'Dishoom' review: John & Varun steal the show

Ratings: ***1/2

Cast: John Abraham, Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Akshaye Khanna, Saqib Saleem, Nargis Fakhri, Akshay Kumar

Director: Rohit Dhawan

Just before an India-Pakistan cricket face-off in the Middle East, Indian batsman Viraj (Saleem) is kidnapped. India’s external affairs minister receives a video with a Pakistani kidnapper threatening to kill Viraj. And so, chainsmoking top-cop Kabir (Abraham), assisted by Junaid (Dhawan), are sent to save him. On their quest, Kabir and Junaid find Ishika (Fernandez), a glamourous conwoman, and several suspicious characters including Wagah (Khanna) and Altaf (Rahul Dev).

Junaid and Kabir’s chemistry is electric. Varun plays a funny guy with typically breezy perfection and John is good, delivering dour, sour one-liners with deadpan panache. The one-liners are stars in themselves and the dialogues keep it light, even in the tense moments. Dishoom doesn’t fulfil the promise of a taut thriller but evokes 1990s hits presenting a new-age masala movie, full of choppers, chummas, cheesy lines and dishooms. There are many cameos including Nargis Fakhri sizzling in a bikini, Vijay Raaz as a messenger and Akshay Kumar sporting a pout, man-bun and wicked winks with sweet-sour swagger. While Saleem is competent, Khanna could’ve been sharper for an actor of his ability.


Picture: Dishoom (Facebook)

So could the entire film. If Dishoom had less fantasy factor and more focus, it would be a leaner, meaner movie. Instead, it fleetingly evokes ISIS, Yazidi slaves, hooded hostages, but then rushes back to the domestic comforts of item numbers, pet dogs and ministers who say, “Call a press conference, the world needs to know.”


Also read: 'Dishoom' review: An ideal watch for John & Varun fans