Vikram Vedha Hindi review

Pushkar–Gayathri's film is a refreshing take on the battle between good and evil, told flamboyantly with well fleshed-out characters and performances.

It particularly irks in the third act when the motivations of Shatak and Chanda (Yogita Bihani) — a crucial cog in the tale — demand a little more clarity, and the real villain of the piece, a little less predictability. He keeps Vikram smart, and us invested, even when the writing on the wall says that the mouse has more meat in this game of cat-and-mouse. There are sights and sounds of Awadh in the dialogues and backdrop, but it largely remains an outsider’s gaze. A little more nuance in the depiction of the workings of the UP Police would have added to the flavour of Kurma Nihari, the popular Lucknow dish, that becomes a plot device. The premise of Vikram Vedha also reminds one of Kapoor’s 1951 film Awaara, where the judge repeatedly invokes the idea that those who are born to criminals end up on the wrong side of the law. These seem like out-of-syllabus questions for a mainstream entertainer to address, but Gayatri and Pushkar answer them with sensitivity and urgency, within the framework of a festival tentpole.

Remake of a 2017 Tamil movie, Vikram Vedha is an intriguing tale of a cop hunting for an evasive gangster. Vikram (Saif Ali Khan) is hell-bent on bringing ...

While there is plenty of action in Vikram Vedha storyline, it is also about the puzzles that Vedha presents during his interrogation. A remake of a 2017 Tamil movie, Vikram Vedha is an intriguing tale of a cop hunting for an evasive gangster. Vikram (Saif Ali Khan) is hell-bent on bringing Vedha (Hrithik Roshan) to justice.

Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan ably shoulder the film but Vikram Vedha's screenplay is its biggest star. Writer-directors Pushkar-Gayathri leave no loose ...

But even if you have and even if the 2017 Tamil film had R Madhavan and Sethupathi in terrific form, it did not have Hrithik Roshan. It’s a pity that the heroes of the world’s largest movie industry cannot set aside their vanity and insecurities for the love of cinema and bring to screen anomalies such as Vikram Vedha more often. Shot in a field with the setting sun in the backdrop and Kisi Ki Muskurahaton Pe from Raj Kapoor’s Anari (1959) playing in the background, it is a visual treat. The film’s three-story narrative works like a playground, and boy, do the men play. Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan ably shoulder the film but Vikram Vedha’s screenplay is its biggest star. Some of the action sequences are beautifully shot, especially the one that features in Vedha’s first story and elevates him from a newbie in the gang to the leader’s right hand.

Vikram Vedha Review - Fireworks Guaranteed!Ashwin Ram Introduction: Vikram Vedha is an official Hindi remake of the 2017 blockbuster Tamil.

Songs are average except for the theme song that is retained from the original. Because of the impact of its original, there was an initial mind block, but once the mood kicks-off, there’s no stopping in admiring the performances. The emotional connect is very much alive that drives the film, the relationship of the brothers for Hrithik that carries for the most part and the friendly bond for Saif towards the end. But Vikram Vedha’s screenplay is one of the finest pieces out there, so the engagement is mostly on. Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan are replacing the roles of Vijay Sethupathi and Madhavan respectively here. He starts his game with the honest cop Saif Ali Khan by confronting him for a false encounter.

Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan showcase the heroic swagger but are unable to shoulder a promising script.

Hrithik is both the peak and the downhill of Vikram Vedha. His eyes are maniacal, his action is ably choreographed and he plays all the notes but still, somehow misses the tone of Vedha. Now, Vedha tells Vikram a story and the mystery is for us to unravel. If you speak, you will break the vow of silence and Betaal will fly back to the tree. Pushkar and Gayathri have not merely copy-pasted the plot points of the original. “Betaal will tell you stories and will ask you to solve a moral dilemma in the end.