Images

Updated 13 Nov, 2018

Thugs of Hindostan has been receiving bad reviews ever since it released this weekend.

But that shouldn't mean that you give this movie a miss — though it does require the investment of two hour and 44 minutes of your time — especially if you’re the sort who enjoys standard Bollywood fare that harks back to the ‘70s and ‘80s. For that’s what this big budget Amitabh Bachchan – Aamir Khan starrer reminds one of.

So what happens in Thugs of Hindostan?

Aamir Khan's Firangi was too reminiscent of Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow
Aamir Khan's Firangi was too reminiscent of Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow

Khudabaksh Jahazi (Amitabh Bachchan) leads a small indomitable army of rebels that is dead-set on undermining British rule in India and attaining freedom. Joining him is Zafira (Fatima Sana Sheikh) whose landowner family was killed many years ago by Clive, a British general and the villain in our story. Firangi (Aamir Khan) is a scoundrel who spies for the British, delivering small-time criminals to them. He is entrusted with his first ‘big’ job: that of delivering Khudabaksh Jahazi, better known as ‘Azaad’.

Following some witty repartee and a sword fight on the sea, Firangi manages to befriend Azaad and be allowed into his army. He converses about freedom and righteousness with Azaad and breaks into an ebullient ‘Vashmallay’ dance with him and for a moment there you wonder if Firangi has had a change of heart. But has he? That’s the question which takes the rest of the movie through multiple twists, with Firangi changing colour faster than a chameleon as he switches from hero to villain and back again. Fortunately for Thugs, Firangi’s mercurial nature is played out impeccably by Aamir Khan. A lesser actor could have easily made a boring mess out of it but Aamir entertains.

Adding to the story are multiple VFX-enhanced action sequences where again and again and again the swashbuckling heroes swing into ships, play with fire and draw swords and bow and arrows against the enemy.

Be prepared to experience deja vu when you feel that you may have seen that action sequence or heard that music somewhere else before. Thugs is heavily ‘inspired’, replete with clichés, hardly cerebral.

How did the actors fare?

Katrina Kaif in item girl mode
Katrina Kaif in item girl mode

Fatima Sana Sheikh, who proved her acting mettle with Dangal, makes the most of a part where she predominantly narrows her eyes and seeks revenge from the villain. A lissome Katrina Kaif happily slips into item girl mode but alas, the songs were apparently choreographed by Prabhu Deva. Katrina’s moves are less sensual, more acrobatic and she makes things more implausible when she continues to gyrate during a sad song about a child’s ‘Baba’.

As the warrior Khudabaksh Jahazi valiantly seeking freedom, Amitabh Bachchan speaks about righteousness and defeating evil in that all too familiar gravelly voice, his eyes bloodshot, laden with heavy duty armor. His followers are convinced – the audience is too, until he keeps repeating it one time too many.

Aamir Khan, meanwhile, is the double-crossing Machiavellian Firangi. He is a liar, a swindler, unapologetically treacherous and while you know instinctively that he will ultimately be drawn to the righteous path of freedom fighting, the actor is convincing enough to make you want to watch his transition. He quips and he teases, makes lewd jokes, dances and switches loyalties within the blink of an eye. And he does it in a way that is entertaining, carrying a movie that is otherwise weighed down by predictability.

I wish, though, that Aamir’s Firangi wasn’t quite so obviously a caricature of Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow character from the multi-blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean series. Firangi’s swagger, kohl lined eyes and generally undependable nature is very reminiscent of Jack Sparrow and even though Aamir does a good job, it makes the movie feel stale.

Then again, the plot itself is stale – and proud of it too. The filmmakers may have invested quite a bit into special effects but writing an all-new plot obviously wasn’t a priority and they’re quite satisfied with narrating a story that has been told many times before, where enslaved Indians rally against a tyrannical British ruling class.

Is it the script that ultimately disappointed?

Thugs may remind you of old Bollywood movies
Thugs may remind you of old Bollywood movies

Had Thugs been less blatant about having borrowed from Hollywood’s pirate movies, perhaps it could have had a fresher appeal and come off as less formulaic. After all, one expects more than mere formula from a movie starring Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan. This is the main reason why it doesn’t impress – far too many expectations are attached to it and it doesn’t manage to rise up to them.

But setting aside expectations, this is just an all-out mindless Bollywood entertainer, ladling out masala and action. The computer-generated eagle circling Amitabh wherever he goes may remind you of his ‘Allah rakha’ from the movie Coolie. The villains grinning over a lascivious Katrina will remind you of old Amrish Puri movies. Ila Arun’s witch doctor guise will remind you of umpteen Hollywood movies. Everything will, of course, remind you of the Pirates of the Caribbean.

Like I said, audiences who loved Bollywood back in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s will enjoy this movie. It’s not a cerebral, thought-provoking movie. It’s not the best Bollywood movie ever made. It’s certainly not going to make it to Aamir or Amitabh’s best movies ever list. But it’s not quite so torturous.

