Ajay Devgn and the thrills his punches manage to evoke. The wafer thin plotline, hammy acting, predictable narrative and the lack of fun and excitement that drives a Rohit Shetty film. Singham Returns scared the daylight out of me. No it wasn’t a horror film, but it shocked me to see a Rohit Shetty film so devoid of fun. You can take everything away from that man but not his capability to entertain you. Not novel, frequently bizarre with some really lame vintage jokes to poke fun, the dude can amuse you surely. But when that fun factor is sucked out of his film, assume that something has gone gravely amiss. Singham Returns is a shabby replica of its earlier edition, working on the same contours, never stretching the plotline nor trying anything new. Rather, it deteriorates, frame by frame, turning into a tedious tirade. The impact was seldom there and never rises above the bar set by its prequel. Expect to be only half entertained because of Ajay Devgn whose zealous, rampant smacks and punches still has the gusto. Anyone who has the appetite for commercial potboilers can ingest this film, for others it is an attempt wasted.
Ajay Devgn is better in terms of performance since his last stint at playing Singham. He is marvelous and keeps the film flowing thick despite visible discrepancies. Even the faults you buy because of his conviction on the character. Probably his most memorable screen appearance, Ajay does justice to a character in a film that doesn’t quite live up to his potential.
Kareena Kapoor is used as a mere distraction in the film. Her comedy isn’t very funny. Her action seems forced and her emotions seem fake. She is pleasant face on screen who offers some respite sometimes but the actress doesn’t grab noteworthy attention in the film.
Anupam Kher does a good job. So does Mahesh Manjrekar, who quite slips well in the roles of political stalwart and state CM.
Coming to the villains, they were two very poorly cast actors. If you expect me to be petrified or intimidated by a sugar coated, religious leader who is caricaturish version of some ‘Bapu’, then it fails to work. The same goes for Zakir Hussain who is more of a comedian than villain.
Singham Returns doesn’t match up to Singham and that is the failure of this franchise venture. It is definitely a very watchable film with Ajay putting in his best foot forward in a role that brings out his caliber to the fullest but for those who are expecting a Rohit Shetty fun watch, this film is neither immensely entertaining or superbly enjoyable. The action doesn’t offer anything new and the drama is too superficial for my taste. It is just about average and that too only for its lead man whose swagger rules the show in this one. I am going with a 2.5/5 for Singham Returns. Aata Majhi Satakli? Yeah, dude. Mine too. Ditto!
