Shootout at wadala
Starring: John Abraham, Kangana Ranaut, Anil Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Manoj Bajpai, Tusharr Kapoor
At: PVR & others
Rated: 5.5/10
Riding high on the success of Shootout At lokhandwala, this movie based on a true, first of its kind recorded encounter by Mumbai Police, has some elements that makes one sit up and pay attention.
Directed by Sanjay Gupta, the movie is set in the 70s and early 80s. However, Shootout At Wadala is no patch on the previous SAl — the action is tame and even the encounter which is supposed to be the high-point of the movie is tame. In fact, the audience feels a tad cheated. After all, the movie builds up to the encounter only to get over in a few seconds with most of the shots being fired by the cops.
But the movie has several saving graces. First, there is the performance by John Abraham. His portrayal of Manohar Surve to Manya Surve, his rise from a Bachelor of Arts graduate from Kirti College to a gangster has been brilliantly essayed. The rest of the cast has also given a passable performance.
But what stand out are the dialogues that are delivered with a lot of impact. “Police ki goli mein itna loha hain, ek baar kha li na toh zindagi bhar tere khoon mein kabhi iron ki kami nahin hogi and tum galat karoge, toh hum rokengey. Tum gunaah karoge toh hum thokenge. Agar tum ho toh hum hai by Anil Kapoor are not only delivered with a perfect tone but are also timed brilliantly. In fact, it’s the dialogues that keep the viewers entertained for most part of the movie whose outcome is known from the first shot.
Go for the reality quotient and out of the box one-liners.
— Shalini Saksena