Movie Review: Shootout at Lokhandwala

Frankly speaking, when my date suggested that we watch Apoorva Lakhia’s new directorial venture, “Shooutout at Lokhandwala,” I had many misgivings in my mind. After all, what would you really expect from a guy who had previously delivered duds with an ex-Miss-India-looking-uncomfortably-gauche-in-cholis-but-with-a-fancy-accent-to-boot in “Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost” (shudder), and a badly hashed rendition of “Man on Fire,” rechristening it “Ek Ajnabee?”

Far out though.

The guy has evolved.

And how!

I expected it to be yet another potboiler, wherein the director had decided to cash-in on the topical surge of gangster movies that are “aggressively” being churned out in dozens.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Shootout at Lokhandwala is a fast-paced, chilling movie.

Based on “true rumors,” the movie is set in Mumbai, 1991, and explicitly depicts the infernal “encounter” on November 16 that year, between the Mumbai police unit, ATS (Anti-Terrorist Squad), led by Aftab Ahmad Khan, and five members of Dawood Ibrahim’s gang.

Some would find it a tad too gory, but heck, with a title like that, what else did you expect? Violins, roses, and actors lip-synching laughable lyrics in exotic Swiss locales?

Duh.

So we have the hard-as-nails Khan, played effortlessly by Sanjay Dutt, who I must remark is a pretty versatile actor, fitting the mould of lovable don with a heart of gold (Lage Raho Munnabhai), and steely-cop(Shootout…) with equal ease.

His ATS is based on the LAPD SWAT team, for which he enlists the best cops.

Two of his closest aides are “Inspector” Kaviraj Patil (Sunil / Suneil Shetty), who, when he is not spewing the choicest abuses, makes umpteen blank calls to his wife, to saving his marriage from dissolution, and Javed Sheikh (Arbaaz Khan), a caricaturized extended version, resembling a professor who has been unwillingly turned into a cop. Probably that explains his lofty homily on the “f” word, and consummate skill in spouting chaste Hindi.

Amitabh Bachan, as the chief Inspector turned private prosecutor, Dhingra, is the picture of subdued precision, although you do cringe when he unnecessarily thunders / bellows at Sheikh and Patil to keep their traps shut.

Moving on to the gangsters, Vivek Oberoi, playing the role of Maya Dolas, is perfect as the smirking, compassionless, henchman of the Dubai-based don. His four cronies, played by Tusshar Kapoor, Rohit Roy, Shabbir Ahluwalia, and Aditya Lakhia, deliver decent performances, though Tusshar Kapoor is ludicrous, when he, all of bulging-eyes and lean-frame avatar, threatens Sunil Shetty, almost double his size, in the gym scene. Awww, and come on, Tusshar, you hafta also quit shedding buckets in your movies, lest the viewers confuse you with a character from your sister’s K-serials.

The women are a let-down, except for Amrita Singh, who excels in her depiction of Maya's strong mother as a Marathi-rattling-pan-chewing figure.

Dia Mirza as a reporter fails to deliver. She probably didn’t get her homework right. After all, serious reporters pay more attention on getting the crisp-news factor right, than on getting their kohl-rimmed eyes to speak eloquently / expressively and / or mastering their histrionic capabilities.

Aarti Chhabria could have done better with a meatier script. Here she’s relegated to a couple of hip-gyrating-bosom-heaving-pelvic-thrusting-song-and-dance numbers, and some fancy waterworks.

Neha Dhupia, she of the long face and constant dead-pan look, should strictly limit herself to making an odd appearance at P3 parties, or at Pashmina shawl launches. What is the word I can think of for her? Wooden, that’s it. Enough said.

There are some scenes in the movie that were completely avoidable.

For instance, Abhishek Bachan, as a gun-toting, Ray-Ban-wearing biker cop, in his five minute role, before he is gunned-down, could have been given a miss.

As also for the very very quotable Ms. Rakhi Sawant in her blink-and-you’ll-miss-her-in-her-red-cleavage-baring-dress role.

Ditto for the totally incongruous bar songs.

A couple of questions too for the director.

In the last few minutes scene, where the gunpowder and pellets are free-flowing in the building housing the gangsters, the phone lines do not get jammed, even till the end. Probably the telecom department was sensitive enough to let the gangsters bid their final adieus to their near and dear ones, right?

Also, how come the police-force that came to wipe out the gangsters, didn’t wear bullet-proof jackets?

Nevertheless, the movie is worth seeing.

As my guy said, the movie is RAW.

You won’t even need popcorn to munch on.

It will keep you glued to your comfy theater seat.

Not recommended for the meek at heart though.