Dabangg

Watch it for Salman Khan. He romances,laughs,cries,sings,dances,fights,rages,and delivers his typical lines in his typical style.

Watch it for Salman Khan. He romances,laughs,cries,sings,dances,fights,rages,and delivers his typical lines in his typical style. He is U.P.-small-town cop Chulbul Pandey,a self-styled Robin Hood who is hero to all except to his stepfather Prajapati Pandey Vinod Khanna and stepbrother Makhanchand aka Makkhi Arbaaz. His mother Naini Dimple Kapadia has resigned herself to his ways,but is also fiercely proud of Chulbul.

The film gets into multiple tracks 8211; Chulbuls love at first sight for the feisty Rajo Sonakshi Sinha,his natural aversion to wily politico Chhedi Singh Sonu Sood,his clashes with Chhedis men and his perennial hatred for Makkhi and his stepfather.

Jumping almost anecdotally but at whim between all these tracks,the film also brings in the angle of Makkhis love interest Mahie Gill,the rivalry between Chhedi and his honest party boss Anupam Kher and finally it is about Chulbuls dimwitted brother being used by the cunning Chhedi for his own nefarious ends,including bumping off Chulbul himself.

At one level,the film is a bonanza for Salman Khan fans that is Dabangg-on as a showcase for this hero of the masses. Salman is incredibly charismatic,completely himself and therefore effortlessly intense when needed and intentionally irksome as a character for the other players in the drama. Helped by action ace Master Vijayan,he makes even the most unreal action sequences watchable.

But if his fans will be enamoured,as will todays youngsters for whom this unapologetic masala fare will be very novel,those viewers whetted by the excellent Wanted and going by the buzz and promos thus expect this film to surpass that 2009 mini-classic will be disappointed.

Comparisons may be odious,but under the circumstances for such an audience,justified. For one,Wanted had a strong storyline,with very strong values and a relentless pace. This one doodles and then runs frenetically,and the jumps are often abrupt. The motivations of the characters were very strong and justified in Wanted,unlike in this film,where Chulbuls aversion to his family members especially after his mother explains the reasons 8211; seems churlish.

Sonakshi Sinha gets restricted footage and the love story could have been a stronger element,given the fire we can see in her and the fact that Salman and she look great together.

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The villain Chhedi is too limpid an opponent to Chulbuls persona and many potentially punchy sequences just peter off into nothing after taking the audiences anticipatory quotient to high levels. The family crises too seem extremely tame. In short,there are no crescendos in emotions or drama,no twists and no surprises,which could have enhanced the drama and entertainment quotients.

The script Dilip Shukla with director Kashyap leaves loose ends too 8211; what is Om Puris character all about? Why does Rajos father commit suicide and why does he have a poor opinion of his daughter?

The songs are a big plus for the film and the seasoned cast bring in their competence,especially Sonu Sood as the villain. Dimple Kapadia shines and Mahesh Manjrekar is cute.

In a different era,Manmohan Desai made it almost a copyright to make films sans logic,full of items and episodes. Dabangg is contemporary mindless entertainment,with Salman Khan stepping into Bachchans one-man entertainer shoes. But it did have the potential to be a classic,not just the surefire hit it is set to be.

Rating: One star each for Salman,songs and Sonakshi.