Dhaakad review :
Out of the two Bollywood releases this weekend, I preferred Dhaakad for two main reasons : one is for its pulsating action sequences and second for Kangana Ranaut who has always impressed me as an actor since her debut Gangster (2006). On both the fronts - action and Kangana- Dhaakad met my expectations but sadly, fell woefully short at an overall level.
Don't know whats it with Bollywood but they just dont seem to get their secret agent stuff right. Sriram Raghavan's Agent Vinod (2012) was a royal drag and here, newcomer Razneesh 'Razy' Ghai falters completely with his Agent Agni. Kangana plays the titular character trained since childhood to become a ruthless killer and her latest mission oscillates from the calm streets of Budapest to the noisy coal mines of Madhya Pradesh which is apparently, the hub for human trafficking.
Next, Agni lands in the big bad place and tries to infiltrate the empire of a prostitution kingpin Rohini (Divya Dutta) who partners with the mine lord Rudraveer (Arjun Rampal) in this flesh business whose clients extend right upto some Sheikh in Budapest, no less. Before that, we get to see a black and white montage of quite too young Rudra and Rohini sweating it out in bed before beginning their illicit collaboration.
To be fair, the action sequences are superbly executed almost giving you a Hollywood movie feel. Charlie's Angels (2000) and Kill Bill (2003) are its obvious influence. The spectacular cinematography as well as the zany background score deserve a special mention as well. Razy Ghai's vision is clearly international but his script is rooted in 80's Bollywood. Especially that personal vendetta angle which creeps up and occupies most of the time post interval. C'mon dude, why do agents really need that?? Bond or Bourne never fought to avenge their pitaji's death, did they??!!!
Of the cast, Divya Dutta is super in a negative role. The brilliant actor that she is, Divya truly elevates Rohini to a different level altogether. Kudos! Arjun Rampal is also impressive as Rudraveer. Note the dining table scene where he plays a game of Russian roulette with a small girl.
As for Kangana Ranaut, her hard work and painstaking effort is visible in each and every action sequence. She is indeed marvellous as Agent Agni and this one had a franchise potential. Unfortunately, the insipid plot and an illogical climax defies it that!! Going by the zilch turnout at the Cinepolis Thane multiplex on a Sunday morning show, Dhaakad has no chance, whatsoever. Sorry Kangana!
Regards,
Sumeet Nadkarni.
