Singham Again: A dated Rohit Shetty actioner high on style but low on substance

Ranveer Singh as Simmba is one of the few bright spots. His wisecracks lift the films energy significantly in the second half but the movie overall reeks of datedness

Singham Again (Hindi), 31-10-2024, Drama, Action, 2 hours 40 minutes, U/A, Theatre

  • Main Cast: Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, and Akshay Kumar
  • Director: Rohit Shetty
  • Producer: Rohit Shetty, Ajay Devgan and Jyothi Deshpande
  • Music Director: Ravi Basur and Thaman S
  • Cinematography: Girish Kant Raza Hussain Mehta

There was a period when Rohit Shetty was one of the most commercially successful directors with a terrific track record.

Movies like the Golmaal franchise and Chennai Express (2013) were huge hits with the masses lapping them up, despite fair share of criticism.

However, since the pandemic, things have been going downhill for the director, starting with Ranveer Singh’s Cirkus (2022), a slapstick comedy that produced more groans than laughs. His web series debut, The Indian Police (2024), also didn’t generate much of a favourable response either.

Certain overconfidence has gotten into the director, and Singham Again is the perfect example of this.

Synopsis

The movie has a galaxy of stars and the trademark Rohit Shetty elements but it proves to be a festival dampener. The attempt to link Ramayana with the Singham universe comes across as jarring with zero novelty.

In simple terms, the story of Singham Again focuses on the kidnap of Avni Bajirao Singham (Kareena Kapoor Khan). Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgan) has to save his wife from the clutches of a deadly villain played by Arjun Kapoor. Since Bajirao cannot do everything on his own, others like Deepika Padukone’s Shakti Shetty, Ranveer Singh’s Simmbaa, and Tiger Shroff’s ACP Satya among others come to the aid of their guru.

All this runs parallel to the Ramleela. A nine-day program meant to convince the audiences that Ramayana is not some myth but actually history.

What works and what doesn’t

Ranveer Singh in ‘Singham Again’. (X)

The first half of Singham Again is all about establishing the Ramayana connection. How Rama and Sita’s story represents true love and the various symbolisms. This soon gets tiring and it also doesn’t help that the movie’s trailer established all the Ramayana parallels along with the introduction of all-stars. As a result, the entire first half feels like a never-ending slow grind.

Dialogues like “India ghuske maarta hai Dushmanon Ko” feel like a forced attempt to evoke patriotic feelings. It is only towards the interval that the movie gets mildly interesting.

The character sketches of Singham’s team barring Ranveer Singh also prove to be a dampener. Deepika Padukone as Shakti Shetty never convinces the viewers that she can be Lady Singham. The stale dialogue delivery coupled with the accent is tough to endure.

Tiger Shroff as ACP Satya has even less to do. He is supposed to be modelled on Lakshman but it seems that Tiger was roped in more as a stunt coordinator rather than an actor.

Performances

Arjun Kapoor in ‘Singham Again’. (X)

The film’s second half is significantly better thanks to Ranveer Singh’s energy and his punch lines. The actor lifts the movie’s energy single-handedly. In one instance, Simmbba is seen talking to Kareena’s Avni about how someone’s wife is always getting into trouble in this Cop Verse.

In the climactic sequence, he looks at Deepika and says “Deko Abhi family bhi badh raha hai”, adding to the laughs.

Arjun Kapoor as Danger Lanka/ Zubair Hafeez gets the menacing attitude right. Yes, some polishing is required but he manages to make for a strong villain.

Ajay Devgan does well within the script’s limitations. As an actor, there isn’t a lot to explore but he is his usual competent self.

Kareena Kapoor Khan looks radiant but after Crew and The Buckingham Murders this is just another movie where she is more of a show piece waiting to be rescued.

Final take

There is nothing to rave about either the film’s music or its cinematography. In conclusion, Singham Again fails to roar. It is high time that Rohit gets out of the action and comedy zone.

