Introducing Johnny Gaddar
Director Sriram Raghavan’s debut film Ek Haseena Thi, starring Saif Ali Khan and Urmila Matondkar was average at the box-office but won rave reviews from the critics. After three years of hiatus, the director is back with yet another suspense thriller titled ‘Johnny Gaddar’. Many films that released this year are inspirations of Hollywood movies or Bollywood classics. Johnny Gaddar is no exception. The title of the film is Raghavan’s way of paying homage to veteran director Vijay Anand. Some of the script is borrowed from James Hadley Chase novels and the Big B starrer Parwana, which is clearly revealed in the movie as Johnny is show watching the movie and takes inspiration to double cross his business associates.
Johnny Gaddar Story:
Seshadri (Dharmendra), Prakash (Vinay Patak), Shardul (Zakir Hussain), Shiva (Daya Shetty) and Vikram (Neil Mukesh) are five business associates, who plan a conspiracy. All have one common interest and that is making fast money. The eldest of the group is Seshadri and he gets an offer to make a fortune in four days and the rest of the gang agree to pitch in their share as this would put them in the big league. The youngest of the group Vikram decides to double-cross and elope with his love Mini. What ensues is an accident that they all try to figure out.
Johnny Gaddar Movie Review:
Director Sriram has chosen to make it different. Unlike other thrillers where the identity of the culprit is kept a secret till the climax nears, in Johnny Gaddar there is absolutely no beating around the bush. The audience knows right from the outset what transpires and who the culprit is. Johnny Gaddar takes the audience on a journey full of suspenses. With just three short songs, no cry and drama, the movie follows things a caper thriller should. But the movie slackens in pace and hence suffers to do complete justice as a suspense thriller. The script is interesting, with twists and turns, one accident leading to many crimes but the sequence could have been better scripted by making the suspense even more intricate.
Johnny Gaddar Performance:
Dharmendra as Seshadri does justice to his character. But his role could have been improved to match his magnetism. The one scene that looked quite artificial is his death scene. Neil Mukesh, the debutant is commendable in a role that doesn’t demand histrionics. We can expect to see more of him in the future. Having seen Vinay Pathak in comic roles, this new avatar of his comes as a surprise. He is brilliant. Zakir Hussain is excellent. He executes the role with ease and comfort. Daya Shetty’s (Daya in TV Thriller CID) role is limited. His performance is average.
Indicine Johnny Gaddar Verdict
Overall, Johnny Gaddar is half planned suspense thriller but manges to entertain.The movie will be reveived with mixed reviews. It’s business at the multiplex will be good.
Rating: 
October 3rd, 2007 at 3:53 pm
“An Excellent and Brilliant Suspense movie after the legend Vijay Anand.”
October 6th, 2007 at 9:38 am
[...] movie will be reveived with mixed reviews. It’s business at the multiplex will be good. Review: Johnny Gaddar Movie Review (Johny Gadar) Impean Pheasant (Danfe), National [...]
October 10th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
it is the best movi
October 22nd, 2007 at 4:13 pm
Where is the police Mr.Sriram Raghavan? Please don’t tell me that they were all sleeping thru the movie. In fact, the case is closed when shiva dies. The TTE has clearly seen vikram. The victim should have had traces of cloroform. And since there is no police in Mumbai, his ailing mother is not even informed. How come?
Generally, when someone dies, police go around talking to people known and close to him. And these five are buddies in crime, we are told in the beginning. And what about fingerprints? The killer leaves his fingerprints generously after each killing. But, since there is no police except in the first scene, the viewer also forgets about it. Not even when prakash is killed, does the police question anybody. Come on, give me a break.
A very convenient bypass by the director it would seem on retrospect bcos if this angle were to be covered, there would no movie?
Still, a very watchable movie, if you can forgive the above lapses. AFter all, we are a lawless land in reality.
:)) :))
September 12th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
hey shrini, maan chill….finally you found a movie with a perfection, so now you are startled at the fact of your own logic like where is police, where is army!!!!!! they were involved in illegal activities thats y no one dared to call the polic or so!!! Even when Kalyan gets killed nobody doubts each other as they think he could have done that or for the best, they don’t give a damn to his reports and investigations!!! The masterpiece scene is when Dharam Paaji gets killed, totally shocking and unexpected.!!!!!! Brilliant movie. Mr. Raghvan, once more please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 19th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
I totally agree ! After a long time, we see a film with sense and suspense, a well thought-out script and gripping screenplay. And when Shiva dies, there is no reason to suspect a murder, because it looks like he jumped out. Why would a ticket collector distinctly remember an average guy’s face, much less , connect it to an apparently obvious suicide. I think Police would have been crawling the place,but that is not the story. I think that would have dissipated the sequence. Plus, aren’t these people completely illegal in their business with a network of corrut police to cover up for them? Why is it a huge surprise that investigation teams didn’t come crawling into their homes because some goon died. I think the director chose to stick to focus on certain issues and not others. And made for some terrific viewing.
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I rarely enjoy movies,but this was an exception.The movie is gripping and you are glued throughout.I have seen this movie yesterday only and feel it was worth one year’s wait.My best compliments to Mr Raghvan and wish he continue to give more good films in future too.
February 28th, 2009 at 2:41 am
This is one of the very few Bollywood movies making absolute sense with the script. A one of a kind chase movie, the last of the better chase movie was Khaki. The movie’s success lies not in the suspense but in holding the viewer’s breadth till the last moment. But unfortunately the movie did not do good in box office. Maybe the audience has grown so used to usually illogical movies that they have failed to appreciate the real quality ones. Kudos to Sriram for making such a movie and Neil in his debut has excellef absolutely.