Director: Karan Malhotra
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Siddharth Malhotra, Jackie Shroff, Shefali Shah, Ashtosh Rana, Kiran Kumar, Ashok Lokhande et al & Kareena Kapoor – Khan in an item number.

Director Karan Malhotra in his last outing ‘Agneepath’ had made a really decent film. But his latest offering ‘Brothers’, which is an official remake of ‘Warrior’, leaves enough room for doubts. In a way he does not fully live up to the audience expectations. Besides the film has too much of blood & gore in the excessively violent street fights as well as the boxing ring fight sequences.

The loosely emotion less plotted scenario of ‘Brothers’ opens with the release of Gary (Jackie Shroff) from a jail after having served imprisonment for accidentally killing his wife Maria (Shefali Shah). Upon his release from the jail, he is received by his son Monty (Sidharth Malhotra). When Gary asks Monty about his elder son David (Akshay Kumar), the story goes into a flashback mode which reflects the past life of Gary and all the reasons & incidents that led him to be jailed. Realising his mistake, when Gary goes to David to ask for forgiveness for all his misdoings, David refuses to forgive him. David’s life now only revolves around his wife Jenny (Jacqueline Fernandez) and his 6 year old daughter Maria, who is suffering from a serious kidney ailment. It is for the treatment of Maria that David doubles up as a Physics professor as well as a street fighter. However, fearing the impression that he will leave on his students, the school authorities debar him from his job. This makes David furthermore helpless and street fighting becomes his only hope of survival. Around the same time, enters Peter (Kiran Kumar) who is all set to give the street fighting a much needed facelift in the form of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) by organising the world renowned ‘R2F’ tournament (Right To Fight) in India, which boasts of a prize money that amounts to a whopping Rs. 9 crores to the ultimate winner. Monty, who is already a street fighter, gets attracted to this contest while Paasha (Ashutosh Rana) signs up David as his fighter for the tournament. Monty receives all the possible training under his ex – fighter father Gary, on the other hand, knowing this is a lifetime opportunity David grabs it with both the hands. With no trainer guiding him, David starts his set of hardcore training for the deadly combat. The tournament begins and David & Monty beat their powerful opponents one after the other. After having defeated all the opponents, there comes a time when the final battle is between David & Monty and the one who ‘cripples’ the other will become the ultimate winner.

Incidentally speaking director Karan Malhotra deserves brickbats as wells kudos for this Hollywoodian remake. Brickbats, because he failed to convey the exact emotionalism quotient mainly because of the poorly scripted  characterisation. Kudos for his depiction of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and also in portraying the struggles of a middle class Indian family.

Performance wise Akshay Kumar tops the list, first as a Physics lecturer and then as a street fighter and of course as an emotionally charged father too who goes to all lengths, just to save his daughter’s life. But then he lacks conviction in portraying his angst against his own father. The next towering performance, in fact his career’s best act, has been delivered by none other than Jackie Shroff. Its sad that Siddharth Malhotra has been pitied against the 2 excellent performers namely Akshay Kumar & Jackie Shroff. Yet Sidharth Malhotra has stood his ground and delivered a credible performance. Jacqueline Fernandez as a de – glamorised mother, her career’s first, of a 6 year old ailing kid has delivered a very realistic & convincing performance. On the other hand Shefali Shah has delivered an excellent performance in her strong albeit briefest role. The other notable performances has come from seasoned actor’s like Kiran Kumar, Ashutosh Rana et al. By the way a special well – deserved mention must also be made of the child artistes
and the young actors who have played the childhood and the younger versions of Akshay Kumar & Siddharth Malhotra respectively.

Tail Piece: Strictly recommended for lovers of action films & fans of Akshay, Jacqueline & Siddharth. Period!