Wanted Movie Review

Salman Khan makes a smashing return with Wanted, directed by arguably India’s best dancer Prabhu Deva. The movie is a remake of the south Indian blockbuster Pokiri and the screenplay has been modified to appeal to the national audience. Technically, Wanted is Bollywood’s best out-an-out action flick.

The story is straight out of those numerous action movies of the 80s and 90s. We have a hero (Radhe – Salman Khan) who can bash 20 goons at a time without suffering a scratch, we have the beautiful heroine (Jhanvi – Ayesha Takia) who is head-over-heels in love with the hero, we also have a hardcore villian (Gani Bhai – Prakash Raj) and not to forget a corrupt officer (Inspector Talpade – Mahesh Manjrekar).

Radhe is a street-smart goon, willing to do just about anything for money, but strictly on his own terms and conditions. He works for Gani Bhai, who is one of the most feared international gangsters. Commissioner of Police Ashraf Khan (Govind Namdeo) takes it upon himself to rid Mumbai of crime.. How… forms the rest of the tale.

Wanted Hindi Movie Review

Why Wanted is worth a watch in theatre

• Salman Khan! Wanted firmly rests on Salman’s broad shoulders and the actor after a long time is in form. He has few dialogues to mouth but its his attitude and star presence that helps Wanted rise way above the mediocre script and direction.
• Prakash Raj, the actor who won the National Award recently when most thought it would either be Aamir or Shahrukh, just proves how good an actor he is. In a smallish role, Prakash as Gani Bhai delivers a mind-blowing performance. His cameo itself is worth the price of the ticket!
• Action scenes – Would work big time at the smaller centres, the multiplex audience would enjoy it too. The first action scene and the last one (climax) are fantastic.
• Govinda, Anil Kapoor and Prabhu Deva make special appearances.

You could skip Wanted, here’s why

• No story, no logic. There is a twist in the tale, which does surprise but as the performances, action sequences and visuals dominate, the writing is below average.
• Way too many songs – Ahh.. why do we need so many songs in our movies? What exactly is the point? The director has thrown in songs, once every 15 minutes, at every possible opportunity, which basically act as speed breakers on a fast-paced express-highway.
• Too long – Blame those damn songs!
• Dead bodies, blood, gore may not exactly be liked by the family audiences.
• Ayesha Takia certainly deserved a better role. She has nothing much to do, also her makeup is very inconsistent.

The Ghajini connection (both remakes, directed by South Indian directors)

• What worked for Ghajini was a beautifully scripted love story, which unfortunately doesn’t work quite as well in Wanted.
• The music is below average, Sajid- Wajid don’t come close to Rahman’s brilliance.

Overall, amidst all the mediocrity Salman Khan stands tall with a towering performance, he along with Prakash Raj in the second half make Wanted a one time watch.

Rating:

Other notes – Its easy to criticize someone like Salman Khan, who many believe doesn’t take his work too seriously. But shouldn’t it rather be a compliment for an actor who has been one of the top actors of the industry right from the time he made his debut with Maine Pyaar Kiya?

In an industry wherein one disaster could end a promising career, Salman has effortlessly managed to remain on top and continues to be, at the age of 44, one of the most influential actors in the country. With Wanted, after far too many failures in the recent past, he proves yet again, that he has the talent and more importantly the star power to still carry a solo starrer.

Watch Wanted for Salman..