Images of devastating bomb blasts in various places in India set the context in Raj Kumar Gupta’s latest directorial venture.
When the news of terrorists getting arrested reach us, what we never get to know are the names of the heroes who risked everything to capture them; what thoughts crossed their minds when they willingly put their lives at stake, knowing full well that neither rewards nor awards will come their way? This is the premise Raj Kumar Gupta’s latest directorial venture, India’s Most Wanted.
Based on true events, the film traces the capture of Yasin Bhatkal, one of India’s top 10 most wanted terrorists, from Nepal. It’s an interesting premise, no doubt, setting out to tell an inspiring tale. But sadly, it does so in the most uninspiring fashion possible.
A brave officer and “saccha deshbhakt”, Prashant (Arjun Kapoor) gathers a team that self-funds the mission and goes to Nepal without proper permissions from the top, backup force or weapons. How, then, did they manage this incredible feat? It’s the kind of subject that would have looked great in form of a book, but the middling screenplay and repetitive dialogues make it an excruciating watch.
“Desh ke liye jaan de denge”,“desh ke liye jaan le lenge”, “India’s most wanted”, “covert operation” — we hear these phrases so many times that we become numb to the emotional play-off necessary to keep us engaged. Also, it doesn’t help that Arjun Kapoor has one stalk expression throughout the proceedings!
From trying to persuade his seniors to support his claims of having intel about their target to interrogating their source who might be double-crossing them, Kapoor never quite manages to look convincing .
It’s the same droopy-eyed blank stare he has from the first frame till the last. Could this explain the over-dramatic background score? Probably a way to compensate for the lack of expressions by the principle character? However, the jarring tone only makes matters worse.
Rajesh Sharma, playing a well-meaning intelligence officer trying to help his team on ground while keeping the bosses happy, gets a raw deal. The patchy storytelling never lets things settle down.
India’s Most Wanted is weirdly exasperating to watch. A story Indians should be proud of, but told in a way that sadly puts us to sleep!
1.5 quints out of 5!
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