A combination of slickness and intelligence is rare in Hindi cinema. 'Johnny Gaddaar' is one such film. Not only is it slick and intelligent, it has a gripping fast-paced plot, impressive performances (none bad), keeps you at the edge of the seat and entertains. It just kept me so involved! I loved the numerous reference to Indian classics (like 'Bandini', 'Johnny Mera Naam' and so many more) and the Chase novels. The dark humour provides several laugh out loud moments e.g. during the second scene Dharmendra turns on the stereo to listen to his wife sing. Raghavan's inspiration clearly shows (note inspiration NOT ripoff) and the man did one hell of a job in creating an Indian pulp fiction!
The cast itself is a smartly gathered unusual ensemble that works very well. Dharmendra rocks as the leader of the gang. This guy has brought a wise freshness in his last three films (the other two being 'Life..in a Metro' and 'Apne'). Zakir Hussain, Govind Namdeo and Vinay Pathak are great in their parts. Ashwini Kalsekar is natural while Rimi Sen is no good. However, 'Johnny Gaddaar' rests on débutant Neil Nitin Mukesh. The actor isn't fully comfortable in front of the camera but his awkwardness and novel presence fits the character (who is the newest member of the gang).
The background score deserves special mention. The instrumental tracks heard in spy movies, the trance music...all add a nice and cool touch. The item number in the end could have been shortened but the songs give a feel of the wild 70s.
Raghavan's debut film 'Ek Hasina Thi' happens to be one of my favorite thrillers. Now I can add his second film to my favorites! Even though the plot becomes slightly predictable during the last 45 minutes, it doesn't lose its charm. It's a howdunnit rather than a whodunnit. Undoubtedly, one of the most enjoyable films of the year and one of the best of its genre to come out from India.
