneven. The film could’ve done with a shorter run time.
Performance wise Aamir Khan plays to the gallery, but is letdown by writing. Also, at places, he tries too hard to be funny. Amitabh Bachchan delivers a powerful performance & towers above all. Fatima Sana Shaikh (of Dangal famre) fails to create the desired impact. Katrina Kaif is hardly there, barring 2 songs & a few sequences. Abdul Quadir Amin &Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub hams to the hilt. The 2 Britishers are caricaturish. Ila Arun is wasted. Ronit Roy is decent. Sharat Saxena gets no scope.
Tail Piece: On the whole, Thugs Of Hindostan has some engrossing moments in the 1st ever half, that’s about it. The post – interval portions are an absolute downer. The plot is formulaic, while the screenplay is riddled with cinematic liberties.
At the box-office turnstiles, Thugs Of Hindostan is bound to have a huge weekend thanks to the festive period coupled with the tremendous hype & the impressive star cast names involved. But once the initial euphoria settles down, it’ll be difficult for the film to sustain. This one is a golden opportunity lost, it’s like a king – sized disappointment!
