Sidharth’s brooding painful anger, Riteish’s baffling brilliance and mostly Mohit Suri’s direction that tackles the story with care, ensuring its every bit fantastic.
Barely anything. Probably the film’s ending is expected but after the high of the climax, the last scene settles for being even more mesmeric.
Ek Villain folds out quite contrary to its simplistic name. Told with an even pitch, the film isn’t anything like the run-in-the-mill stories we are subjected to watch every week. This is sheer compelling commercial cinema that has a lucid story and its heart in the right place, without indulging in anything stoop! Mohit Suri doesn’t depend on ‘signpost’ characters; surprising and gratifying you in equal measures. I don’t even care if this film is a rip off of some obscure Korean flick, this is a smashingly effective one! The film’s riveting rhythm, breathtaking performances especially from Sidharth and Riteish and the fantastic writing makes for a magnificent, racy and emotional watch.
Sidharth Malhotra catapults himself ahead of all the young actors around, upping himself above the league of actors he is associated with. It would be an understatement to say he is superlative. He is beyond that. In one of the romantic songs, where a gangster is falling in love with a woman, the actor’s expressions are accurate. He stares at her like I would at a trigonometry sum : with confusion, puzzled and lost. He even gets to do an Amitabh Bachchan from Shehenshah and the angry young man look and feel is fantastic. Exhibiting each emotion from heartbreak to pain to anger with such faultless ease, Malhotra is gloriously sensational.
Riteish Deshmukh doesn’t remain far behind matching up to him. He is tremendously wicked and the plainness in his eyes have a haunting quality. He talks to his victims after he murders them, telling them about his nagging wife and about how much he loves her. There is no sexual attraction between him and his victims but Riteish does bring out on his face superbly the peace after a murder. He looks positively rejuvenated and I don’t think anyone else would have been able to play this role with such perfection. Deshmukh invests himself completely to the skin of his character and he is every bit damn good!
Shraddha Kapoor talks too much in the film and that’s the most pertinent observation. Filling in perfectly into her role, she is way better than Aashiqui 2. She fits into her character very neatly and does a stellar job. Her chemistry with Sidharth is dreamy and memorable. Convulsing in her near death throes, Shraddha stole the scene and heightened the impact manifolds.
Aamna Sharif makes a re-entry on the silver screens after a while and she still has the impromptu quality of delivering well. She is memorable and justifies the reason for Riteish’s pent up frustration.
Kamaal Rashid Khan makes for good comic relief and he even gets to use his iconic #2RsPpl phrase. I am sure that quite has him content for the day and he won’t be puking all over Twitter today!
