Director: Rohit Shetty
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Sara Ali Khan, Sonu Sood, Ashutosh Rana, Siddharth Jadhav, Vaidehi Parshurami and Ajay Devgn.
Director Rohit Shetty has had criticism over the years for his over the top immature approach to story telling and action and based on his latest film 'Simmba' which stars Ranveer Singh in the lead, those echoes are fully justified. Simmba feels like something straight out of the 80's - thin plot, cheesy bad guys and hundreds of henchmen who get punched and riddled by the daredevil hero. Perhaps the director isn't to be blamed for this film's overblown portrayal of testosterone. Ultimately this action-comedy boils down to yet another poorly pencilled script that tries to compensate it’s shortcomings with every other ludicrous mean.
Sangram Bhalerao aka Simmba (Ranveer Singh) is an immoral and unethical cop who grew up as an orphan in the same village as Singham (Ajay Devgn). Simmba belongs to the school of thoughts that a corrupt officer’s life is an ideal life, so he earns power and money by becoming part of local gangster's (Sonu Sood) wrongdoings. After a life-altering crisis, Simmba picks a righteous path to avenge the loss of his loved one. A good over evil fight ensues...
A still from the film (Courtesy: Ranveer Singh's Instagram)
This is a film that knows what it is, and doesn't try to be anything more. It has two obvious purposes: Please action lovers and make a few laughs. Nothing more and nothing less. Lame plot? Check. Cliché villain? Check. Pointless subplots? Check. The story is weak, and mostly just and excuse for mindless action, OTT acting, random songs, corny dialogue and senseless cameos. The quirky characters become annoying or disappear from the film completely. This Rohit Shetty directorial offers plain and simple fun action movie that won't stick with you after you watch it because it's not special or innovative in any way. Even the social message that this film tries to put across is little overdone and feels dishonest. Perhaps the director was only looking at it as a plot device rather than being really sensitive or thoughtful about it.
Ranveer Singh's incessant energy and natural flamboyance make for a perfect masala hero and with Rohit Shetty, he finds a suitable fit. Singh is impressive in the later half when he is doing action stuff, but his overly enthusiastic act in the first half is a bit lumbersome to watch. Both Sara Ali Khan and Sonu Sood have been reduced to mere caricatures. Every other character is a one-dimensional stereotype. They never exhibit traits that show any form of depth; they are just formulaic.
At the end, Simmba is just another serviceable action movie that tastes like salted popcorn. It tastes good while it lasts, but eventually you end up rather dry and thirsty. It is all about glam and no substance. However, if you are seeing this film, then this is what you are expecting.
Watch Simmba trailer here:
