It's been a while since I saw a Bollywood movie & that was primarily due to a dearth of trailers that caught my fancy. However, this Friday we have two big starrer movies lined up with the producers hoping to cash in on the long weekend. With the Olympics in full swing & the new season of EPL kicking off, it is a matter of what the audience want to spent their time on. Anywaz I found the time to check out "Rustom" which was inspired from the Nanavati murder case that had caught the fancy of the public in 1959. But will the movie reap similar results???
Just a decade into Independence & India was finding its feet in the new world order. Our defense forces were making steady strides through the efforts of dedicated officers with Commander Rustom Pavri (Akshay Kumar) being one among them. Rustom was a decorated naval officer who led a happy married life with his wife, Cynthia (Ileana D'Cruz). His duty required him to be away from home for months together which provided the fodder for his friend, Vikram Makhija (Arjun Bajwa); a playboy businessman to work his charm on Cynthia. Eventually he managed to swoon her which Rustom discovers in due time that leaves him distraughted. Seeking a closure to his pain, Rustom kills Vikram & surrenders to the police. What subsequently followed was the drama which unfolded at the courtroom that left the judicial system bewildered.
Based on the Nanawati murder case, even to the point of naming characters which sounds quite similar to the real ones; there was absolutely no excuse for the director Tinu Suresh Desai to mess it up. The actual event had all the ingredients of a potboiler but it seemed the writer Vipul K Rawal had other ideas. His plan to include a sub-plot barely provided an impetus to the movie but also diluted the main thread. Hardly anything happens in the first half as Tinu takes his sweet time to set the ball in motion while the second half also doesnt quite arrest the attention of the audience. Apart from the trite screenplay, even the whole watching experience wasnt gratifying as it looked extremely artificial thanks to the mediocre art direction, makeup & visuals by Santhosh Thundiyil. The music done by a host of individuals fails to leave its impression & also proved to be undesirable appendages.
In recent times, Akshay has made conscious efforts to juggle with a variety of genres & kudos to him for that. Even as Rustom, Akshay has given a decent performance as he seemed an ideal choice as the officer but somehow the emotional aspect of the character doesnt get displayed for some odd reason. Pawan Malhotra has done a fine job as the investigating officer while Kumud Mishra was wasted in a comic relief role & lacked the impact that the real character had on Nanavati's release.
Verdict: Since the movie is based on a real life event, there is definitely a certain deal of curiosity which the makers would hope to cash in. There are a couple of factors which could work in its favour such as the relatively lower budget, long weekend & patriotic fervor due to Independence day. It will be able to recover its investment but making a sizable profit seems like a long shot. In short, the basic thread had the content but the makers made a mess of it!!!
Rating: 2/5
Regards...Ben
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