Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | August 16, 2018

Rating: 1.5 / 5

The essence: Corrupt policemen are being burnt systematically by one Veer (John Abraham) and DCP Shivaansh (Manoj Bajpayee) is at his wits end since he is being challenged by the killer. Of course, Veer has a back story and a reason for his killing of these corrupt officials but the entire plot is so tackily stitched that it takes you back to the films of the early 90s, where characters had no meaning and heroines had no part to play other than being showpieces.

Manoj Bajpayee has it in him to squeeze the emotions out of you even if it’s one solitary scene in the entire movie. In the last scene, Bajpayee breaks through the mundane script giving vent to his frustrations, so to speak, of having to endure Satyameva Jayete, to literally want you to give him a standing ovation. It reminds one of Dilip Kumar in Shakti (1982) when he tells his son’s kidnappers, “Mar daalo use…” It also reminds one of the scene from Mashaal (1984) where Dilip Kumar goes berserk on a deserted street seeking help for his wife, screaming, “Ae bhai… Bhaisaab gaadi roko, gaadi roko bhai…”

Giving him company, matching him with the dynamics of the scene and emotions is debutante Aisha Sharma. This is just one scene with meaning where Aisha, like Bajpayee, packs a punch with her performance, giving an insight of what she is capable of, given the right role.

For the rest of the film, neither Bajpayee, nor Aisha, nor John Abraham know what they are doing. While Bajpayee does have a semblance of a role, Aisha has nothing. But that is Satyameva Jayeta, a film hurriedly put together with no thought, trying to cash in on the country’s Independence Day and patriotism. Milap Zaveri makes a mess of everything.

Corrupt policemen are being burnt systematically by one Veer (John Abraham) and DCP Shivaansh (Manoj Bajpayee) is at his wits end since he is being challenged by the killer. Of course, Veer has a back story and a reason for his killing of these corrupt officials but the entire plot is so tackily stitched that it takes you back to the films of the early 90s, where characters had no meaning and heroines had no part to play other than being showpieces.

John Abraham, for his part, has to flex his muscles, give his customary macho look and show off his bare body. Manish Choudhary has an interesting role and he shines throughout. Sadly, the plot is stuck in no man’s land.

There is one actor who gives off a gem of a performance, making her presence felt in just one scene (50 seconds), and then cementing her caliber with the next two. Archita Agarwal comes in a burkha and immediately delivers a delightful performance which has chutzpah written all over it.

There’s no meat in the film though, it’s a big letdown!

CREDITS
Producer: Nikhil Advani, Bhushan Kumar
Director: Milap Zaveri
Star Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee, Aisha Sharma, Manish Choudhary