'Wazir' review: A tight script and a capable cast makes it an absorbing watch

Rating: ***

Genre: Action Thriller

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, Aditi Rao Hydari, Manav Kaul

Direction: Bejoy Nambiar

Language: Hindi

Bejoy Nambiar takes five minutes to set the stage for his film and then maintains this pace for the most part in the next hour and 40 minutes.

Police officer Danish Ali (Akhtar) and Ruhana (Hydari) are blissfully married, before tragedy strikes. A grief-stricken Ali lashes out at the system and soon finds an unlikely friend and confidante in Panditji (Bachchan). They bond over their individual, yet shared grief, and the game of chess. How this friendship spurs Ali to exact revenge on Panditji's behalf is the rest of the film.

While Akhtar and Bachchan are individually good, the scenes with both protagonists in the frame are even superior. They play off each other's energies and support their characters ably on screen. Bachchan's Panditji is wise, goofy and instantly likeable. Akhtar's Ali is nuanced and restrained in his emotions, making his misery very real for the audience. Hydari's Ruhana isn't a key part of the film, but manages to ensnare the audience's emotions with her emotive eyes. A special mention for Kaul as the charming antagonist with skeletons in his closet — he makes bad look good.



A tight script and a capable cast makes Wazir an absorbing watch. It would have been a better viewing experience, if not for the jarring background score that accompanies every scene. However, where Wazir stutters is the climax, which when resolved is explained in minutiae to the audience. Leaving it to the understanding of the discerning audience would have made this smart film even better.
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Also Read: 'Wazir' review: Has sharp performances, but loses grip