Singham Returns Review

‘Singham Returns’ is the sequel to 2011’s most-loved masala entertainer ‘Singham’, a film that performed very well at the box office and also went on to be hugely popular when it was aired on television. While Singham was a remake of a Tamil blockbuster, Singham Returns is a original screenplay.

The man calling the shots is Rohit Shetty, who directs his 10th film. Apart from his directorial debut Zameen, all his films have been successful at the box office. His last release, Chennai Express, went on to be one of the biggest grossers of all time. For someone who has made a career out of directing comedy films, Shetty directs his first original action-thriller since Zameen (2003).

Does ‘Singham Returns’ do justice to the iconic character of Bajirao Singham? Is the film as good as the first part? Let’s find out!

Story: A police constable from Bajirao Singham’s (Ajay Devgn) squad is found dead in an ambulance carrying millions of rupees. He is charged of being corrupt. Singham vows to clear the constable of his charges and along with Daya (Dayanand Shetty of CID fame) sets out on a mission to unravel the mystery behind the constable’s death. Soon, a righteous politician Guruji (Anupam Kher) is also killed. Who is behind the killings? What will Singham do to cleanse the political system that wrecks havoc in the city?

Review: Director Rohit Shetty wastes no time in introducing the characters. The audience is not only familiar with the characters in Singham, but also know what to expect from the film. He plays to the gallery and sticks to the formula that worked so well for the first part. The first half is filled with action sequences, car crashes, punch dialogues and Singham’s trademark walk towards the camera. The love angle is forced into the narrative, just for the heck of having a gorgeous leading lady romance Singham.

The pace picks up in the second half. While the plot is thin, Sajid-Farhad (script writers) along Rohit Shetty have ensured that every scene is designed to make Singham look larger-than-life. However, Singham Returns is let down by a weak climax.

The music disappoints, even Yo Yo Honey Singh’s Aata Majhi Satakli doesn’t work. Thankfully, the film has very few songs. Cinematography is good. Production design is excellent.  Action sequences are too long, get repetitive as the film progresses and are way too predictable.

Performances: Ajay Devgn is in top form as Bajirao Singham. When he roars, the crowd whistles; when he bashes the goons, the crowd applauds and when he makes an entry with the ‘Singham’ theme playing in the background.. the single-screen crowd goes insane. Sadly, this time around, he doesn’t have an actor of the calibre of Prakash Raj to compete against.

Talking of Prakash Raj, you tend to miss him in ‘Singham Returns’. Amol Gupte tries hard, but neither his character nor his performance can match Prakash Raj’s outstanding yet hilarious performance in the first film. The other villain Zakir Hussain is good. Anupam Kher does well in a small role, Mahesh Manjrekar plays his part well. Dayanand Shetty is superb.

Kareena Kapoor is wasted. Compared to Kajal Agarwal in the original, she has lesser screen-time, fewer songs to dance to and her chemistry with Ajay Devgn doesn’t work either.

Overall, Singham Returns has enough mass-pleasing elements to make it a huge success at the box office. A more powerful villain and a more convincing climax would have considerably enhanced its impact.

Positives

• Ajay Devgn as Bajirao Singham (terrific)
• If you love Rohit Shetty style of action, you’ll love Singham Returns
• Dialogues

Negatives

• Weak villain
• Love angle doesn’t work, Kareena is wasted
• Music

Rating: