Movie Review : Dabangg

Rating : Above Average (3.3/5)
Genre : All-in-one
Year : 2010
Running time : 2 hours
Director : Abhinav Kashyap
Cast : Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Vinod Khanna, Dimple Kapadia, Mahie Gill, Arbaaz Khan, Sonu Sood, Tinnu Anand, Om Puri, Anupam Kher
Kid rating : PG-13

DABANGG : MASALA WELL DONE!

Dabang is a masala film with a difference. Situated in the rural badlands of Uttar Pradesh this film thinks it’s a Western, and it’s lone good-hearted cowboy ? Why, our Salman Khan of course. Khan, brimming with attitude, and some great dance moves, is Chulbul Pandey, or as he likes to call himself RobinHood Pandey. A corrupt cop, Chulbul has a heart of gold, takes kickbacks from the rich and the criminal to give to the needy.

Dabangg also has refrains of the 80s southie-based action films (remember Jeetendra and the Himmatwala types ?) in its stepson angle. Chulbul is the stepson of Prajapati Pandey (Vinod Khanna). His mother (Dimple) is the long suffering filmi maa who wishes to see her older son, Chulbul, and her husband on amicable terms, but her husband favors his biological son Makhandas (Arbaz Khan). Then there is the villain Cheddi Singh (Sonu Sood) a criminal politician, and the love interest Rajo (Sonakshi Sinha). Stir all these classic Hindi film elements together, infuse with stylized dramatization, and some great songs and background music, and you have a good old pot-boiler of a film. Pure masala but stylishly done.

There isn’t much of a story here – just some unresolved plot elements. The hero might seem strong but he must seek acceptance from the ever-critical step-dad. There’s your pathos – Chulbul wiping away a speck of a tear after another bristly episode with Daddy dearest. He’s got to get the girl, and bring the villain to book. Once he does all this the film will end, and you know all this almost at the beginning. Still, the ensuing journey, as Chulbul goes around doing the requisite amount of dhishum-dhishum and pelvis-shaking, is not unpleasant.

The film has village locales, which lends itself to fight sequences in godowns, and item numbers in the chowks. The heroine Rajo runs around in an almost backless choli, and a snotty attitude to boot. And Sonakshi (Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter), who plays Rajo, does an adequate job. Not quite 100% heroine material with her traditional looks, she suits the role of the rustic beauty. Salman, as the swagger-filled Chulbul is the star of the film; no one could have done this role better. It is because of him that Dabangg is the blockbuster hit that it is. Salman fills Chulbul with personality, delivering strong punch-lines and crassy jokes with equal ease. Chulbuls’s character is not written with much depth or logic, but Salman still makes him appealing.

This film runs along pretty smoothly, except for some time post-interval when it gets a little too cheesy. Director Kashyap guides with a strong hand. Dabangg has some beautifully executed fight sequences, in slo-mo, done very Matrix-style. The music also earns it brownie points; there’s the now famous “Munni badnaam hui”, pictured on a vigorously hip-swinging Malaika, and the soulful “Tere mast mast do nain” to do it credit. Dabang has all the ingredients of the masala perfectly placed. It does fallback to a older genre that I would deem “villagey”, tom-tomming the benefits of brawn (and un-education) over brains, but counters that with a sophisticated filming technique.

This film has mass appeal, is out there and outrageous, and unafraid of being what it is – no pretensions. You do not require a brain to view this film, and in that category (which has its share of idiotic films), this is one of the better ones. If you’re looking for a tangible story-line, nuance and character depth, Dabangg is not for you (pick “Do dooni char” instead). A bonafide Friday night entertainer, loud and deafening, Dabangg is worth a watch.

Kidwise : Might be unsuitable for younger kids, what with the hip-crunching, suggestive innuendoes, and the adult-sized doses of sleaze.