Indian Police Force: Rohit Shetty’s OTT Debut Is Strictly For Those Who Enjoy His Brand Of Action Movies

Timepass…

2.5

Indian Police Force (Hindi)

  • Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Vivek Oberoi, Mayyank Taandon, and Nikitin Dheer
  • Directors: Rohit Shetty and Sushwanth Prakash
  • Producer: Rohit Shetty
  • Music: Lijo George-DJ Chetas
  • No. of episodes: 7
  • OTT platform: Amazon Prime Video

Rohit Shetty is a director primarily known for making two kinds of movies.

On one hand, there are the likes of Singham 1 (2011) and (2014), Simmba (2018) and Sooryavanshi (2022). In these films, the leading men are presented in a massy way, flouting rules and encouraging extrajudicial action.

Then there is the Golmaal franchise (since 2006), Bol Bachchan (2012), and Chennai Express (2013). Here, the comedy strictly falls under the slapstick type, with a focus on wordplay rather than intelligent humour.

Rohit Shetty’s films have never been highly acclaimed, yet they have been massive money spinners except for Circus (2022).

Now, the director has made his OTT debut with the Indian Police Force, which is co-directed by Sushwanth Prakash.

The web series falls very much under his radar. In fact, on certain occasions, the series has a huge hangover of Sooryavanshi.

Synopsis

Sidarth Malhotra in Indian Police Force
Sidarth Malhotra in ‘Indian Police Force’. (X)

Indian Police Force begins with a series of bombings by the terrorist unit Indian Mujahideen. The bombings take place in Delhi on the occasion of Delhi Police Raising Day.

Kabir (Sidharth Malhotra) is a top officer in the Special Cell unit of Delhi Police. Vikram (Vivek Oberoi) is his senior. They both are entrusted with the task of weeding out bombers.

The mastermind of the bombings is the mysterious Zarar/Haider (Mayyank Taandon).

Zarar looks like an ordinary man from the outside with an innocent persona, but deep down, he hides many secrets.

As the plot progresses, Kabir and Vikram are joined by Tara (Shilpa Shetty) from Gujarat ATS.

There is some professional tension between Tara and Vikram. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game between the Delhi police and Zarar.

The web series also looks at the sacrifices made in the line of duty by the numerous police officers.

USP of Indian Police Force

A big USP of Indian Police Force is how the back story of Zarar has been handled.

Sooryavanshi also featured a back-story about the actions done by Jackie Shroff’s Omar — the bad guy. But here, it has been fleshed out far better.

There is a touching love story between Zarar and Fareeda (Suchitra Bandekar). The moments between Mayyank and Suchitra have a certain tenderness.

As a result, Zarar comes out as a flesh and blood human being rather than just a Jihadi sprouting youngster. Mayyank Taandon does a brilliant job of portraying the varied nuances.

Performances

Among the cops, Shilpa Shetty is easily the best of the lot. The actor pulls off her part with élan.

Despite lesser screen time, Shilpa has a commanding presence, particularly in the scenes with Siddarth Malhotra.

Sidharth Malhotra’s act of Kabir is an extension of the patriotic roles he portrayed in Shershaah (2021) and Mission Majnu (2023). He does well in the action bits, which have some chases. But he overdoes the intensity in the serious scenes.

Vivek Oberoi is an absolute miscast. His character comes across as unintentionally funny. His dialogues evoke more laughter than touching a patriotic chord.

Sharad Kelkar has an extended cameo appearing in the sixth episode. The actor makes a significant impact.

Isha Talwar is seen in the role of a dead wife. Her character is only there to show the romantic side of Kabir, but it does not have any emotional heft.

Girish Kant and Raza Mehta’s cinematography is in perfect sync with the genre. They capture the numerous cities and landscapes efficiently through their lens.

A big problem with the Indian Police Force is that it gives the ‘been-there-and-done-that’ feeling. For those who have watched Rohit Shetty’s cop movies, there is nothing earth-shattering they will find here. Also, the trademark car flying sequences have been tiresome.

Final take

Indian Police Force is just about passable. The show can be best called a timepass actioner.

Perfume (Telugu)
Cast: Che Nag, Prachi Thaker, Abhinaya, Bushan, Rayala Harischandra, Meer, and Krishna Teja
Director: JD Swamy
Producers: J Sudhakar, Shiva B, Rajeev Kumar B, and Srinivas Lavuri
Music: Ajay Arasada
Runtime: 2 hours 20 minutes

3.5

Cirkus: This Rohit Shetty Directorial Is More A ‘Golmaal’ Than ‘Comedy Of Errors’

A massive letdown from Rohit Shetty!

