Wanted

Rating: **

Will this turn out to be Salman Khan’s ‘Ghajini’? That’s been the buzz on ‘Wanted’,in which Salman plays a guy who kills ruthlessly,and loves carelessly. For the Khan who’s lately only been playing the singing-dancing jokester,his new film is meant to re-unite him with his action hero image. Here,he even calls himself Radhe,his name in his last super-hit,the super-violent ‘Tere Naam’.

The bodycount in ‘Wanted’ is much higher. Wherever Radhe goes,blood flows. He’s a gun for hire,and he works for the highest bidder. When he’s not busy piling up the dead ones,which include only bad guys (he doesn’t believe in offing women and children),he’s romancing his ladylove,the cuddly Ayesha Takia,who has to be content that he caresses his gun more than her.

The plot is inconsequential,because the film is essentially a vehicle for Salman to showcase his shooting skills. And because it’s a Prabhudeva film,his dancing prowess,too. He’s always glowered well,and does a good job of it here,too. But we fear shooting people in cold-blood,and throwing out laconic one-liners afterwards,is not really his thing.

He’s never been a bad dancer,but strangely enough,this time around he doesn’t appear as limber as he used to. Govinda and Prabhudeva show up briefly to move and shake in a song,and they show us how it’s done.

‘Wanted’ has more gore than ‘Ghajini’,but not as much high-octane drama. But there’s one thing in which Salman scores. He’s still got the best bod in the business,on splendid display in the blood-spattered climax. Aamir’s eight packs are not a patch.

(shubhra.gupta@expressindia.com)