Shootout at Wadala

Inspired from journalist S Hussain Zaidi's non-fiction book Dongri to Dubai, 'Shootout at Wadala', Directed by Sanjay Gupta, is An Engaging Action Film, that re-tells Late Gangster Manya Surve's bloodied story. Gupta handles the film well, while the Screenplay & Performances are note-worthy.

'Shootout at Wadala' is based on the first-ever registered encounter by Mumbai police, where Gangster Manya Surve was shot dead, in Mumbai on 11 January 1982.

'Shootout at Wadala' is extremely violent & disturbing. The violence depicted on-screen appears real & horrifying. Of course, the Action-Sequences are rustic & effective, but there is just too much of gore. The Faint-Hearted better stay away!

Gupta's Screenplay is note-worthy & is engaging. The first-hour is power-packed, while the second-hour culminates with a nail-biting finale. Gupta's Direction is stylish. He's in form after a long, long time. Cinematography is rustic. Editing could've been sharper. Music by Multiple Music Directors is fair.

Performance-Wise: John Abraham as Manya Surve, gives an all-out performance. He's believable all through. Anil Kapoor is simply superb as the tough cop. He stands out! Kangna Ranaut is wonderful, while Tusshar has his moments. Manoj Bajpai is flawless in a relatively small role. Bajpai never disappoints! Sonu Sood is another topper. He enacts an important role with terrific ease. Ronit Roy is excellent. Mahesh Manjrekar is perfect. Sidharth Kapoor holds tremendous potential as an actor. Jackie Shroff shines in a cameo. Raju Kher is brilliant. Priyanka Chopra, Sunny Leone & Sophie sparkle in item numbers.

On the whole, 'Shootout at Wadala' re-tells a true story, efficiently.

SAW starts up with very good performances and a very good screenplay which takes the movie to the top of a steep mountain but slowly starts to a downfall from the top as the movie reaches its climax and here is my view.

PLOT&PERFORMANCES: movie has a very good plot and it is based on true events occurring in Mumbai in early 80's which are been carefully scripted and has been added up with enough spices needed for an Indian screen to attract the masses. The best thing about this movie is about the performances and most importantly of John Abraham where he gave his best performance till date and he receives a great support from all other stars like Tushaar Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Manoj and Sonu Sood who gave gem of performances. But very important characters that of Manoj and Sonu Sood has been wasted in the end of the movie and if their characters had been utilized well the movie would had been more appealing to multiplex viewers. Kangana once again in a routine character adding up to some adult scenes on screen. The item song by Sunny Leone is good enough but the one by Priyanka doesn't add up to the light.

TECHNICAL DEPARTMENTS: the applause goes to the director for his very good casting in the movie and getting out all the talent from the cast out on the screen and also for a excellent screenplay but he adds up erotic scenes which are not needed for a serious life event based movies. Music is not so appealing except for the item song by Sunny and the background score in few areas.

ANALYSIS: the movie is really good regarding the plot and the cast performances but the director didn't maintained this inclination in the whole movie which drags the movie towards a downhill towards the climax.The movie is a complete star in single screens but for multiplex it leaves up a question mark.

I missed the prequel 'Shootout at Lokhandwala' which did great and after hearing the rave reviews 'Shootout at Wadala' has been getting I decided to give the franchise a shot.I ended up with mixed feelings.What's good? The apropos setting means that as you sit through the first half hour of the movie you will find yourself quickly immersed in the gangster world of Mumbai(then Bombay) in the 70's and 80's.That is courtesy to a gripping story,exhilarating pace and good acting.The actors seem well cast.John Abraham(Manya Surve) impresses but in parts(As always his body is amazing though).It's always good to see Anil Kapoor and Sonu Sood,two of the many underrated actors in Bollywood.What really keeps the movie alive is it's dialogs,witty one liners and crass jokes.The movie justifies it's A rating with lot's of violence and sensuality(not meant for kids).There is a hot Kangana Ranaut and as many as three item songs with probably Sunny Leone's being the best.The camera work and editing are simply brilliant.

