A film with slimy swagger drenched in blood takes all of the two hours to
celebrate violence. The film from the producer of “A Wednesday” is so engrossed
in taking a step by step bloody journey that you could well puke your way out.
He may have set out of to tell a violently disturbing tale but ends up with a
disturbingly violent piece of entertainment’ One gets a distinct feeling that
the film maker (Ahishor Solomon) found our censors with their sensors not in
function gear. There is no way a statutory body committed to its set guidelines
against display of gross violence could have permitted scene where the corrupt
cop bites out another guys tongue or the protagonist later bites the flesh of
one of the baddies. Quo Vadis?
Even as we react under the guise of ‘hurt sentiment’ on referrals to social
groups being lampooned or politicians being criticised, we are limp and
tolerant to this shocker of violence and expletives aplenty. We are left
staring at a script that worships violence and profanity.. Not angst, not
social revolt, just killings with hidden realtor dreams. True to life!! Neo
noir? Social audit in dramatic format?
John Day (Naseerudin Shah) loses his daughter who is murdered at Casablanca
Estate where she is out o a date with her boyfriend. Two years later his wife
Maria (Shernaz Patel) is literally hammered to ensure that he signs a file as a
Bank Manger and so begins the cat and mouse chase. Who is gunning the family
and why? John Day is at gun point robbed and gagged (no security guys in this
Bank!!) while the goons are in search of the file relating to the Casablanca
Estate which in a locker. Hunting on behalf of the ambitious realtor is a
corrupt cop that was (?) or is Gautam (Randeep Hooda) who throws his live in
dipsomaniacal live in partner in the pool as if he was swallowing peanuts
alongside his liquor.
Well you know if you are a regular film guy that this chase is going to lead to
killings in abundance and the gun and bullet will have more to say and do than
the central characters. The characters of cardboard are all in place: the
corrupt cop within the system who would do anything for a few rupees; the bad
guy with a whole set of hangers on who are his ‘team’; two war lords fighting
for space in the underbelly, a Hindu, a Muslim and this time a Christian Father
whose baritone to quote from the Bible adds some relief to the film.
The story line is convoluted as expected to reflects the labyrinths of crime
and criminals. Their life styles is a fashion quotient in the film and then to
return to the main stay the large indigestible dosages of violence.
Yet if you have to watch this film, you will for the compelling performance
from Naseerudin Shah who yet again ensures that with him around you are
guaranteed if nothing of a top class performance. In this high voltage film
watch how human he can be, how compelling and natural he can get. Salute the
realistic portraiture of brilliance that is ill placed in our cinema. While
Randeep Hooda and Bharat Saxena are passible, the rest of the cast warrant no
mention. Feel sorry for Shernaz Patel who given her talent does so well in a
couple of scenes but is reduced to a dying zombie for the rest of the film.
John Day paradoxically requires to be watched only for John Day.