Dishoom

This adventure has some good action for fans of that genre, but it seems logic wasn't invited.

When a popular Indian cricketer is kidnapped by an unknown assailant, the government sends Kabir (Abraham), a no-nonsense, disobedient, and beasty special ops officer, to Abu Dhabi to salvage the situation. He teams up with Junaid (Dhawan), a fledgling cop with a comic nerve. Together, they trace the cricketer's last known whereabouts, which becomes the foundation of the story.

The first ten minutes will intrigue anyone who is interested in thrillers, but Kabir's entry with the arrogant, to-the-work attitude plays with our patience. To add to the annoyance comes Junaid in his perpetually oversmart air, trying to find humor in every effing thing around him. The narrative throws in characters and special appearances like that malfunctioning automatic tennis ball thrower which does not stop at all. We have Akshay Kumar playing a homosexual man who wants to see the protagonists in their unmentionables, Jacqueline Fernandez who plays a small-time, identity-stealing thief, Rahul Dev as a left hand guy, and finally Akshaye Khanna in a role that he portrays quite smoothly. Be that as it may, the character thrower does not stop even towards the end. And over everything, everyone in Abu Dhabi seem to understand and be able to converse in Hindi.

Dishoom is just another of the mindless action comedies that rely on the lead actors' muscles and lead actresses' clefts; why else would they cast Nargis Fakhri in a 20-second role? There are a couple of twists and turns towards the second half which has the ability to keep the audience partially hooked. However, at the end of the whole charade, one WILL ask if it was worth it. And the answer will most probably be on the negative.

Abraham does what he does best: showcasing of his fit bod. Dhawan complements him, but in addition, tries very hard to be funny. It was great to see both Dev and Khanna after a very long time. They both do a fine job. Had no expectations from the actresses because all they do nowadays in male-centric films is flash their assets and laugh at their male co-stars' jokes.

The writing is stale, but the execution is what I have given four stars here for. Some good locations were chosen and some good angles in the photography. Overall, it's just an afternoon watch on Netflix six months from now.

BOTTOM LINE: Rohit Dhawan's Dishoom is a rundown action film where the unintended humor wreaks havoc with the story flow, which is not that great in the first place. Wait for TV premiere!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Rohit tried to recreate his dad's oldies magic with "Dislocated" script, Beautiful locations, some exceptionally brilliant chases and great bonding between John and Varun. Akshay Khanna was under-utilized. Jacqueline and Nargis were stunning. Great cameo from Akshay Kumar and Satish Kaushik through mobile. Dialogue specially one-liner can give you some sense of comedy. Pritam has given good Title track cum Moral anthem but disappointed with Item song "Jaaneman Aah".

1) Good to Watch: Chemistry between John Abraham and Varun Dhawan, Chase sequences 2) Not to watch: Brainless Script, Item song from Parineeti Chopra

The Buddy-Cop genre hasn't been a regular in Hindi movies, but with 'Dishoom', it somewhat makes a comeback. Though the film isn't as fun as it should've been, its fast-pace & grand visuals make for up for it. Well, almost.

'Dishoom' Synopsis: When India's top batsman Viraj Sharma (Saqib Saleem) goes missing in Middle East, two cops Kabir Shergill (John Abraham) and Junaid Ansari (Varun Dhawan) from either side of Arabian Sea must team up for a 36-hours man-hunt before the final match between India and Pakistan.

'Dishoom' is fast-paced & always on the point. And that's its biggest strength. Its minus, however, is that there is no soul here. No, I wasn't expecting a soulful experience, but 'Dishoom' is just chew your popcorn entertainment. The first-hour runs on a rocket-speed & the camaraderie between its two leading-men, is fun to watch. Its the second-hour, where the pace drops. The journey to find the celebrated batsman is dragged for long & even the crispness wears you off. In short, 'Dishoom' has a winning first-hour, but a disappointing second.

Hussain Dalal's Screenplay tackles the buddy-cop genre & runs on a fast-speed, but is not up-to the mark post-interval. The Writing needed to be crisper. Rohit Dhawan's Direction is decent. Ayananka Bose's Cinematography is marvelous. 'Dishoom' is a visual delight & the ace cinematographer, nails every frame. Editing is sharp. Art & Costume Design are excellent. Action-Sequences are ably executed. Background Score is super. Songs are good.

Performance-Wise: John & Varun work well together. John dominates on his huge personality, while Varun oozes energy. But its Akshaye Khanna who steals the show. As the menacing bookie, Khanna stages a comeback & chews on the scenery. Jacqueline Fernandez looks stunning & delivers fairly. Saqib Saleem is decent. Rahul Dev is first-rate. In Cameos, Akshay Kumar is a riot & brings the house down. Vijay Raaz excels.

On the whole, 'Dishoom' is, at best, a one-time watch.

Nothing much to offer but it still never bores you. Redemption of no-plot is done by decent direction and an average performance by all the actors.

Storyline Rating: 2 Content: 1 Commercialization: 4 Entertainment: 3

Acting Rating: 3 Varun Dhawan: 3 John Abraham: 3 Saqib Saleem: 3 Jacqueline Fernandes: 3

Direction Rating: 3

Music Rating: 2

Cinematography: 3

Editing: 2

The trailer of the movie did not create high expectations as it looked like a typical Bollywood action drama with John and Varun as these good looking cops. The movie actually was a pleasant surprise with catchy songs and sharp direction. Debutante Rohit Dhawan has done a great job by not wasting time and to the point story telling. John as an actor has not evolved a bit with his nice physique and poker face his performance is average. Jacqueline also is in her comfort zone doing the same poor performance. But, Varun has taken a lot of efforts to improve which can be seen in his chemistry with John. The exotic locations and Rahul Dev add some spice to the screenplay. Wagah played by Akshay Khanna is a total disappointment and in negative role evokes pity than fear. The overall experience was average and I would go with 7/10 for the efforts of Varun and Rahul Dev.