Shamshera Movie Review: Ranbir Kapoor Fails To Get His Crowning Moment Despite His Sincere Act

Story

Set in 1800s, Shamshera begins with an introduction to the Khameran tribe in a comic book style. Uprooted from their soil, the illustrious warrior clan now resorts to plundering the wealth of the rich who consider themselves as the upper caste. They loot them in order to avenge the caste discrimination faced by them at their hands.

In order to keep the freedom and integrity of the tribe, their leader Shamshera (Ranbir Kapoor) signs a pact with Shuddh Singh (Sanjay Dutt), an Indian officer of the British army. Unfortunately, the latter betrays Shamshera's trust and deports the entire Khameran tribe to Kaza fortress where they are kept in captivity. While trying to save his tribe from the clutches of the tyrannical Shuddh Singh, in a twist, he gets branded as 'bhagora' by his pregnant wife and stoned to death.

Twenty-five years later, Shamshera's grown son Balli (also Ranbir Kapoor), a happy-go-lucky guy and a petty thief aspires to be an officer in the same army which killed his father to win the heart of Sona (Vaani Kapoor), a travelling performer. However, fate has some other plans in store for him as he soon finds himself following in his father's footsteps- 'karam se dacait, dharm se azad.'

Direction

Karan Malhotra tries to present a potpourri of different sub-plots in his latest outing, Shamshera. There's a battle against casteism with a sprinkle of revenge, a love story which breaks barriers and finally, some uprising against the British Raj. However, the unimaginative writing fails to do justice to any of these elements in the story.

One of the biggest shortcomings of Shamshera is the lack of emotional connect. The character of Shamshera who is supposed to be the backbone of the events unfolding later in the film, is bumped off in a jiffy sans giving us enough scenes to either bask in his heroism or his vulnerable moments.

Malhotra builds scenes after scenes without keeping a check on whether they have the right amount of emotions. As a result, what unfolds on screen is a product which is eye-pleasing but without any soul. Even if we suspend disbelief or logic, some of the scenes are outrightly ridiculous. Piyush Mishra's dialogues are banal.

Performances

Ranbir Kapoor in his first-ever larger than life screen appearance, puts his heart and soul to deliver an honest performance even in the bleakest of the scenes.

With Shamshera, the actor has proved that there's more to him that just playing man-child in films. All he needs is a dhamakedaar script and a solid director! It's disheartening to see that Karan Malhotra barely utilized Kapoor's prowess when it comes to enacting emotional scenes.

Sanjay Dutt as the diabolical antagonist Shuddh Singh, tiptoes between caricaturish evil and comic relief. However, his scenes with Ranbir are worth digging into. Vaani Kapoor with her flexible and graceful moves, dances her way to your eyes looking for some pleasing visuals. But when it comes to substance, the girl barely gets enough ground to perform.

Saurabh Shukhla gets to quip some poetic lines and is at his usual best. Ronit Roy and Iravati Harshe are saddled with flimsy characters.

Technical Aspects

The action sequences have been executed well in Shamshera but they are far away from being 'larger than life'. Anay Goswamy deserves the credit for the arresting visuals of the arid deserts and sandstorms, the chilly streams and the lush forest. Shivkumar V Panicker's editing has its share of ups and downs.

Music

Mithoon's music is a treat for the ears. As promised, 'Kaale Naina' has your eyes glued to the screen. 'Ji Huzoor' has a certain sense of mischievousness which leaves you smiling. 'Fitoor' is a love ballad that you would want to hear on a quiet, rainy evening. 'Hunkara' and 'Parinda' flow with the narrative.

Verdict

If only stealing the audience's hearts was as easy as Shamshera and his tribe looting gold in the film! But, beware, all that glitters is not always gold.