POPCORN ENTERTAINMENT RATING – 2.5/5

Clocking at almost 3 hours of running time, Thugs of Hindostan, the extravagant heist adventure Film from the Yashraj stable is an underwhelming affair, which is ironic since  the film boasts a promising premise of a dashing adventurous ride. Sadly, the makers fail to capitalize on the positives of this epic saga and instead deliver a film peppered with some genuine thrills, but devoid of entertainment.

Set in the 18th Century, Thugs of Hindostan narrates the tale of a group of rebels named Azaad, whose valorous leader Khudabaksh ( Amitabh) is the custodian of the heiress Safira (Fatima Sheikh)  of Ranakpur throne. The group is up against the British army led by the ruthless officer Clive (Lloyd Owen) , who had brutally massacred Safira’s family.  To counterattack Khudabaksh and his team , the Britishers employ Firangi Mallah (Aamir), a machiavellian and unscrupulous rogue to infiltrate the group of Azad.

Thugs start off with a bang, with an engaging confrontation sequence between Clive and Raunakpur king (Ronit Roy) and a claptrap worthy entry scene of Khudabaksh. The ship fights on the sea are impressively staged, with a standout sequence of a  Trojan Horse being shipped out to to the boat.  Director Vijay Krishna Acharya gets the aesthetics right but it’s the antiquated storyline that drags the film to nadir, especially in the post-intermission parts. The makers mire the plot into a quagmire of a revenge saga and fight for freedom and it never really takes off.  But what disappointed me the most was the sheer lack of entertainment in the film, which is a cinematic paradigm for an action adventure of such a grand scale.  And to top it all, the film fails to exploit the chemistry between the gigantic male leads – Amitabh and Aamir. Except for the pre-interval portions, there are hardly any solid scenes between these two, which is a shame because the material was powerful enough to showcase their acting prowess.

Yet there are things to appreciate here. The cinematography is an absolute delight to watch and so are the magnificent action sequences, primarily the one filmed on the sea. The film needs to be applauded for the colossal grandeur it projects in every frame.  It boasts of some decent songs as well which have been choreographed in a majestic way.

Of the leads, Amitabh Bachchan is in solid form executing the action sequences but is hardly challenged in his role as the heroic Khudabaksh. Fatima Sana Sheikh is convincing when she is shooting arrows, but loses her grip in emotional scenes. Katrina Kaif , who plays the role of a courtesan named Suraiyaa is shoehorned into three irrelevant scenes and dance sequences. But to give due credit, she dances well. The British actors play their part well, though it was a mystery to me why they conversed in Hindi dialogues between themselves for the most part of the film.

Its Aamir Khan who plays the most colorful character of the film and the actor seems to be on a roll. As the ever rattling and unscrupulous Firangi, Aamir’s inherent charm and dashing looks works brilliantly in some of the engrossing moments of the film,  although one can’t fail to notice that he tries a bit too hard in bringing out of the devious nature in the films post-intermission parts.

Thugs of Hindostan had all the ingredients of a valiant entertainer and the perfect platform for the two legendary actors to manifest their acting pizazz. The film does have its positives, but for the most part, it turns out to be a slog.  Its an opportunity lost!