Bang Bang is everything that Knight and Day was about and nothing even remotely as exciting as the original. It isn’t bland or boring just doesn’t match up to my expectations of the film. Gorgeous stunts, picturesque locales and a paper thin script might create a watchable film but it won’t be a brilliant or memorable watch. Hrithik and Katrina despite giving sincere and earnest performances fail to retain the film’s oomph quotient consistently. It is Siddharth Anand’s lack of vision that has cost the film gravely. Nothing except the script can be blamed for it. If stunts can sustain you for an entire film then Bang Bang is a hit! Harleen (Katrina) is a receptionist at Bank of Shimla. Leading a dull life, she has a more boring life than her grandmother’s. In an attempt to find love, she signs up for a blind date on an Internet dating website. At her date, she meets Rajvir (Hrithik) – attractive, sensitive and sweet, by the time she cultivates a crush on him, and he is shooting down people and people hurling bullets at him. Harleen is stuck with him where she can’t return because people think she is an alias of an international criminal. Rajvir has stolen the Kohinoor diamond from London and everyone from the Indian police to the international police to the crimelord smuggler, terrorist Omar (Danny) everyone is on the lookout for him. Harleen reluctantly accompanies him and finds herself brisking from one mess to another.
I believe the script is as much to be blamed in the lack of energy in the film as the direction. Sujoy Ghosh, Abbas Tyrewala and Suresh Nair did not bother broadening the lines of Knight and Day. They limited the film to Bollywood frills making it an average commercial film- not above than the regular ones we often watch these days. As it is the film’s story in the first place isn’t a work of genius and in their attempt to translate it for Bollywood, the writers have enhanced it with astute helpings of the regular melodrama and a bunch of regular stuff that fails to fit in with the film. The film rambles in speed as a car show during the first half. As Hrithik and Katrina slip from one car to another, it is a shoot-out fest. The songs and dances are frequent. In fact I could have easily watched Hrithik dance for the entire while, it would have been more value for money! Hrithik is seen meeting a bunch of people in an open air Dhaba. Later, CCTV footage of his was sent to the Delhi Headquarters. CCTV in a Dhaba in Shimla ? A true LOL moment for us! This one is a glammed up version of Knight and Day and Siddharth has extracted Hrithik from Dhoom 2, gave him better toys like read guns, pistols and exotic cars and asked him to go have fun. Anything that makes you like this film, give it to Hrithik and even Katrina and if you get bored blame the writer trio!
Hrithik Roshan might shudder in his emotional scenes but he looks great on celluloid. Hithik Roshan fans will spend half the film eyeing at his Greek God looks. But as Rajvir, thankfully Hrithik seems to be adoring himself. He is casual and breezes through his part brilliantly. He is perfect as Rajvir making his character an extension of his image from Dhoom 2 but just better. Katrina Kaif is fluent in the role of Harleen. She is innocent and charming and does quite well what is expected of her. I am glad the script did not serve her another measly, thankless part and gives it a shade different from Cameron’s in the original. She looks amazing in dance numbers and her good looks and grace adds beauty to an otherwise tasteless remake! Danny Denzongpa is not even half as menacing as you expect the villain to be. He is an absent character from the frame and when he makes an entry in the climax, he is left unused. Javed Jaffrey who is good as long as he is there but barely has much to do. Jimmy Shergill is terrific and such a pleasant surprise. Siddharth Anand’s basic problem is his lack of foresight. He doesn’t think far, in terms of his story or where the film is heading. Though the concept and ‘lack of plan is the plan’ in the story, it sometimes is better to chalk things out before the story goes haywire. There is a certain predictability that plagues the film. It seemed like Anand organized a ramp walk for cars, bullets, pistols, guns and ogle worthy people. If you seek at a very superficial level, all this is enough for you to woot for. But for me, the film had nothing worthwhile Even the underwhelming and forgettable music would be meaningless if you take out Hrithik’s dances from it. Bang Bang is a plain film that is mounted on a breathtaking canvas and remains steady at the superficial level only. Low on logic and more on frills and airs, the best thing about Bang Bang is Hrithik Roshan. He sincerely drives the film with his swagger and smashing good looks, with Katrina aiding him with her cutesy innocence. But the lack of inventiveness in Bang Bang irks me. When I am done with ogling at the stunts and stars, I realise that this film is not unforgettable or memorable. I wish Bang Bang had more for us to relish. It’s a 6/10 from us.