Comments

B N Sharma Nov 12, 2018 01:59pm
Direction and screen play lacks logic. Overall an ordinary movie.
Recommend (0)
Imtiaz Nov 12, 2018 02:03pm
Better to watch Bollywood’s thought provoking Thumbad, Pihu or Andadhun, Badhai Ho released this month. Thugs of hindostan will be colossal disappointment if people are used to Aamir khan stellar, content oriented performances and movies. Everyone did good acting, stars werent the issue. The movies biggest flaw is the director who chose to wear all hats instead of hiring a seperate individual. The scriptwriter and dialogue writer is the director himself. He took too much on plate than he could chew. Shroddy direction, repeated dialogues, plot loopholes, showed his fatigue that he took easy route out and plucked some of Zahira’s fight scenes directly from Babubali. His casual approach for movie can also be seen when he gave songs to whacky break dance choreograper Prabhu Deva to choreograph dances for epic historical movie. Ganesh or Saroj khan would have made it hit as they did it padmawat and others epic movies. The director failed to utilize history, stars, 200 crores properly.
Recommend (0)
Shankar Nov 12, 2018 02:11pm
TOH did not live upto expectations. Watchout #KGF trailer, looks ekdum badiyaa ...
Recommend (0)
Babu Nov 12, 2018 02:15pm
Can you eat half-cooked Food ? Avoid, and save money.
Recommend (0)
Maryam Nov 12, 2018 02:30pm
Thugs of Hindostan is like Coke studio Ko Ko Korina song. People viewing it for first time will find is nice and average song. Finding the hate it recieved as overreaction and obnocious. But for people who are used to subcontinent’s epic movies/songs of the past, will hate it to no end for messing up and dissappointing them. There they messed up because Aamir is not expected to give average movies. This movie disappointed them. Here they messed up as they refashioned a classic hit song with new urbane style. Leaving a bitter taste in mouth of Ko Ko Korina song lovers who found it average and huge dissapointment.
Recommend (0)
Takshshila Apartment Nov 12, 2018 03:32pm
its lot of entertainment. watch and enjoy.
Recommend (0)
Kumar Nov 12, 2018 04:44pm
Actually, Thugs of Hindostan isn't half-bad ; it is just fully bad. That is all!
Recommend (0)
Amit Nov 12, 2018 05:53pm
Totally agree with the statement: "audiences who loved Bollywood back in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s will enjoy this movie." Standard Amitabh fare. Expected more of Aamir.
Recommend (0)
mona Nov 12, 2018 06:51pm
The audience had really high expectations from Aamir after Dangal. They could have accepted someone like Salman in such an illogical film but not Aamir who seemed far too smart and intelligent for these types of movies.
Recommend (0)
Gautham Nov 12, 2018 07:42pm
@Imtiaz : Agree 100%
Recommend (0)
riz1 Nov 12, 2018 07:59pm
Bollywood standards have risen quite a bit over the last decade with quite a number of indie films as well as entertainment movies becoming much less formulaic, more cerebral and in general a good bang for the buck - just this month think Thumbad or Andadhun, Badhai Ho - each one getting better than the previous, whatever order you see those. That being said, TOH seems to be two steps back going into the staid, clichéd, formulaic, almost forgotten genre and audiences have rightfully voiced their disappointment after expecting another Aamir+Amitabh inspired wonder.
Recommend (0)
bond Nov 12, 2018 09:38pm
TOH is the perfect entertainer. Loads of action. Johny Depp is overrated; the first pirates was good because it was something new, the rest went downhill quickly. Aamir Khan is not just social messages actor, he is an entertainer too and he does that and so does the film.
Recommend (0)
Ashok Kumar Sharma Nov 13, 2018 12:21am
Besides pirates of carrebien this film has borrowed heavily from Manoj kumar,Dileep kumar starrer Kranti which was a better movie and Johny Depp must have been a toddler at that time .
Recommend (0)
Anonymouseee Nov 13, 2018 01:56am
Ban vulgar Indian Bollywood movies.
Recommend (0)
Shah Nov 13, 2018 03:52am
We enjoyed this movie, worth wathcing on the big screen. Although, it a hindi version of Pirates of the Carribean but more entertaining if you like Bollywood masalla.
Recommend (0)
yamir Nov 13, 2018 09:09am
Why are Bharat's B grade type films so important for us? Their films showcase violence, sex and hypocrisy as crowd pullers while their actors n actresses are extremely poor role models. Bharat's films are only for Bharati's. Please don't waste yours and our time on entertainment not fit for our culture.....
Recommend (0)
Arun Nov 13, 2018 10:27am
Fantastic movie. Katrina’s two item dances are alone worth ten times the price of the ticket. Watch it on IMAX if you can. The background score is truly awesome.
Recommend (0)
Alanore Nov 14, 2018 01:13pm
It was a very bad movie. I am shocked a Katrina, why did she accept this role. Aamir Khan was a disappointment.
Recommend (0)
Dr S Nov 14, 2018 10:23pm
I loved thug of hindustan
Recommend (0)
Ankur Nov 15, 2018 08:26am
While so many beautiful films have hit the screen this year who didn't have even enough budget at their disposal, TOH with its colossal resources ought to have done way better. It is not just disappointing, but embarrassing and silly. At least, I don't condone good money being wasted like this. Pathetic movie, deserves B grade actors and C grade production house.
Recommend (0)
noname Nov 16, 2018 12:09pm
one time viewer unknown
Recommend (0)