You would expect a movie with so many positives to be thoroughly satisfying,yet it somehow falls short of that.The movie seems undecided on what it is trying to portray.Is it about the transformation of an innocent student to a merciless gang leader?If so it certainly is n't believable.Is it about the honest duty abiding policemen?It doesn't seem so,then why spend so much time on the lives of the inspectors,an unnecessary digression(Not that i don't like Anil Kapoor,Ronit Roy or Mahesh Manjreker-they are great in their own way).Is it about a face off between John Abraham(Manya Surve) and Sonu Sood(Dilawar Imtiaz Haksar).Well after a great build up,the showdown does n't happen either.Such a missed opportunity.In the end you cant decide whom you are rooting for- Manya,Dilawar or the police.That's where it is a letdown,which is why the ending wont leave you teary eyed or deeply moved.

Overall the movie entertains,maybe doesn't disappoint but you feel it could have been much more.

Shootout at Wadala is entertaining and exhilarating, with a mixture of blood, guns and crime. It's packed with nonstop action, along with some really surprising twists about Mumbai's underworld during the 80's, that make it a spellbinding action thriller. ✝👮✝

The prequel to the smash hit, Shootout At Lokhandwala, is based on Hussain S. Zaidi's bestselling investigative book – Dongri to Dubai. Adapting a non-fiction book into a film requires special skills because of the need to sieve all the facts presented in the book into the film's narrative and all this while, keeping the film entertaining! This is exactly the reason I was intrigued to watch this film and to see what Sanjay Gupta had done with the subject material. Story: The story is centered around the first Hindu gangster of Mumbai, Manya Surve (John Abraham) and his meteoric rice and his subsequent fall. Tusshar 'the-producer's-brother' Kapoor is Manya's confidante in this journey. Siddhant Kapoor (Shakti Kapoor's son) makes his debut playing a member of Manya's gang and is called Gyanchod! Every gang has an enemy gang. The opponents here are Zubair (Manoj Bajpai) and Dilawar (Sonu Sood). The cops are also a part of the story. Afaque (Anil Kapoor) and his team members do everything they can to tackle crime in the city. And oh, Manya also has a love interest (Kangna Ranaut).Direction and Miscellaneous: Delving into a subject as serious as this and not messing it up must have been the ultimate challenge for Sanjay Gupta. And to a very large extent, he doesn't mess it up. He keeps the proceedings flow freely. The film doesn't sway from its path and is thoroughly enjoyable thanks to the way Gupta deals with the subject. But why 3 item songs, Mr. Gupta? The cinematography by Sameer Arya is one of the high points of the film. Sanjay Gupta has always been known to make stylish film and here again, Shootout at Wadala looks and feels stylish, thanks to Sameer's deft camera-work. What works as a deterrent for the film is its corny dialogues (by Milap Zaveri). The dialogues are stereotypical and there's an astonishingly large smattering of abuses just for the shock value. Being a period film, the production design and costume design is spot on keeping in mind the commercial aspects. Music and Background Score: The item song featuring Babli Badmaash, featuring Priyanka Chopra is a disappointing set-piece with a forgettable tune. Sophie's song doesn't stay with you for too long, either. Laila, starring Sunny Leone is the most fun of all the songs and Sunny looks sizzling in this one. The background score is strictly average. Acting: Yes, as was expected, SAW is John Abraham's best ever performance. And no, it is still not good enough. John gives it his best but the others in this film overshadow him fair and square. Anil Kapoor hams it up like only he can and that's not a bad thing at all! The best act of this film is reserved for Manoj Bajpai who shines as the cunny Zubair. Sonu Sood also makes a huge impression as Dilawar (the role is based on Dawood Ibrahim, of all people). This film could have been made without Tusshar Kapoor and that wouldn't hurt the film at all. Ronit Roy, Mahesh Manjrekar, Siddhant Kapoor do well in their parts. Kangna Ranaut is hardly there in this brawn fest and she does alright. Conclusion and Box Office Potential: If you keep your expectations in check and wish to be entertained, then you will be entertained. If you are put off by abusive dialogues, bad acting and sleazy item songs, then stay far away. This film plays to the masses with cheezy dialogues, quarter dozen item songs and a lot (A LOT!) of action. Barring any major mishappenings, Shootout At Wadala will be a good money churner for Ekta Kapoor. Positives: Stylish treatment and cinematography The entertaining plot The action set-pieces Manoj Bajpai and Sonu Sood The period sets done right Laila Negatives: Cheezy dialogues filled with abuses Poor acting by the main protagonist Babli Badmaash