Banner: Bhansali Productions
Produced: Sanjay Leela Bhansali & Shabina Khan
Director: Krish
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Shruti Haasan, Suman Talwar, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sunil Grover, Ishita Vyas, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Chitrangda Singh & Ravi kapoor
Music: Chirantan Bhatt, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Manj Musik & Sandeep Chowta
Débutante director Radhakrishna Jagarlamudi aka Krish in his debut directorial offering ‘Gabbar Is Back’ has tackled the currently ongoing trend of corruption. But trying to make even the character naming comparison with the cult classic of the year 1975’s ‘Sholay’ was his biggest folly. In any case the film has nothing to do neither with the film ‘Sholay’ nor with its varied famous characters including Gabbar. And by the way the film ‘Gabbar Is Back’ is a remake of director Krish’s own Telugu film ‘Ramanna’.
The carelessly and boredom oriented scenario kickstarts with a very righteous man, Professor Aditya (Akshay Kumar) and his tryst with corruption. He is on a mission to infuse a sense of purpose & hope amongst his students in ‘National College’, the place where he teaches the 5 elements of survival, in both, theory as well as practicals. Besides being a professor, he is also a vigilante who functions under the name of ‘Gabbar’. He and his team inject fear amidst the corrupt officers. The main mission of his team is to eliminate the corrupt individuals, from all the spheres of life, but, in a systematic manner. When he’s not bashing up the bad guys, Prof. Aditya also finds time to go on coffee dates with Devaki (Shruti Haasan). There is also a back story of Aditya that finds him romancing his wife (Kareena Kapoor – Khan) and how tragedy strikes him, courtesy industrialist Digvijay Patil (Suman Talwar). While the laidback police officials are unable to nab Gabbar, it takes an enterprising ‘English speaking’ constable Sadhu (Sunil Grover) to get the vital clues & leads about the whereabouts of Gabbar and his team. The only problem with Sadhu is that, because he is a ‘driver’, none of his superiors take him seriously and always belittle him. Amidst all this, when the police & the government land up in a very tight spot because of their inability to nab Gabbar, they hire a razor-sharp topcop, who vows to nab Gabbar at any cost. And when he sees Sadhu’s clues of nabbing Gabbar, he immediately offers him all the support that he needs.
Director Radhakrishna Jagarlamudi aka Krish has done a complete hotch potch in ‘Gabbar Is Back’. Though his intention of tackling corruption was noble. But he lacks finnesse in his directorial skills. It comes out as a loud and over the top exercise in sheer boredom.
Performance wise Akshay Kumar as usual tops the list. He carries the film on his sole shoulder but still…….something is amiss. But of course his switch from comic & action to meaningful roles is praise worthy. Shruti Haasan is the latest glam doll of Bollywood minus any histrionics capabilities. For a change the comic actor Sunil Grover of ‘Comedy Nights With Kapil’ is a scene stealer as a cop. Suman Talwar fails to impress as a villain. While the rest of the characters like Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishita Vyas, Chitrangda Singh & Ravi kapoor are so so. And of course Kareena Kapoor Khan in a cameo as Akshay Kumar’s wife leaves a lasting impression.
Tail Piece: ‘Gabbar Is Back’ is a strictly avoidable fare.
