Bang Bang Review

Movie Analysis

Making director Siddharth Anand thank his lucky stars in heaven, in Bollywood (Hrithik and Katrina) and the one at Fox Star Studios (the one who okayed the 140 crore finance for this) for agreeing to be part of this year’s touted high energy biggie, which is nothing more than great locations, superstar’s charisma and on-screen chemistry between Hrithik and Katrina. This cliché formulaic chase round the world is calculated only for box office success.

The Bollywood remake of this 2010 Hollywood nonsense called ‘Knight and Day’ starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz here too finds its logic going on a holiday in Patrick O'Neill’s original script ‘Indianised’ by Sujoy Ghosh, and Suresh Nair that does the same what the original did in 2010 - leaving most of the thing on the star power of Hrithik and Katrina to seduce the fans and general audience for long.

Will the charisma of Hrithik and Katrina last beyond this holiday weekend let’s find out.

It needed great guts to put a whooping 140 crore on a remake of a Hollywood dud which at the most can be glorified as a glamorously overworked spy -type thriller.

A simple innocent bank receptionist in Shimla Harleen Sahni (Katrina Kaif) bumps into a Greek God looking Rajveer Nanda (Hrithik Roshan), Rajeer is charming, mysterious - he is on a secret mission. In the original Tom Cruise was instructed to protect a game changing invention and here Hrithik is protecting a Kohinoor diamond doing parkour in Prague, US, Thailand, Greece, flying in cars, buses, seaplanes, in Andy Armstrong (The Amazing Spiderman 2) breathtaking action sequences that holds the audience and gives them goose bumps.

They both get engage in a series of action adventure across the world. Harleen gets drugged by Rajeev, she gets transforms from Shimla to an island in Thailand, to Prague she sees people getting knocked off one by one by Rajveer and she still keeps asking ‘Kaun ho Tum’ (who are you).. while Rajver gets time to show his famous eight packs  while doing promotions for pizza hut, odomous, mountain dew etc.

Finally the identities get revealed and we ask what exactly this fluff was all about.

Hrithik is sensational throughout and Katrina is continuously charming. Hrithik MJ moves come at the end and Hrithik is terrific.

Vishal and Shekhar’s music is a plus. Technically it’s a marvel.

Supporting cast of Danny Dengonzpa, Deepti Naval, Jimmy Shergil and Jaaved Jaafri get less scope.

Business Analysis

This 140 crore project is over budget and relies very heavily on the star power of Hrithik and Katrina to not only cover its cost but also earn rich dividends.

The opening of ‘Bang Bang’ is as per expectations but the movie isn,t.

Having star power and holiday weekend as its only strong pints to cover the 140 core investment from 4500 screens worldwide. things are not looking that rosy for Fox Star Studios after weekend.

Released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, Bang Bang may not find a big threat from the ‘classy’ Haider’ but the ‘massy’ ‘Govindudu Andarivadele’ starring Telugu mega star Ram Charan and Jiva starrer ‘Yaan’ in Tamil will eat the movies prospects in Nizam and South.

Best business is expected from the Hindi belt, Rajashtan, Gujarat and Maharshtra and overseas.

With superstars not a big guarantee after a weekend ‘Bang Bang’ may not be a losing proposal but certainly it is unlikely to make the expected noise at the box office.

Rating ***

One for Hrithik

One for Katrina

One for the action