Shootout at Wadala: Film Review
Shootout at Wadala is a Watching Experience! Just relive the history of “Mumbai Ka Bhai Kaun”? & “Don Kaun”?
Film: Shootout at Wadala.
Producer: Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor, Sanjay Gupta & Anuradha Gupta.
Director: Sanjay Gupta
Cast: Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Tusshar Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Manoj Bajpai, & Sonu Sood, Punkaj Kalraa.
Genre: Crime.
Rating: 
S Hussain Zaidi’s “Dongri To Dubai….Six decades of the Mumbai Mafia… happens to be the source of a take on the underworld, highlighting the chapter on Manya Surve, the dreaded gangster who had virtually usurped the empires of quite a few Don’s & Badshah’s of the gore and glitter world of mafiadom. Manya Surve (John Abraham), a sincere student and a family person, having a doting mother and a loving girl friend in Vidya (Kangana Ranaut), his colleague is living his life, when a chance encounter where he tries to save his brother a notorious criminal, and in the process gets embroiled in a murder case of his brother’s making and gets convicted for life term behind bars. His dreams shattered and life destroyed for no fault of his and from jail how fate takes over his ultimate destiny is not only heart wrenching, but quite fiery. His escape from the prison with the help of his jail buddy and life saver Sheikh Munir (Tusshar Kapoor), and his forming a gang of his own.
Manya’s encounter with the rival gangs and especially the Haskar brothers, Zubair (Manoj Bajpai) and Dilawar (Sonu Sood), in the quest for the power of the Mumbai City Mafia Raj and their cat and mouse game with the police of Mumbai notably an encounter specialist in ACP Aafaque Baaghran (Anil Kapoor), a conscientious police officer who with his sincere buddies of the department Raja Tambat ( Ronit Roy) and Shinde ( Mahesh Manjrekar), along with Jackie Shroff , who is seen in a very small cameo appearance, forms the crux of the story. To keep the sound effects of guns and blasts all around and knives splitting the guts out with open blood baths and murders in broad daylight, are intertwined with musical set pieces of not one, two but three Item Numbers, spaced out beautifully to keep the tempo of the gangster saga in full form and make it entertaining.
Sunny Leone’s Cabaret I’d rather call it is stunningly shot and is the icing on the cake. In Laila Teri Le Legi she not only looks sensuously bewitching but also oozes oodles of sex and oomph!!!
Priyanka Chopra’s … Babli Badmaash track is again a winner of sorts as it endorses her presence very strongly.
Finally where Manya Surve actually gets to shake a leg is Sophie Choudhry’s electrifying Cabaret number again I would say…. As the track Aaa Laa Re Aala Manya Ala….. Reminds you of early 60’s, 70’s, 80’s period. But the irony is that among the pulsating numbers one looses out on the soft number Aye Manya sung by Adnan Sami and composed by Meet Bros Anjjan, whose other track “Goli… regular and remix has the desired impact.
Coming to performances Anil Kapoor has put in his best performance in recent times, essaying an action packed role at his age is very very commendable. Manoj Bajpai once again proves his mastery over such kind of bhaigiri roles which comes to him naturally. Tusshar Kapoor shows that come what may he will try his level best to live up to the character. With his dexterity and the way he enjoys performing the role does the obvious. Surprise package comes in the form of Sonu Sood, who seems to be evolving with his recent portrayals of baddie characters. His role of Dilawar is highlighted by his shrewd and cunning display of emotions which he manages to do effectively with his expressive eyes.
Kangana Ranaut does not have much to do, but whatever she does is really touching and praiseworthy. Her eyes manifest range of emotions, love fear, hatred and sheer helplessness, which comes across when she sees Manya her love in the final encounter. Little mention to Punkaj Kalraa, who portrays Batla a notorious Bhai in the film, since having watched him in the recent popular serial on Television Devon Ka Dev Mahadev, seems to be relishing the baddie character to the hilt.
John Abraham as Manya Surve has virtually lived the role, maybe it may not have been actually that glorifying, but cinematically he looks really great and big. Seems like one of the best roles till date. Indeed a treat to watch him in all shades of Good Bad & Ugly. Just too good! Bravo! Long way to go John!
Now how can we forget the person who has got all these talents to perform to their capacity and brought the Once Upon A Time…Back Again….reliving those dreadful days when the Don’s and the Godfathers had virtually the city of Mumbai than Bombay at ransom. Director Sanjay Gupta is spot on! Full marks for the stupendous execution and maintaining the entertainment quotient in the form of the Cabarets, & full marks to the dialogue writer Milap Zaveri for the peppy and expletive driven lingo which goes with the tempo of the film and helps add that extra flavor and the impact the film has to its final run. Excellent Camerawork by Sameer Arya & Sanjay F. Gupta. Some action sequences are really outstanding and the credit goes to the editor Bunty Negi also who has maintained that pace and rhythm, leaving you on the edge of the seat most of the time.
Shootout at Wadala is a Watching Experience! Just relive the history of “Mumbai Ka Bhai Kaun”? & “Don Kaun”?