Cirkus (Hindi)

  • Cast: Ranveer Singh, Varun Sharma, Pooja Hedge, Jacqueline Fernandez, Murali Sharma, Sanjay Mishra, Mukesh Tiwari, Siddarth Jadhav, Johnny Lever, and Deepika Padukone (special appearance)
  • Director: Rohit Shetty
  • Producers: Rohit Shetty and T series
  • Music: Devi Sri Prasad, Badshah, and Lijo George-DJ Chetas
  • Runtime: 2 hours and 18 minutes

William Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors is a play that naturally lends itself to a delicious comedy. The play has seen several movie adaptions in different languages.

For example, in 1982, Gulzar made Angoor with Sanjeev Kumar and Devan Verma. It was much appreciated for its subtlety and clever humour. The performances, led by Sanjeev Kumar, were the icing on the cake.

There is also the Kannada film Ulta Palta which was remade in Telugu by the same name.

Cirkus, directed by Rohit Shetty, is the latest addition to the movies inspired by Comedy of Errors. But the sensibilities of Rohit are vastly different from that of a filmmaker like Gulzar.

Rohit primarily specialises in two kinds of films: First is the Golmaal franchise which runs on slapstick comedy, and the other is the macho cops seen in Singham and Simbaa, among others.

Although slapstick in nature, the Golmaal films were fun to watch because there was a method to the madness. However, Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus comes across as a hurried project where the director took the audience for granted.

Here, Rohit Shetty tries to incorporate a social message: How a person’s nurturing is more important than his bloodline. It is a noble idea. However, it is something which comes across as more of an afterthought.

An experiment with twins

The film begins with the introduction of Dr Roy (Murali Sharma) who is hell-bent on proving that nurture always trumps nature.

To prove that he is right, Dr Roy separates two sets of identical twins who have been set up for adoption. The first pair of boys are adopted by a circus owner and are named Roy and Joy. Strangely, the other couple also names the twins with the same names!

The first Roy (Ranveer Singh) and Joy (Varun Sharma) run the circus of their late father. Roy’s wife Mala (Pooja Hedge) writes thrillers under a mysterious pen name.

The second Roy (Ranveer Singh) and Joy (Varun Sharma) are raised in Bangalore by a rich businessman. The second Roy has a girlfriend Bindu (Jacqueline Fernandez) whose father Rai Sahab (Sanjay Mishra) and his secretary Prem (Anil Charanjeet) are always spying on them.

There is a unique connection that both the Roys share. The first Roy, who lives in Ooty, can handle live electricity without getting harmed. Whenever current flows through him, the other Roy who lives in Bangalore, feels the shock.

Murali Sharma acts as a doctor-cum-narrator who monitors both sets of twins while not letting the secret out.

Things take a comic turn when the second Roy and Joy have to go to Ooty. From here on, we move to mistaken identities and deliberately over-the-top situations.

The rest of the story is about how all the mess is cleared up and what happens at the end.

The positives

Before getting into the negatives, it is necessary to get done with the few positives.

Cirkus is majorly set in the 1960s and, to give credit where it is due, the retro music has been smartly integrated.

Particular mention has to be made of the situations where the characters mimic signature steps of that era while they are under electric shock. It becomes repetitive after a point. But still, it brings in some laughs.

The movie has a huge ensemble but the actor who stands out is Sanjay Mishra.

The senior actor embraces the overtop tone and somehow manages to make his lines funny. His interactions with both the Ranveers are fun to watch.

Anil Charanjeet as the secretary is also pitch-perfect in his portrayal.

Ranveer gives it his all to the double role. He is more effective than the first Roy. It is refreshing to see the actor playing a family man. There is also some physical comedy which Ranveer pulls off convincingly.

Out of the two heroines, Pooja Hedge fares better, although her being a writer could have been better explored.

The negatives

The biggest issue with Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus is the lack of connective tissue. Many of the jokes feel recycled from the Golmaal films and this becomes bothersome pretty fast.

