Singh Saab The Great
Starring: Sunny Deol, Prakash Raj, Amisha Patel, Urvashi Rautela
Director: Anil Sharma
Producer: Anuj Sharma, Sangeeta Ahir
Banner: Alumbra Entertainment, Shantketan Films, Pen India
Music: Anu Malik, Sonu Nigam
There is something to be said about that
'dhaai kilo ka haath' which Sunny Deol patented in well-made action
films like "Ghatak", "Ghayal" and "Gadar - Ek Prem Katha". Lately, his
career was eclipsed by wrong choices. Maybe, the 'haath' (hand) was not
in the right place.
Back in form with a bang in "Singh Saab
The Great", Sunny delivers a wallop. Looking every inch the Sardar
in-charge, he furnishes the film with a flair that is quite engaging.
No, he doesn't wrench off a hand-pump to thrash the goon. But yes, he
does turn a static jeep from back to the front with his bare hands.
And guess what? He looks every bit
convincing doing the heroic hijinks in a country certainly not meant for
the weak and the infirm.
When we first meet Singh Saab (The
Great) in this non-stop actioner, we are told by his on-screen aides
that Singh has formed a political party called Aam People's Party. Now,
if that reminds you of a certain Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, then I am
sure the resemblance is not coincidental.
God knows, we do need a change in
governance and in the rampant corruption in the country. Anil Sharma's
over-zealous though never-misplaced passion to put across Sunny in a
messianic mould works to a large extent. The film is an old-fashioned,
very simply written morality tale between an idealistic hero and a
villain who rules a backwater town with an arrogant ruthlessness that
romances decadence and debauchery.
What works well for the film are the
powerfully executed confrontational sequences between Sunny and the
arch-villain Prakash Raj. While Sunny shows exemplary control in the
inherently melodramatic milieu, Prakash Raj tries a variation on his
stereotypical villainy. He comes up with a character who's a Bihari goon
who can at the drop of a hat, break into a song and dance while
executing the sleaziest of deeds and dialogues.
God knows, we need a bit of humour in the decadence.
It's a murky world of compromised morals
out there made bearable by larger-than-life heroes who know they are up
against impossible odds, and yet find a kind of subverted comfort in
making their unbelievable hero-giri credible by dint of their powerful
screen images.
Sunny Deol has that kind of a presence.
While romancing the mean, he is also capable of infusing moments of
goofy tenderness in his scenes with his screen wife, played by a pretty
and reasonably watchable debutante Urvashi Rautela. Their glaring age
difference is also brought to chuckling notice by a script whose USP is
its determination to not act over-clever while executing an
old-fashioned revenge tale.
Amrita Rao struggles to give substance
to an under-written role of the narrator and journalist who seems to
have only one assignment, to trail Singh Saab (The Great) through his
crusade against corruption. Clearly, she's ready to fall in love with
the Missionary Man, if only the script would allow her.
You've seen the noble bureaucratic hero
in different uniforms,take on the corrupt villain in numerous films.
What works in "Singh Saab..." is the way the action scenes flow in
motions of choreographed contemplation. Action directors Tinu Verma and
Kanal Kannan lend a rigour to the narrative.
While the plot tends to sag under the
weight of italicized cliches, the twists and turns are negotiated by the
technicians with ample aplomb. The sound design is deliberately
exaggerated and meant to manipulate moments of machismo. S. Gopinath's
cinematography captures the feverish flourish of men on a rampage with
gusto. The art director makes innovative use of rusty-brown colours that
lend a bronzed hue to the brawn festival.
It would be the easiest thing in the
world to dismiss Sunny's pronounced heroism as archaic and 'loud'.But
don't be hasty in your judgement.
Anil Sharma and Sunny Deol's combustive
force earlier yielded the powerful "Gadar...". This time they aspire to
the same level of dramatic velocity, and succeed to an extent.
There is a virility and fluency to the
storytelling. "Singh Saab The Great" is a homage to the cinema of the
1980s when Sunny was the daredevil determined to bring on a social
reform. Somewhere, that hero lost his way. It's good to have him back.Sigh Saab The Great Movy