It is Akshay kumar again with his brand of patriotic movies that have been healthy winners at the box office. AK is inarguably the most versatile superstar in Bollywood when it comes to choosing scripts and performing admirably in them. To double it, he is without doubt the most bankable star in Hindi cinema despite his movies having varied themes. The movie has been marketed well and to top it, is branded as a Neeraj Pandey movie too. Rustom brings to memory Special 26, Baby and Airlift.
The story based on a real life incident is not half as intriguing as it was purported to be. The screenplay is less engaging and the characters in the movie are weakly etched without any solid grounding. If only the movie was half as intense as Akshay kumar’s face. The story lacks the edge that was expected out of this crime thriller that even had the media play its part. But Rustom is one long lackluster story that has very few moments that are applause worthy. The screenplay remains flaccid throughout and is devoid of any thrill. Even the forced humor fails the perk up the interest. Even the scenes that lead towards the investigation are so bland and short that is bereft of any seriousness or intelligence. The contrived court room scenes lack spice as well, though they might satisfy the fans of the hero.
Akshay Kumar as the Naval officer is serious, hardly smiles and is very stoic. Well, that is how army officers are supposed to be. He fits in the uniform so well that you see him in a starched uniform jeweled with his medals throughout the movie. You wonder if the director could have got more out of this talented actor. Ileana is Pink and pretty when she is supposed to be, but otherwise she just gives up when it comes to showcasing emotions. A few genuine moments feel let down by her lack of performance. Esha Gupta tries too hard and comes out as an embarrassment. She goes over the top in terms of attitude in the movie that comes out plastic in nature. The rest of the cast too lack depth. The public prosecutor in Sachin Khedkar lacks dignity and the judge in Anang Desai is artificial in his role.
Technically the movie lacks the finesse and tries very hard to depict the era that the movie represents. The colours are loud and the recreation shoddy. The camera work is OK though let down by the art direction. The background score is uninventive and the songs just about pass muster. The dialogues are a big letdown. The direction lacks maturity and the director has worked too hard aimed at perfection to churn out a very average movie.
On the whole “RUSTOM” is disappointing more so because it had an interesting plot that could have been well developed into a captivating story. Sadly the movie fails on more counts than one and the director ought to take most of the blame for letting not just AK down but also the audience who had hoped for an exciting ride.
RUSTOM – RUSTY
2.5/5
B.U.Shreesha
