Crook-It's Good To Be Bad Review

 'Crook' (thankfully) stays away from turning into a serious affair, a la 'My Name Is Khan' which again dealt with racial abuse. Religion was the point of contention in the Shah Rukh Khan drama whereas it is difference in nationality which is the core of 'Crook'. Also, the film refrains from being frivolous by turning it's lead protagonist into an overnight hero. He arrives in Australia as a common man, stays on to be the one and exudes good enough vibes to stay on as one as well.

For the young character played by Emraan Hashmi, life isn't pretty much defined on a set path. Now quite sure about tomorrow, he arrives in Australia for a better life. As he comes in touch with a 'desi' student (Neha Sharma) and builds a relationship of convenience, he has his first brush with racism. However, he stays away from the mess and doesn't have any intention of getting involved into the proceedings. Things take an ugly turn though as a battle rages between Neha's brother (Arjan Bajwa), a self proclaimed protector of Indians in Australia and some local goons, hence leading to blood spilling over the roads. For Emraan, it's a matter of making a decision - Sit at the fence and let it all continue or take a stand and make his own little contribution to dilute the tension.

This is the reason why it is a pleasant surprise to see Emraan Hashmi, who so far has revelled in playing a man with grey/evil shades, pick up a different persona for 'Crook'. He may be a little naughty and also a liar when it comes to smaller issues. In fact he doesn't even become a moral crusader even as the city is burning with protests around racism. However, when it comes to stepping ahead on sheer humanitarian grounds for the ones close to him, he does take his first step forward.

What impresses most is the fact that there is no Australia bashing here. In fact the film asks Indians to first look into themselves, check their acts and hold on a little before drawing battle line with Australians. It's the subtle conveying of 'let there be peace' rather than any slogan shouting which makes 'Crook' totally different from what one was otherwise perceiving about the film.

With the core of 'Crook' being pretty impressive, what takes the film back are two factors - 1) The title and 2) An ordinary first half. Really, for a film like this, a different title would have helped the film. 'Crook' gives an impression of this being a quintessential Emraan Hashmi affair with the character not giving two hoots to anything.

However, that is far from true. Also, a quite some time goes into building the base for 'Crook'. There are a few light moments and couple of catchy songs here but still, one pines for the drama to begin. There are on and off moments that do fit into the scheme of the film's narrative but then the actual story kick starts only in the second half.

Thankfully, once the drama picks up there is no stopping with the penultimate 20-25 minutes taking the film to a high. There is a distinct Mahesh Bhatt touch to the narrative here as Emraan finally realises the gravity of the situation and doesn't hold himself back any more. No doubt, 'Crook' stands out as yet another consistent and good performance from one of the most reliable actors that Bollywood boasts of today.

Arjan is good as a menacing paradoxical character who doesn't mind killing his own folks when it comes to preserving the rights of a bigger group. After 'Fashion' and 'Guru', this is yet another confident performance from him. Neha makes a fine debut as she has a far better and lengthier role than what one would have imagined from a girl making her debut in a Bhatt film.

She looks good and shows a decent range within her role boundaries. 'Crook' could well be one of the most honest effort coming from the house of Bhatts. For a production house that has revelled in picking up newspaper headlines and presenting to audience some of the most topical issues of our times, Vishesh Films springs a pleasant surprise by actually sharing a point of view which is different from what one would have expected from 'Crook'. Though the film has at its heart there theme of racial discrimination and abuse, the question it asks the audience is - 'If we look within our own self, are we any less racial?'

Rating: ****