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 Issme action bhi hai, emotion bhi hai, romance bhi hai, drama bhi
hai. Issme Salman Hai. Yeh 'Dabangg' Hai. That's right, before the first
decade of the current Millennium comes to an end, 'Dabangg' has to be
the first ever masala film after a long time that turns out to be the
most unabashed display of star power. Really, all that you remember once
the show of 'Dabangg' ends is Salman Khan.
The reason is simple. If one starts scratching the surface, there is
an utter lack of storyline in 'Dabangg'. All you get to see is one item
sequence tied with another, sometimes not so successfully and at number
of times successfully. And when it does tie up well eventually, there is
no stopping back. You can't get your eyes off Salman and this is what
makes 'Dabangg' stand out as a quintessential masala film that has
audience asking for more.
Salman Khan is our very own Robinhood Pandey who loots from the goons
and discreetly distributes it amongst the needy. However, this
Robinhood act of his just remains at the surface without taking over the
proceedings. In fact to think of it, there is absolutely nothing that
takes over the proceedings even once despite a dozen odd characters
spread all over the narrative.
A mother (Dimple Kapadia) who loves her elder son but can't side with
him since he has her feelings intact for her second husband (Vinod
Khanna) and their child (Arbaaz Khan). A quiet young woman (Sonakshi
Sinha) who gets to know the name of her hubby only after getting married
to him. A politician (Anupam Kher) who never quite comes on his own. A
goon (Romeo) whose only job is to get beaten up whenever he establishes
an eye contact with Salman. A cop (Om Puri) who comes across as a mere
sidekick. Most of these characters barely stay on as peripherals even as
Salman dominates the show.
Thankfully, the man who actually turns out to have a good screen time
as well as screen presence is Sonu Sood who makes use of the
opportunity that came his way with 'Dabangg'. As a villain (who by the
way loves to be addressed as a hero), he has a well defined character
that basically comes on his own in the second half of the film and
actually contributes to the overall plot.
Now that's actually a big relief because honestly, the first half of
the film is just a set of pieces that come together by coincidence and
not intent. In fact it won't be wrong to say that for the first 45
minutes at least, you end up wondering whether 'Dabangg' was actually
the case of promos misleading audience into expecting something really
phenomenal. Yes, there are some clap worthy sequences but still, an
absence of a concrete plot means that you do tend to get a little
flustered and also impatient. You do expect some drama to build up to a
cause but all you get to see is Salman's histrionics put on display.
However, things do take a turn for much better in the second half and
as the plot thickens (to whatever extent possible in an out and out
Salman show that 'Dabangg' is), the film begins to engross the audience.
the game of tricks being played to make the two brothers (Salman and
Arbaaz clash), the flashback sequence involving Dimple, the anti climax
at Arbaaz's wedding - just about everything ends up making 'Dabangg' a
much enjoyable affair.
To add to that, music plays a big part in ensuring that 'Dabangg'
stays on to be a lively affair. Short and sweet, each of the numbers
come at just the right time and never cause an interruption in the
narrative. The cherry on the top is the item song (Munni Badnaam) which
is anyways the talk of the season.
Moreover, the best is reserved for the finale that makes 'Dabangg' an
absolute enthralling affair for the masses. The extra long fight
sequence involving Salman, first with a bunch of goons where his entire
police forces supports him and later hand to hand combat with Sonu Sood
makes 'Dabangg' a thrilling affair. Really, this is a complete 'seeti
maar' affair which is actually best enjoyed in theaters.
No wonder, 'Dabangg' is all set to work extremely well in theaters.
All set to enjoy one of the best starts of the current year, 'Dabangg'
has in it to enjoy a good innings, at least during the first fortnight.
While this should be Salman's biggest hit ever since 'Hum Aapke Hain
Kaun', it will also ensure that 'masala' movies won't die in near future
with more and more projects conceived on the same lines.
Joginder Tuteja / Sampurn Wire
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