High on gloss, low on content

‘Thugs of Hindostan’is everything that defines a Diwali cracker of our modern times. High on price. Low on quality. Even lower on performance. The story unfolds in a fictional sea side kingdom of Raunakpur. The British headed by a crimy slimy Clive take over the kingdom and in the process kill the Nawab , Mrs Nawab and Son Nawab. The daughter Nawab is left along with a Man Friday-probably Bollywood’s answer to Kattappa called Khudabaksh played by Amitabh.

There is an eagle/Falcon or whatever which howers around like the famous cell phone company’s dog . In the end the bad guy is dead and the kingdom is free again. Gandhi, Nehru and Bhagat Singh were therefore have got a reduced work load in future as per this movie. The movie has paid all homages possible to 1970s cinema. Heroine dancing in climax and villain sportively indulging her. Also trying to escape in his private ship as is the villain’s code of conduct in every 70s cinema climax, thankfully he does not take away some buddhi maata with him on gunpoint.

The movie is not just badly written it is even more lazily directed which is so shocking given the fact that this was the coming together of two of our biggest superstars and audiences had huge expectations from this one. Frankly this one makes Amitabh’s 90s duds like ‘Mrityudata’ and ‘Lal Baadshah’ come across as soul saving classics. Maximum footage is devoted to Aamir and after a long time he came across as uncommitted and bored in his acting effort.

Amitabh as Khudabaksh is the only saving grace of this movie and trust me you will do yourself no harm if you walk out of the movie post the entry scene of this great action hero. Fatima Sana Sheikh and Katrina Kaif have the most badly written shallow characters and Fatima actually has done way below average acting , particularly in the scene when she takes over as the chief of the rebels. Like the overhyped five star hotel parties of New Year which are over priced and no one remembers them the next afternoon this one brings the same quality and promise to the table.