Movie Review: Dabangg

HOW DO U SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE DABANGG???

HOW D O U CATCH A CLOUD AND PIN IT DOWN??

DABANGG

*Salman Khan, Salman Khan & Salman Khan

Music: Sajid Wajid

Directed by: Abhinav Kashyap

Salman Khan can do many things.

Act, Cry & Dance may not be some of those things and for an actor you’d be forgiven for thinking that it would be catastrophic but fear not because he can do a few other things that a few other actors cannot do.

Strut, Prance and Swagger.

And trust me, no one in Bollywood can do it like him (except maybe for Akshay Kumay on a good day).

Dabangg is a movie with a storyline so clichéd that many times it just does away with the whole pretence and just lets the main actor flounce around the screen. And boy-o-boy does Salman do it well.

Taking off from last year’s Wanted this is what (and here is where the filter coffee drinkers begin to swear and rant at me) the Rajnikants, the Chiranjeevis et al from the south have been doing for ages. And very successfully too.

The multiplexes are very city centric and as much as the audiences love their New Yorks and their Genevas where they hope to take their holidays, their hearts actually beat for the heart of India.

India is the only place where they will settle down for good.

They will carry the latest Birkens and Vuittons but the money that comes out of that will still pay for the bhelpuris.

‘Ravioli a la Toscana’ sounds very fancy on the lips but the tongue will still crave for vada-pau and puchka.

Dabangg is so desi and yet packaged so well that even Multiplex (and Overseas) audiences are flocking to the theatres. That bhojpuri guy, Ravi Krishan has been doing it for ages but it took a Salman to make it fashionable.

I can imagine many rich young kids congregate in their latest cars at the hippest clubs wearing the latest labels, suddenly proud to be part of the desi experience. Enjoying what they always turned down their noses at.

Dabangg is pure heartland masala fare which with Salman’s star power is suddenly palatable to the snobs too. Desi chic if you may.


The dialogues are cheesy, the moves even more so but then again Salman does it so well you cant help but laugh at the whole experience and in between the laughs you realize you’ve actually enjoyed the movie.

The music is also pretty good this time round but Munni is a disappointment.

A major one.

Malaika is OLD.

She’s lost so much weight that she looks haggard. The oomph that an item number requires is sorely missing.
And its ironic that the best item number that bollywood has produced to date (Chhaiya Chhaiya) also starred Malaika. What a pity.

And apart from a great tune a song also needs to have great writing to sustain it and make it truly memorable. It isn’t a coincidence then that 3 of the greatest item numbers have been penned by the incomparable Oscar winner Gulzar.

Chhaiya Chhaiya

Kajra Ke and

Beedi Jalaile.

Sonakshi Sinha (Shatrughan’s daughter) makes her debut here and thankfully unlike her brother Luv (who also made his debut a few months back in a movie whose name I can barely even remember) she can act. Her role is half baked but she manages to makes a mark. And in this Salman lovefest that’s saying a lot. Girl’s got great presence.

And great eyes. Tere Mast Mast Do Nain….Mere Dil Ka Le gaye Chain.

She can do the Vidya Balan type of roles and again like Ms. Balan, if she tries short skirts and looking hot she’s gonna fail bad.

So is this the way Bollywood is headed?

I hope not.

Paapri Chaat is great fun no doubt but now that we’ve also had a taste of the pasta lets embrace the variety.

Every other movie can't be a Dabangg. We’d die of boredom.

Have heard Dhobi Ghaat is great.

Till next time…


As usual

Luv

Vish