Gabbar Is Back Review

What is it all about?

An all out stunning Akshay Kumar punching and kicking his best action packed powers, for a full on massy paisa vasool treat, for entertainment starved souls of Bollywood, stomaching the required box office belly of returns.

Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Sanjay Leela Bhansali productions juxtapose the B-town ultimate epitome of fear and terror - Gabbar Singh played by Amjad Khan in Ramesh Sippy’s evergreen classic ‘Sholay’ with the stingy and dirty corruption to stage an escapist action packed entertainer that successfully rolls in the crowd pleasing ‘dialogue’ - to change the ‘deadly’ corruption.

The Story

It is based on the 2002 Tamil hit ‘Ramana’ by A.R. Murugadoss that starred Vijayakanth in the lead. ‘Gabbar is Back’ gets its title from Sanjay Leela Bhansali and gets straight into business right from the first frame in its Bollywod version that gets its additional screenplay and dialogues support from Rajat Arora.

10 Tehsildars are kidnapped and one of them is found hanging in the heart of Mumbai with a voice recorded CD of Gabbar (Akshay Kumar) warning the corrupt bureaucracy to mend it ways or face similar action.

Voicing the ‘cry’ of the common man against the rapidly increasing epidemic corruption, Gabbar becomes a terror for corrupt and the flag bearer of change for the common man.

‘Gabbar Is Back’ has all the Chutneys and Aachar in this Paratha adaptation of ‘Ramana’ bringing back the memories of all those massy, escapist entertainers on corruption in our system that devoted heroisms and stardoms.

Though it has all the ingredients of a massy entertainer ‘Gabbar is Back’ manages to roll a ‘real’ message in its final wrap that focuses the attention upon the audience from the super hero in vexing the burning issues of corruption. Clap clap. Audience kush hua.

What to look out for?

Akshay Kumar rules supreme in this massy paisa vasool treat. The super fit B-town Action Icon is stunning from the start till the end. Akshay remarkably pulls up the prime components of his role - the devastated common man from the cyclone of corruption turns brutal and deadly in his vengeance. Planning his moves like a seasoned campaigner and appears completely ‘cool’ and believable when he utters those crowd-pleasing dialogues cutting a dashing figure with style, seriousness and populisms.

Rajat Arora’s crowd pleasing dialogues are twined with Gabbar’s original iconic lines like "Kitne Aadmi They", "Pachas Pachas Koos Dorr", "Tera Kya Hoga Kaliya’"... A. R. Murugadoss won the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Best Dialogue Writer for ‘Ramana’ - this might be the motivation and the makers come up with a master stroke. What better than 'Sholay' and Gabbar both are the ultimate icons in dialogues and terror quotient.

The soul of ‘Gabbar Is Back’ is dialogues and terror which has being properly massaged to the hilt with a layer of how an iron can cut an iron thingie giving the devil it’s due.

Krish in his first commercial Bollywood break as a helmer is more massy and hard core than his earlier works like 'Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum' and 'Vaanam'. But the helmer maintains his repute of an engaging storyteller who brilliantly uses the charisma of Akshay Kumar for maximum effect smartly balancing it with the theme of the film.

Shruti Haasan is very natural and looks beautiful. Kareena Kapoor is drop dead gorgeous. Suman is strictly okay.

Popular TV comedian Sunil Grover (Gutthi - Comedy Nights With Kapil) spurns a big surprise. After proving his credentials as a brilliant comedian the actor stakes serious claims over here in a meaty role.

Music by Chirantan Bhatt, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Manj Musik adds to the momentum. Sandeep Chowta background creates the desired impact.

Technicalities are up to mark. Nirav Shah does a brilliant work with his camera. Rajesh G. Pandey editing is crisp. Production values are top notch.

What not?

The screenplay has its shares of predictability and believability. Those who are not found of massy masala entertainers will get a chance to boo. Unfortunately the beautiful and gorgeous Shruti Hassan and Kareena Kapoor are more of baby dolls having nothing much to do over here.

Sad to see a talent like Chitrangda Singh seen Kundi Khatkaying (knocking doors) for glamour in an item song which could have being done by anyone else. Jaideep Ahlawat is disappointing as the CBI officer. The senior police officers ham unnecessarily in the film.

Conclusion: ‘Gabbar Is Back’ finds the ideal icon in Akshay Kumar to spearhead it’s on screen crusade against corruption.  The super fit B-town Action Icon is stunning cutting a dashing figure with style, seriousness, populisms and the ‘cool’ quotient. Lovers of Akshay Kumar and Bollywood masala action khush hoga.. Shabaashi Dega...