Dishoom review: John Abraham and Varun Dhawan deliver a feel-good film
John Abraham, Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandez's buddy-cop film Dishoom is in theatres today. Our review.
John Abraham, Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandez's Dishoom is in theatres today. Will Rohit Dhawan's buddy-cop film be able to make it to the audience's hearts? Here's our review of Dishoom.
Cast: John Abraham, Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Saqib Saleem, Akshaye Khanna
Direction: Rohit Dhawan
Rating: 
Somewhere in the Middle East, India is playing a series. Viraj Sharma (Saqib Saleem), India's most-loved cricketer is the man to watch out for on the field. During the semi-finals, India beat Sri Lanka to reach the finals, where they will battle it out with Pakistan.
PHOTOS: Priya Runchal joins husband John Abraham for a screening of Dishoom
36 hours to the match. Viraj is missing. A CCTV footage shows the cricketer leaving with a lady, Samaira Dalal (Nargis Fakhri, in a special appearance). Back home in India, the Foreign Minister is alerted. She receives a video of a Pakistani fan telling to the camera that Viraj will stay off the field during the India-Pakistan finals. Without India's best batsman, the team is bound to crumble in front of Pakistan.
Vividly modelled on Sushma Swaraj, Mona Ambegaonkar asks Kabir Shergill (John Abraham) from the Special Task Force to fly to the Middle East to aid the government in rescuing Viraj. No one is to know about this top-secret mission, goes without saying.
Kabir meets the police officials in this country and asks for a guide to aid him in Operation Get Viraj. Enter Junaid (Varun Dhawan), the police's most worthless officer. Kabir and Junaid get on the task of delivering Viraj to the stadium during the finals.
The brothers-in-arms' adventure is marked by twists and turns, and generous doses of laughter. There's the friendly pickpocket Ishika (Jacqueline Fernandez) too to help these cops get to Viraj. Their adversary here is betting giant 'Wagah' (Akshaye Khanna), who, much like the India-Pakistan border his code-name echoes, belongs neither here nor there.
Rohit Dhawan and Tushar Hiranandani's story is paced well. With not too many songs, Dishoom moves at a commendable speed. The screenplay has loopholes, but the story doesn't meander from the course a lot.
Dishoom deserves accolades for the slickly choreographed action scenes. The chase sequences are fun to watch. The lavishly done helicopter chase deserves a special mention.
John Abraham as Kabir is perfect with the gun and punches. He breaks bones with ease, and has a grumpy expression permanently stamped on his face. Kabir softens himself only for Junaid, who he develops a soft corner for during the course of the film. Varun Dhawan's Junaid is affable at times and (deliberately?) annoying at others. Dhawan's comic timing calls for much applause. Jacqueline doesn't make much of an impression, but does what she is expected to: be around the men as a pleasant distraction.
Dishoom brings back Akshaye Khanna from hibernation. As Wagah, Khanna is reminiscent of his Race (2008) days. He is not a menacing villain who can give you the chills, but he is intimidating in parts. Saqib Saleem reminds one of Virat Kohli, who his Viraj is based on.
In his few-minute long cameo, Akshay Kumar takes the cake. His man-bun, the shaved legs. And Akshay Kumar in a skirt. Kumar is required to be the stereotypical Bollywood homosexual , with the effeminate mannerisms et al. And Kumar is perfection.
Ayanaka Bose's camera captures the beaches and landscape of the Middle East with expertise. Nitin Rokade and Ritesh Soni have done the editing bit well. The film doesn't feel stretched at any point.
Pritam delivers his usual peppy numbers. Sau Tarah Ke is a hummable track.
Dishoom, however, despite its decent-enough story, doesn't quite make a mark on the mind. The film is a crowd-pleaser, especially when Saare Jahan Se Achha plays in the background and you need to deal with the goosebumps.
Watch the film for its comedy and action.
(The writer tweets as @ananya116.)