Special Chabbis

After having watched "A Wednesday" by Neeraj Pandey innumerable times, I stepped into the cinema hall with high expectations from his latest movie Special Chabbis. And Pandeyjee has managed to pull off another amazing entertainer with a fast-paced & exciting plot. This is one of those movies which keeps on lingering in your mind even after the climax and you keep going back to the brilliant sequence of events and how they were executed throughout the plot.

The movie is set in 1987 based on a true incident when a person posed as a fake CBI officer and robbed a famous jeweller at the Opera House in Mumbai. This incident forms the basis of the plot and how a group of conmen conduct false raids as CBI or IT officials to con politicians, businessmen and high profile people to rob them of their money. These heists are never reported as most of the money is black money and none of these high profile people want to be in the news for wrong reasons.

Neeraj Pandey after his directorial debut with A Wednesday completely redeems himself with Special Chabbis and reaffirms his position as a master director. He is definitely not a one film wonder and a director to watch out for in the future. The best and the most noticeable part of the film is the period that it has been set in. 1980's have been very effectively portrayed in the movie, whether it was the cars running on the roads or the streets of Delhi especially well known areas like the Connaught Place, whether it was the print style of the newspapers or the clothes and jewellery worn by the actors. The whole movie seems to be set in 1980 and all credit goes to the art director along with the director. I am still wondering how he shot in the heart of Delhi with all these props from the 80s.

The casting is perfect and each character in the ensemble of great actors delivers are powerful performance. Akshay Kumar has always been a great actor for me despite critics and so-called intelligent viewers writing him off. As the linchpin of the team he is subtle, intelligent and still manages to be funny in his own earthly way. This is definitely another feather in his cap with his long list of successful movies. Anupam Kher as a vulnerable supporter of the leader and a lustful old man (considering his long line of children) is superb and reminds of a perfect Punjabi uncle. Rajesh Sharma (Munjal from the movie Khosla ka Ghosla) as the third character fits perfectly into the well oiled team as the big guy from a Purani Dilli joint family. Kishore Kadam as the oppressed husband though a reserved role makes an impact. Jimmy Shergill's portrayal of a frustrated suspended police officer is very believable and you can't fail but empathize with the character of Sub- Inspector Ranveer Singh. But, Manoj Bajpayee is the actor which never ceases to amaze me. You put him any role and he shines, sometimes more than the protagonist. As a no nonsense CBI officer he again steals the show and gives another honest performance worth a standing ovation. Kajal Aggarwal (from Singham) is a pretty girl and looks pretty, however her character's contribution to the story is a little frivolous.

The climax hits you in typical Neeraj Pandey style which I am sure is fast becoming his signature style in his movies. Full marks to him for great direction, amazing portrayal of all characters, great plot, superb casting and above all perfect detailing.

Go and watch it, and I definitely can again. This one definitely lived up to my expectations and left me hungry for more (I waited till the end of casting hoping there would be another surprise scene at the end).

An amazing movie with a very good twist in both the starting and the climax part. All actors have performed well and the movie is worth watching. The amazing weekend blockbuster starring Akshay Kumar, Kajal Aggarwal and supporting actors Manoj Bajpay, Anupam Kher and Jimmy Shergill. This movie marks the comeback of the greatest action star Akshay Kumar in his amazing comic role + serious role. This movie depicts four characters who looted the money of rich people like ministers and jewelery shop owners who were corrupt by claiming themselves to be CBI and in other case as Income Tax Dept. This issue is shown in the movie which refers to actual occurrence of such robberies in the 1980's in India.

After A Wednesday, Neeraj Pandey is back with an intelligent script on a true life incident against corruption. It is a story of con men who looted black money of politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen by posing either as CBI or income tax officials. Power of this flick lies in tight script with a last minute twist. This is a perfect answer to Ocean franchise, we can expect sequel as well. After a long time, Akki shows his acting talent in totally new avtaar. Anupam & Jimmy plays his role very well. Manoj is full of power & very well lifted his role. There is no need of female character in script. Loose Point: songs, as there is no need to waste 10-12 precious minutes. Best Dialogue: Asli Power dil me hoti h. Last Words: It is an intelligent movie with best performances. You would not regret watching.

Finally 2013 has its first Awesome movie. Its been an year with all crappy movies so far. Special 26 steals the show easily.

The characters and actors have been so well chosen. Each actor has got the perfect character. The casting could not have been better than this. The direction is superb. So is the Art Direction. The story does not lag anywhere. So its a superb story with some really good editing.

Talking about actors -

Akshay Kumar - comes out of his day to day roles of khiladi and joker stuff. This is serious cinema which makes him a complete actor.

Anupam Kher - reminds everyone that he is still very much the same awesome actor as the one in 90s.

Jimmy Sheirgill - chooses the right kind of role finally. He perfectly fits the role of SI Ranvir Singh and also fits well in the 1987 plot.

Manoj Bajpai - as good as ever. Special 26 ka CBI inspector Waseem Khan is as good as Wasseypur ka Sardar Khan.

Kavya - hardly any role for her. Shes in the movie for songs only.

Divya Dutta - standard supportive role. does well.

Others - very well done.

Art direction for Delhi steals the show. the 1987 Delhi has been brought alive. details have been worked out well. 1987 Mumbai disappointed. I guess it was very tough to recreate that so the director and the VFX team chose the green screen. Thats the shoddiest part of the movie and hence i gave the 9/10 and not a full tenner.

Verdict : The movie can definitely been seen more than once at a theater if you get the tickets. It is gonna be a houseful for some days.

"A Wednesday" made me watch this and boy, was I surprised? Was I entertained? Hell yes, Special 26 is 2013's first serious cinema with no cheap humor, ridiculous stunt sequences or the typical B'wood masala. While Akshay Kumar is known for Housefull & Rowdy Rathore, this one plays different with a sharp plot-driven story and an even amazing execution on a real-life incident!

Cut out the romance, and this is one gripping, fabulously woven heist drama parallel to what we see in Hollywood flicks. Anupam Kher couldn't get more thespian while Jimmy Shergill & Manoj Bajpayee complement the cast. Direction, screenplay (so that you don't get bored through 2.5 hours), score, acting and every other film factor is thoroughly scrutinized in this. Now, what's even more Special about this movie is that - since the time gap between decent, "movie-wala" movies is so vast, that you just can't get enough of it. Paisa Vasool!

Originality in the thefts, corruption, authentic depiction of Indian locations and what-not, I could praise this movie and write a book moreover because it is 2013's one decent try.

BOTTOM LINE: I should not reveal much and spoil the broth. Because Special 26 cannot be missed. 100% Recommended but if you are a logic- ridden cinema-goer, you may despise it! Except some dumb plot holes and serious anachronisms, it is a good thriller. But don't expect it anywhere near to what "A Wednesday" was. 10/10

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Language: Mediocre | Sex & Nudity: No | Violence: No | Smoking, Alcohol & Drugs: No