Also, the angle of nature versus nurture gets buried under the slapstick humour. It resurfaces towards the end but it is too late by then.

Rohit Shetty handled multiple characters with success in the past. But here, the characterisations are mostly sketchy.

The sketchiness becomes even more glaring with how Varun Sharma has been portrayed. The actor becomes more of a sidekick. As a result, neither of the Joys leaves an impact.

Further, the much-needed comic camaraderie between Ranveer and Varun Sharma is sorely missing.

In keeping with Rohit Shetty’s previous films, Cirkus is also colourful to look at. However, the colours feel too statured after a point.

The music composed by Devi Sri Prasad, Badshah and Lijo-George DJ Chetas is pleasant to hear.

Sun Zara” sung by Shreya Ghosal and Papon is soothing. On the other hand, “Current Laga Re” has an energetic beat. Ranveer’s dance with his real-life partner adds some masti.

Verdict

Cirkus is a massive letdown from a director who has been successful in entertaining the masses. It is time for Rohit Shetty to rethink his strategy!

Sooryavansi: Bollywood Finally Gets Its Big Ticket Entertainer

Out of all the industries Bollywood has been struggling to get a big hit since the revival of theaters. It has been a combination of several factors; you have had films like Chehre with niche content. On the other hand a big film like Radhe couldn’t meet the expectations of masses. Lot of hopes are pinned on Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavansi to revive Bollywood business  and the director doesn’t disappoint. Rohit Shetty’s films have never been about great plots, it is always about delivering entertainment to the masses whether that is Golmaal series or films like Singham and Simmba. Story wise Sooryavansi is pretty straight forward but what makes it click is the director’s treatment and the infectious energy of Akshay Kumar. After the underwhelming Lakshmi and Bell Bottom the actor is back in his elements. The cherry on the cake are the extended cameos of Ajay Devgan and Ranveer Singh. The scenes featuring the trio are a delight to watch. The film also gives a message on communal harmony which I will be talking about later.

Sooryavansi begins after 13 years of the 1993 bomb blasts in Mumbai, when a terrorist group is back in action and is planning another mission. DCP Veer Sooryavanshi (Akshay Kumar) is the head of the Mumbai Anti- Terrorism squad. He is assigned the task of finding their whereabouts and stopping the attacks. Akshay’s character has got a personal connection to the 1993 blasts as his parents had died in it. Director Rohit Shetty adds another personal layer with the character of Riya (An efficient Katrina Kaif). Both of them are on the verge of divorce. Rohit Shetty packs in Sooryavanshi’s personal life and also his camaraderie with the members of his ATS force. He weaves all these elements in a satisfactory way in the climax. Apart from the above mentioned actors, the film features a huge ensemble which consists of Jackie Shroff, Gulshan Grover, Kumud Mishra etc.

What really works for the film is how the director sketches the character of Akshay Kumar. You have elements of both intensity and also quirkiness, the intense part is taken from Ajay Devgan’s Singham and the quirky part is from Ranveer Singh’s Simmba. Akshay Kumar combines both these elements really well in his performance. He is intense when required but is equally adept at evoking laughter in the lighter scenes. A running gag in the film is about how Sooryavanshi keeps forgetting names. While the gag feels overused after a point it still delivers plenty of laughs. The most laughs comes in the climax where there are many in house jokes between the three cops. Both Ranveer and Ajay have a blast in their extended cameos.

The pace of the film is another asset. The tension is built up well and things get more intriguing in the second half. The editing for most part is fine but the climatic portions do feel stretched.

As I earlier said the film touches upon communal harmony. It also talks about Hindu-Muslim unity. The director’s understanding of religious dynamics hasn’t got the nuance which is required but it has to be said that it still makes an impact. There is a song called Hum Hindustani where some Muslims help Hindus in carrying the Ganesh idol. This happens amidst people running away when there is fear of bomb. The song is beautifully shot and is sure to make you emotional.

Actors like Jackie Shroff and Kumud Mishra have small parts but they make an impact in the screen time that they have got.

Sooryavanshi isn’t for those who are looking for something new. It glorifies cops like Singham and Simmba which is problematic. However, if you are looking for some mainstream entertainment you will in all probability like it.