Tezz Review

Rating: ***

The storyline of 'Tezz' is very basic and has been well conveyed through the promos. Ajay Devgn and his accomplices Zayed Khan & Sameera Reddy have planted a bomb in a fast moving train. Now it's the job of Boman Irani (in the control room) and Anil Kapoor (on the road) to foil his plans. In the middle of this all, there is another cop (inside the train) who finds himself trapped. As the drama unfolds over a period of 10-12 hours, there are choppers, speed boats, bikes, cars, explosions and bullets filling in the frames at regular intervals.

There are number of sequences like this that stand out but the ones that stay in your mind are ironically the ones that are not set in the train. Whether it is elaborate bike sequence featuring Sameera Reddy (which is bettered only by a similar sequence featuring Zayed Khan in 'Blue') before the interval point or the one that takes place in the second half with Zayed getting into a parkour mode, they are good enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. Of course one can get into a comparison mode with Hollywood but the fact remains that when it comes to Bollywood flicks, the sequences do stand out.

What doesn't stand out though are the sequences set in and around the train. In fact even the all important sequence featuring the track change of two trains is done in a jiffy. Ditto for the sequence where passengers are moved from one train to another. Not just do these sequences struggle to catch your attention; they don't even have the kind of special effects that could have made it all look believable.

Thankfully the actors try to make the entire plot look believable. Anil Kapoor and Boman Irani are the most natural of them all and indeed seem to be going that extra distance to make their performances stand out. There is a touch of humour in Kapoor's dialogues and the very fact that the actor's presence is felt in almost every episode is a reason to rejoice. He is quite good and so is Boman Irani who showcases once again that he can do much more than just go over the top in comic affairs like 'Housefull 2'. As for Ajay Devgn, he comes up with the kind of act that he could do in sleep.

As for the other actors, there isn't much to really talk about from performances perspective. Sameera Reddy and Zayed Khan have limited screen time but would be happy to take home a high octant action sequence each. Mohanlal has a nothing role. Kangana keeps making her presence felt intermittently though the couple of songs (despite appearing for just about a minute each) disturb the flow of the narrative. In fact the entire emotional angle of Ajay-Kangana love story, especially when the duo meets in the second half, is distracting. Ditto for the climax which is overly extended when Ajay and Anil come face to face.

Still, what stands out in 'Tezz' is it's rich look which is visible in most of the frames, especially the ones set in London outdoors. Frankly, this is one of those rare Bollywood films where a major part of the film is indeed shot outdoors instead of using the city as just a picture postcard. The city has been captured quite well and the real locations further add authenticity to the drama.

'Ye Angrezi Picture Bahaut Dekhta Hai' - The dialogue mouthed by Anil Kapoor for Ajay Devgn could well have been reserved for the makers of 'Tezz' who take the Hollywood route for the film. It isn't difficult to find numerous reference points for the film, both from East as well as West. However what works for most part of the film is the entertainment quotient that it brings with it. Yes, there are occasional dips that this Priyadarshan directed action thriller takes, especially towards the climactic sequence. Still, what one remembers most are quite a few action and chase sequences that account for 'paisa vasool'.

Rating: ***