Shamshera Movie Review
HIGHLIGHTS
- Ranbir Kapoor returns to the big screen after 4 years.
- His film Shamshera was released on July 22.
- Also starring Sanjay Dutt, Shamshera is directed by Karan Malhotra.
riding a horse is Ranbir Kapoor. An axe-wielding Ranbir Kapoor is riding a horse. Vaani Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor on a horse while carrying an axe. If this is what the first draught of Shamshera's screenplay looked like, I won't be shocked!
too routine? Wait, Ranbir Kapoor is also seen capturing a swarm of bees in a piece of loose cloth. Shamshera's bizarreness comes in many forms. RK is back on the big screen in the eagerly awaited and much-delayed release, Shamshera, after a four-year absence. Was the wait worthwhile? Does it honor RK's talent or does it turn out to be a huge disappointment? Let's investigate.
Shamshera, played by Ranbir, begins as a Lone Ranger and then becomes into Robin Hood. The plot is the same as what was presented in the advertisements. Khamerans, a group of tribal people from a lower caste, are led by Shamshera (Ranbir). They reside in these desolate regions, encircled by mountains and trenches. Their clan, which is ruled by the British army, is run by the feared policeman Shuddh Singh (Sanjay Dutt), whose responsibility it is to keep these tribals in check. Shamshera plots a rebellion to free his tribe from this oppression, but it goes wrong and he is killed in the process!
The story jumps ahead 25 years to present us to his son Baali (also played by Ranbir, obviously), who aspires to be an officer like his father. His commitment to his people comes second to his hatred and contempt for his father, who abandoned him years ago. It doesn't take long, though, for the blindfold to come off and the reality to be seen. Baali transforms into Shamshera and engages in a dual conflict with Shuddh Singh and the British forces in order to rescue his own tribe and avenge the death of his father. Along the way, he develops feelings for Sona (Vaani Kapoor), gives birth to a child as the auction nears its conclusion, and strives to have a full-blown Brave-Heart moment by rallying the courage of his tribe to oppose persecution.
If the dacoit is heroic and his adversary is similarly frightening, a dacoit movie will succeed. In both tales of Shamshera, the authors fumble and stumble. Shamshera, starring Ranbir, follows all the prescribed procedures and fulfills all the requirements for the genre. Caste and religion are checked, a woman in need is rescued, a song is sung with the tribe, and a speech is given while raising your pistol to the heavens. The attempt to keep your audience interested in the box that it does not, however, check. The poor writing and lack of an emotional connection with the main character are Shamshera's primary flaws, which stick out throughout its protracted screen time. Director Karan Malhotra’s focus stays more on the technical finesse than on building scenes that keep you involved.
Why did Baali wait so long to learn his father's secret? How did Sanjay Dutt use a small number of firearms to eliminate the whole British force? Every time Baali encounters a foe, these mystical CGI crows arrive from where? How does the head of the Queen of England wear a frail crown while being transported in a rickety train through barren valleys? Even if logic and religion are set aside, the movie struggles to develop a compelling plot that inspires you to root and applaud for your hero.
Songs (four tracks in the first half) just slow down the narrative in a movie like Shamshera, which is already so heavily reliant on theatrics. Shamshera's songs are a major letdown. Additionally, it's impossible to miss the efforts made to give the scenes a hint of the KGF and Baahubali atmosphere. While Baali's mother's cries for retribution are too similar to images from the Prabahs movie, the scenes showing the tribal people being chained and whipped are too similar to KGF graphics.
Even in the most hopeless of circumstances, Ranbir manages to surpass expectations and deliver despite the paper-thin plot and cliched characters. His moments with Sanjay Dutt show what a natural he is at timing and utilizing the enthusiasm of his co-star. Even the most inane phrases are delivered with all of his might.
Sanjay Dutt performs admirably in a few situations, but he falls far short of his outstanding Kancha Cheena performance from Agneepath. Sadly, he is forced to dress up like a terrible parody of a villain from the 1990s, and that is oppressive. Vaani Kapoor's only task is to dance and portray anguish. Can't help it when the writers decide that the highlight of her character's life is giving birth in a tree trunk (I kid).
Shamshera succeeds thanks to its background music and cinematography, which both lend the movie a regal allure. We only Malhotra had put the same passion into his writing, though.
Shamshera is a catastrophe that requires more than simply celebrity intervention to save it. The better for you, Ranbir Kapoor!
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