Our second stab into the world of Indian action cinema isn't as successful as Aan, being less like John Woo on crack, and more like a 70's pot-boiler, without the intensity, style and ferocity that made Aan so watchable. Again Kumar is the star, once more playing a policeman; this time, he's Vijay, fresh out of training school when he's sent to help with security during the upcoming election. He witnesses a political assassination, and what he sees could expose corruption at the highest levels, so before you can say "poppadum", he's framed, in jail and being turned into a junkie. I think we all know where this one is going.
And that's one of the problems here. Our hero is knocked off his bike by car and - whaddya know? - the driver is the attractive daughter (Tandon) of a top cop. Cue romance, and here, the songs bring the film to a grinding halt, totally negating the gritty feel the script needs. The action isn't anything to write home about either, though Kumar certainly has screen presence comparable with a top Western hero. Tandon is irritatingly whiny, and while there are some neat moments, such as Vijay's confrontation with his nemesis at a party, there isn't the strong ensemble cast behind the star to keep the film going, especially as, once again, it's more than 2 1/2 hours long. This is closer to what I expected from Bollywood and, as such, is a bit of a disappointment.
C+
September 2004
