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 Terrorists,
bombs n bullets, anti-terrorist squads… Haven't
we seen all this and more before? Post 9/11, film-makers
across the globe have tried to depict mass-killings
and atrocities by terrorist groups and how anti-terrorist
squads put up a fight to diffuse the crisis.
After attempting love
stories in the past [TUM BIN, AAPKO PEHLE BHI KAHIN
DEKHA HAI], Anubhav Sinha's third outing DUS ventures
on a different path altogether. DUS is different from
films of its ilk because the story takes place in a
span of ten days, with the conspiracy being hatched
in faraway Canada. The key conspirator plans to wreck
havoc when the Indian Prime Minister undertakes a goodwill
visit to Canada…
An interesting idea
without doubt, but interesting ideas don't necessarily
translate into interesting, gripping, riveting, spellbinding
2-hour films.
What could've been an
exhilarating thriller, with pulse-pounding moments,
ends up being a run of the mill saga, courtesy a half-baked
screenplay. Terrorism is a global issue and since DUS
goes beyond the shores of India, the writers could've
used their imagination and packed the film with moments
that would've made your jaws fall on your knees.
The problem here is,
every person talks about the much-dreaded terrorist
[who is holed up in Canada], the terror associated with
his name, his vast syndicate, his evil intentions, his
nefarious activities… but when a lone member of
the anti-terrorist squad corners the kingpin in the
end, he comes across as a ordinary gangster, with no
empire, no henchmen, no support-system to back him.
So, what was this hullabaloo all about?
Director Anubhav Sinha
tries to camouflage the defect [lackluster screenplay]
with stylish execution, great music, hair-raising stunts,
eye-filling visuals, but let's not forget that the moviegoer
wants to listen to a captivating story at the end of
the day. Everything else is secondary!
Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek
Bachchan, Zayed Khan and Shilpa Shetty work for the
anti-terrorist cell. They get to understand that a dreaded
terrorist in Canada [of Indian origin] is set to wreak
havoc when the Indian Prime Minister is supposed to
visit Canada, killing thousands of innocent civilians
in the process.
Sanju instructs Abhishek
and Zayed to reach Canada and thwart the mission. On
their arrival, they meet Esha Deol, who is entrusted
the responsibility of helping them accomplish this arduous
task. Suniel Shetty, the local cop, follows them since
they're driving rashly. But they're confronted by gunmen
at this point and Suniel gets injured.
Meanwhile, they kidnap
Pankaj Kapoor, one of the henchmen of the terrorist,
and try to extract information from him. And the search
for the terrorist begins...
DUS is modeled on the
lines of a Hollywood flick. You realize you're all set
to watch a slick flick at the very outset [the film
begins with the stylish and snazzy 'Dus Bahane']. The
sequence thereafter -- the squad diffusing a bomb placed
in a vehicle -- is expertly executed. In the following
sequence, the squad reveals the conspiracy when they
meet the Home Minister. So far, so good!
The story takes a turn
when two members from the squad [Abhishek, Zayed] are
assigned the responsibility of going to Canada to put
a spanner to the mission. The first question that crosses
your mind is, Why don't they seek help from their Canadian
counterparts? If they're genuinely running out of time
and when it involves the lives of 25,000 Canadians and
also the Prime Minister of India, why not inform the
Government of Canada so as to get on the task of nabbing
the dreaded terrorist pronto?
Strangely, the two guys
want to reach out to the terrorist without any gameplan,
without any support from the locals, without much info
on the terrorist. We're told that a representative of
the squad [Esha Deol] would guide them in Canada, but
she doesn't really contribute in taking the story forward.
On the contrary, you find Abhishek and Esha exchanging
lovey-dovey looks. Hello, but aren't they on a mission?
The first half of the
film is racy enough, although you realize time and again
that the writing could've been much better. But it's
in the post-interval portions that the screenplay goes
haywire. In the first place, when you've four lead characters
and their love interests to look into, you automatically
deviate from the core issue and divert the proceedings
to romance and songs. Something similar happens here.
Abhishek and Esha are attracted to each other, Suniel
wants to patch up with his wife Raima, Zayed keeps thinking
of Dia.
Frankly, one fails to
understand what really prompted writers Yash-Vinay to
focus on the romantic liaisons? Only the Sanju-Shilpa
love story appears convincing, otherwise the romantic
sequences of the remaining three pair looks contrived.
Even in the finale,
when Abhishek learns of Esha's motive and confronts
her, she suddenly realizes that she loves him and boards
his aircraft. But minutes before their meeting, she
had turned her face away from him in the stadium. Why
this sudden somersault?
The finale has loopholes
aplenty. How does Sanju realize that the person he just
confronted is the dreaded terrorist? When no one knows
what he looks like, when Sanju hasn't seen his pic ever,
how did he zero on the terrorist? Again, no explanations
are offered, no answers are forthcoming!
Anubhav Sinha has concentrated
more on giving the film a slick look than narrating
a gripping story and this fact reverberates at several
points in the film. There's no denying that DUS bears
the stamp of an upmarket product all through, but how
one wishes the director and the writers would've ensured
that the film has a power-packed screenplay to offer
as well.
Writers Yash-Vinay have
chosen an interesting idea, but the screenplay backfires
completely. The writing is the most glaring defect of
the enterprise and the flaws just cannot be overlooked.
Dialogues [Anubhav Sinha] are quite good at places.
Cinematography [Vijay Arora] is outstanding.
Vishal-Shekhar's music
is top grade. 'Dus Bahane' and 'Deedar De' are already
chartbusters and their placement is perfect. The engagement
song, 'Chham Se', is also melodious. Allan Amin's stunts
are electrifying. Surely, this guy can compete with
the best in the West, if given opportunities.
DUS has a huge star
cast, but at the end of the day it's Abhishek Bachchan
and Sanjay Dutt [in that order] who stand out with spirited
performances. Abhishek is likeable, while Sanju lends
the right maturity to his role.
Suniel Shetty is okay,
while Zayed Khan passes muster. Amongst girls, Shilpa
Shetty is the best of the lot. Her stunt [at the start
of the film] is awesome. Esha Deol wears a blank look.
Dia Mirza and Raima Sen get minimal scope.
Pankaj Kapoor is efficient,
proving yet again that he's amongst the finest actors
on the scene. Gulshan Grover gets no lines to deliver,
except look ferociously at the camera.
On the whole, DUS has
an impressive star cast, the hit tracks ['Dus Bahane'
and 'Deedar De'] and vibrant action as its trump card.
But, on the flip side, the film doesn't have the content
to keep you hooked to the proceedings for the next two
hours. At the box-office, the film will embark on a
strong start, but it doesn't have the merits to sustain
after the initial curiosity subsides. The terrific start
will ensure a quick, part recovery for its distributors,
before it slows down.
Indiafm.com
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