In a year where films like ‘Stree’ and ‘Badhaai Ho’, among others have done phenomenal business at the box-office and big-budget films featuring big stars have tanked, one hears a lot of people proclaiming that the audience is more inclined towards watching ‘content-driven’ films and not tent-pole films featuring big stars. Firstly, I do not really understand the way the term ‘content’ is used to describe certain films. Every film, whether it is a commercial potboiler like ‘Om Shanti Om’ or a ‘Udaan’ need to be high on content to strike a chord with the audience. And, there is nothing that works as wonderfully for the majority of the audience as a well-made masala film. ‘Simmba’, a film which brings three bigwigs namely Ranveer Singh, Rohit Shetty and Karan Johar for the first time, is a remake of ‘Temper’, a much successful Telugu film.
Sangram Bhalerao aka Simmba is an orphan who grows up to be a police officer. The power and authority of the uniform drives Simmba towards becoming a policeman and he thinks he can use this power to mint easy money. After spending several years in Shivgarh, Simmba is transferred to Miramar where he sees a bigger opportunity to make money by working in tandem with Durva Ranade (Sonu Sood) the local don who owns several local illegal businesses. Simmba has no qualms about admitting the fact that he took up a job in the police force so that he could make money using unlawful means. In the process, he turns a blind eye several wrongful activities committed by Durva and his brothers. One day, a tragic incident forces Simmba to mend his ways and he vows to all the wrong he has committed.
I have not seen ‘Temper’, so I would not be able to draw comparisons the two films and say how similar the two films are. As a standalone film, ‘Simmba’ worked very well for me. The first half of the film has a very brisk pace and keeps you involved in the narrative completely. Drama, action, romance, comedy, songs (‘Aankh Maarey’, ‘Tere Bin’) everything is in good proportion and you feel as satiated as you would feel after a wholesome meal. The second half, too, is massively engaging but there are a few places where the film drags unnecessarily.
If you are looking for novelty and some freshness in storytelling, ‘Simmba’ is not the film for you. The film does not really boast of an unique plot but the plot has been structured very well. That, coupled with some punchy dialogues (Farhad Samji) and some power-packed performances, make the film a wholesome entertainer. As far as the written material is concerned, there are some scenes that stand out. The scene in the police station where the two brothers get into a scuffle with the policemen is very nicely written. Ajay Devgn’s entry in the climax is bound to garner cheers and whistles from the audience. His presence makes a lot of difference to the film though one wishes his cameo was not revealed in the trailer. There is another cameo in the film by a big star. Though that might excite some people for a particular reason, it is not as impactful as Ajay’s cameo.
Everything about the film is loud and colourful but not to a point where it starts hurting your senses. The theme music, composed by Thaman S, is infectious and I quite enjoyed watching the two Tanishk Bagchi recreated numbers ‘Aankh Maarey’ and ‘Tere Bin’, both of which make an appearance in the first half. The background score by Amar Mohile is quite good too. Rohit Shetty has always fared well as a director when he has been aided by a good script. I quite enjoyed his last film ‘Golmaal Again!!!’ and ‘Simmba’, too, has a screenplay that is largely coherent and gives you little reason to complain. There is not much the screenplay offers in terms of novelty but the writers uses the tried-and-tested formulas pretty well and put together a screenplay that is consistently entertaining.
Ranveer Singh has had the kind of personality that was screaming to burst out on the screen in a masala film. ‘Simmba’ gives him just the right platform to channelize his off-screen personality into shaping a memorable character. Sara Ali Khan does not get much scope in the second half but she leaves a good impact in the first half, especially in the two songs she appears in. Sonu Sood has played the antagonist in a couple of films earlier but he is so earnest with his performance that you do not mind seeing him in roles that are slightly similar to each other. Ashutosh Rana is terrific as head constable Mohile. It is so wonderful to see the actor doing a lot of work these days. Ajay Devgn’s cameo is bound to be received by thunderous claps and whistles in the theatres, especially in the single screens.
On the whole, ‘Simmba’ is a very well-made masala film which keeps you thoroughly entertained. Go for it!