Movie Review: ‘Bang Bang’
The hype surrounding almost each and every Hrithik Roshan film is quite easy to understand for those always yearning to see this very charming and good-looking actor on the big screen. In Siddharth Anand directed ‘Bang Bang’, a remake of Hollywood’s ‘Knight and Day’ (2010), Roshan is paired with the beautiful Katrina Kaif for the second time after 2011’s ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’. The flick not only promised sizzling chemistry between the two but also levels of action and thrill to match, However, does it live upto the very high expectations it so naturally set for itself?
Harleen (Kaif) is a simple bank receptionist in Shimla with her Dadi. When her Dadi encourages her to go out and find love, she decides to do so through an online dating site which set up a blind date for her. When she is waiting in the restaurant, Rajveer (Roshan) walks by, taken aback by Harleen’s beauty. When he steps into the restaurant, Harleen immediately mistakes him for her date. He happily obliges and the two have what is, at first glance for Harleen, a very beautiful first meet. It is only when she comes to the end of the date does she realise that there was more to Rajveer than met the eye. She then ends up on an adventure with Rajvee, eventually finding out his real identity of an international thief… but he has a secret that he hasn’t told her about.
‘Bang Bang’ is very much a feast on the eyes. With such a gorgeous looking couple, it is should be difficult to spot the gaping holes in the storyline but unfortunately, they are too large to be overlooked. Anand’s directorial skills come into play in a very positive way for what he’s tried to achieve. He makes every corner of the world that ‘Bang Bang’ has been shot in an absolute visual pleasure – be it India, Thailand or Greece. There is romance, grandeur, and a fairytale-like feel to many scenes but what cannot be ignored is that there are action scenes which simply do not make sense or justify a reasoning in script or screenplay. In fact, there are some parts of film that could fit well in other Roshan movies such as 2012’s ‘Agneepath’ or even 2013’s ‘Krrish 3’. These quite stand out scenes are very unsettling for audiences who expect a bit more from what has been touted as one of the best action–packed films to hit Bollywood, and that too inspired by Hollywood. The characters of Rajveer and Harleen are also quite inconsistent and their actions can be said to be difficult to understand at the best of times. It almost feels like every romantic scene is there to take the audience’s attention away from the fact that they are being treated as if they will be sucked into a storyline which doesn’t really need to be focussed on because the lead couple are just too luring for them to notice.
The performances in the film are perhaps the most frustrating for those who love Roshan and Kaif, and trust their abilities to provide good cinema. Roshan’s character has many inconsistent moments ranging from his profession right the way through to how he somehow manages to fight through some of the most ridiculous obstacles to save Kaif’s character when she’s in trouble. In an age when Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and (to an extent after last year’s ‘Dhoom 3’) also Aamir Khan seem to be insulting the intelligence of the audience in their heists, it feels disappointing to see an actor of Roshan’s calibre also doing the same. Having said that, Roshan does prove an absolute joy to watch on the big screen – he still melts the heart even in this, one of his most insane characters. Kaif’s performance leaves little to the imagination but it does feel as if she’s choosing roles which don’t challenge her enough and it does sometimes feel as if she’s constantly wanting to grab the big banners as opposed to the most interesting and different characters. It cannot go without a mention how great it is in ‘Bang Bang’ to see the legendary Danny Denzongpa return to the big screen as the evil villain. Known for his negatively shaded roles, ‘Bang Bang’ gives the actor a chance to revive his career and he does a commendable job in his short role in the film. Jimmy Sheirgill was also a nice surprise at the start.
The soundtrack is one of the few saviours of the film as Vishal-Shekhar’s tunes coupled with Roshan and Kaif’s dance moves seem to be pure magic both in audio and visual. The highlight is definitely the end video which is, of course, the title track, choreographed by Bosco-Caesar. Aside from that, Ash King’s vocals definitely impress in ‘Meherbaan’ and ‘Tu Meri’ is also a definite hit – this is also a visual treat for fans of Roshan’s dancing.
It’s hard to pinpoint just one thing that doesn’t quite let what are very sturdy and trustworthy ingredients bode well together. However, ‘Bang Bang’ lives up to all expectations of being packaged in a tremendously appealing way to bring the audiences in. What it very much lacks there on in is substance, speed and just a need for something substantially thrilling. It seems that the concentration has been fully on the look of the film which is a sad downfall for the script, the story and the intelligence of the viewers. Watch this one only for the appeal on the eyes because it has not much else to offer.
BizAsia Showbiz rating: 2.5/5
