Action 'Pak'ed Thriller Overdoses Patriotic Fervour Dhurandhar

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera, Danish Panda, Asif Ali Hyder Khan

Direction: Aditya Dhar

This is not a documentary, we are told at the beginning. At half-time, which is as good as a full-length film, we are sitting through a long drawn symposium on espionage-cum-gang war-cum-India-Pak war-cum-romance—the constant denominator of our cinema, the ever-dependable patriotic fervour, all placed on a huge canvas.

The 'Uri' filmmaker is out to tell the story of constant threats from the neighbour. The controversy over the similarities of the story with the life of Major Mohit Sharma has since been junked by the courts. Declarations like "Hum ghayal hai isiliye ghatak hai" and "Hum ghar mein ghusthe hi nahi, maarte bhi hai" are stereotyped adrenaline. Unfortunately, Dhurandhar has to play both Sunny Deol and Akshay Kumar. He also has to play down his signature spirit.

In a film crafted to giant proportions, it is only expected that there will be pockets of disproportionality. There have been whispers and, later, accusations about the media dealing with the film. Obviously, those speaking for Aditya Dhar opine that he has the wherewithal of Victor Fleming (Gone With The Wind). The comparison is audacious and undisputedly ambitious.

Events are kick-started with negotiations with terrorists after the infamous Kandahar hijack. While Ajay Sanyal (R. Madhavan) refuses to buckle, political intervention leads to the freeing of dreaded terrorists. From here, the script (Aditya Dhar) also stops with the 2001 Parliament attack and later the Mumbai bomb blasts. All these are obviously planned and fine-tuned in enemy territory. The script now distinctly changes gears.

While at one level it clearly puts the enemy in the dock (a clear presumption with the Indian viewer), it delves more in detail into the mostly domestic affairs in the neighbouring country. The players include Rehmaan Dakait (Akshaye Khanna, an arms dealer), Jameel Yamali (Rakesh Bedi, an opportunist politician), ISI leader General Iqbal Uzair Baloch (Danish Panda), Babu Dackait (Asif Ali Hyder Khan), and many others in the underbelly of crime, gang wars, and political one-upmanship. In the midst of this, Hamza (Ranveer Singh) walks in as a planted spy. You now begin to wonder whether Aditya Dhar wants to tell a gang-war story a la Dayavan, a spy-espionage a la War and the Tiger franchise, or keep with the patriotic genre (too many to cite an instance).

Killings aplenty. How, in the midst of this all, Hamza earns the confidence of Rehman Dackait occupies a large chunk of the over three-hour-long film. If the length itself is too much to swallow, the violence is raw, nauseating, and most unsuited for the normal — ever more in the name of entertainment.

Such long films dealing with large dollops of violence launched on a huge scale only end up being nerve-shattering and purposeless. A "chapter-wise" narration also makes the story a tad too needlessly tiring.

To make a film primarily to inform the Indian viewer, the approach and intent of the warring neighbour is to state the obvious and message the converted. Wholly purposeless. The celebration of gruesome violence hidden under the fig-leaf of patriotism is a bluff that needs to be called here and now.

Some top notes and constantly engaging performances work out. Akshaye Khanna as the principal villain is different from the earlier baddies. He is cool, crafty, and underplays his evil bone without displaying it on his sleeve. Both Arjun Rampal and Sanjay Dutt play their roles well.

Gaurav Gera as the juice shop vendor who first helps Hamza is impressive. Sara Arjun as Yalina Jamal, love interest of the spy, and the ever-reliable R. Madhavan warrant mention. Rakesh Bedi as the scheming politician is top class. Ranveer shows his understanding of the multi-layered role in the emotional scenes.

In the times we live, if you still need to be informed of the bonafides of our neighbours and nearly three-and-a-half hours to renew your patriotic card, then go and satiate your appetite. Not for the pacifist, the non-inquisitive, or those who value the readings on their wrist.