Thugs of Hindostan: Not worth the hype
Aamir Khan is known for his no-nonsense selection of movies, at least that is how it has been over the last few years. Thugs of Hindostan; is it similar to Pirates of Caribbean? Nope, however is heavily inspired on production design, Aamir’s character and few other things. Set in the pre-Independence British era, to be more specific – during the East India rule; the predictable storyline and weak characterization with lesser number of interests arousing factors give away some worthwhile performances and the grandeur of the movie.
The film opens with father and son duo building sand castle, only to be washed away by waves; this signifies the entry and setup of British East India company that tore into India in the name of trade. The movie’s trailer would have promised any viewer of some sure patriotism, bravery and some hefty performances. Yes, they are inclusive but not to a thumping extent. Senior Bachchan as Khudabaksh Jahazzi is the no nonsense patriot rebel who fights for anyone around who wants to impose slavery. His ambitions and intention prove to be a pain for the British Raj who employ Clive to employ some wild techniques to oust the rebel forces. In the means the british hire Firangi Mallah; a petty mercenary who can switch side easily for a chunk of money. Sound so Jack sparrowish? Well Firangi character is certainly inspired by Sparrow, no wonder he dances, drinks, strikes deals and the body language too is heavily inspired. So when the British try to use Firangi’s tricks to stamp their authority, do they succeed? Or not forms the storyline of Thugs of Hindostan.
The plot is promising and gives room for plenty of innovation, characterization and interesting screenplay. Sadly, the first set of action, twist and turns are the only comfort and they seem to get monotonous without offering much as the movie sets in. The powerful performances of Amitabh and Aamir seem to go in vain as the director appears clueless in trying to utilize VFX and action, in the process uses it scattered. Thugs of Hindostan concentrates so much on its fight sequences that any scene without combat seems to stretch on till the end of time. You forget the dialogues before the actors can finish saying them. So, Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan try their best to steer the film forward but fail beyond the intermission.
An actress as strong as Katrina Kaif seem to be under utilized and all she does is shake a leg apart from a scene or two. Fatima has her moments and steals the light from all other casts, her role and characterization is done okayish. Other characters though no fault of theirs have little to fill their screen space with effectiveness. Director Vijay Krishna Acharya is clueless in springing twists and turns even with a character like Firangi at helm. Every single twist is predictable, and the 150-minute ordeal appears far more lengthier that it is. Every other turn is sprayed with action, but at wrong junctures and no proper justification.
Music by Ajay-Atul apart from few BGM’s are nothing out of ordinary. Overall, we rarely get to see Aamir as he does a film in two years; with Thugs, the disappointment for any Aamir Khan fan would be justified as the film is sure not be in his hall of fame.
Verdict: Thugs of Hindostan though high on production values and performances, fails for its weak plot. Lack of twists and turns makes the film a dull watch.
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