By Shevaal Singh
In Akshay Kumar’s last masala releases ‘Rowdy Rathod’ and ‘Khiladi 786’ we saw that Akshay having more fun that his audiences however this time, our enjoyment-quotient ties step-by-step, scene-by-scene, frame-by-frame giggle for giggle with Akshay. ‘Boss’ is as much fun to watch as it must have been to shoot. Director Anthony D`Souza who was unsuccessful in shooting an underwater adventure thriller in “Blue” rises out of the deep to deliver a full-blast that validates what Vidya Balan said about the movies -“They are all about three things….entertainment, entertainment….entertainment”. To that we can add another golden rule of honest mainstream filmmaking: dynamic energy. Every instant in “Boss” is a celebration of filmic conventions resulting from decades of Bollywood entertainment. Family-ties torn apart by wicked conspiracies, brothers growing up with different values and a parent who frowns at the forbidden son`s illicit power.
Satyakant (Mithun Chakrabarty) is an upright man of values who banishes his son Surya after the boy takes up the wrong path and ends up murdering a friend. The boy is picked up by the transport king Big Boss (Danny Denzongpa) and ends up being called Boss (Akshay Kumar), his Protégé. Boss’ pathway of life crosses again with his father when his younger brother Shiv (Shiv Pandit) ends up in jail for the crime of falling in love with the cop Ayushman Thakur’s (Ronit Roy) sister Ankita (Aditi Rao Hydari). Hired to kill his own brother Shiv by Ankita’s fiance, Boss is a story of love, brotherhood, family and love with lots of comedy.
The ploy is wafer thin and the ordinary story uses Bollywood’s most used vintage formulas of family drama, an evil brother of the heroine and misunderstanding between a father and a son! However, there is barely any reason to complain as the story swiftly shifts from one incident to another giving no time to apply logic on. The film’s momentum lags in the first half which settles its ambiance. But as the story kicks in after interval with its clap trap of dialogues, flashy songs and innovative action, it keeps you hooked for a great share of its time. There were a few laughs particularly in the scene where Shiv and Akshay meet each other for the first time; the set up and its dialogues were so side-splitting that I couldn’t save myself from falling prey to the film’s thoughtful attempt to squeeze out applause. Though such scenes are in short in supply in the film that plans to work off completely based on banging thrills and corny jokes! The romance track was both far-fetched and unnecessary which showed a lack of intensity.
Akshay Kumar flawlessly slips into the role of Boss with sound comfort. His feisty performance is the film’s outstanding grip and however this isn’t amongst his most fascinating performances, he manages to exhibit his star value with refinement and charm. Shiv Pandit was insignificant and the opinion on him would be common that an actor of greater quality could have enacted the role more rightly! Aditi Rao Hydari has no role to play in this film besides looking stunning in one bikini scene she was allocated. Besides that the role which the talented actress had acquired could have been as well be played by any junior entertainer. The film was a pure waste of her talent! Danny Denzongpa was composed though this is surely not one of Mithun’s most memorable roles; he gave the character more meat than it originally would have had. Ronit Roy puts up a fervent performance and the actor deserved greater screen presence to make his role more articulate yet the actor matches up Akshay’s standing and he is grand is every scene! Sonakshi Sinha looks amazing as she once is seen jiving to a Yo Ho Honey Singh number and finally at the end to pay Sridevi an unanticipated tribute. Sonakshi has no problem fitting comfortably in the screenplay. This is the kind of film that effortlessly absorbs awkward moments into the larger picture.
The elaborate action sequences invented and executed by Anal Arasu plays as the backbone of the vigorous narration. Every action sequence is done with macho ground-breaking enthusiasm, thrilling and rocky but never oblivious to the need to lend laughter to the bloodshed. Director d`Souza shows a notable flair for blending mockery with violence. Many of the action sequences are over-the-top and yet saved in the nick of time by Akshay`s comic timing from toppling over into an over-done kitschy mess. The phenomenon of creating a masala film that doesn`t take itself too serious or the audience too lightly has been achieved with a credible amount of pleasantness. The film is a solid masala-entertainer. It is a fascinating film which yields Akshay’s star power to the fullest. Filled with gratifying dialogues and solid action and the film is an effectively matchless masala flick. However the film has over-the-top melodrama and illogical romantic track between Shiv Pandit and Aditi Rao Hydari teamed with a weak screenplay.
The Bollywood Tempest gives Boss a 6.5/10.