Crash. Boom. Bang. Dialogues. Angry but well intentioned cops, evil and slimy politicians. Earth shattering music. Irrelevant dance numbers. Slow motion walks. Physics defying stunts. Never ending guns. Speeding cars. Even flying cars. More crash boom bang. Recognize the flow? That is any modern mas-ala Hindi movie, specifically of the Rohit Shetty variety. Other than the settings and the heroine, there is virtually nothing different in Singham Returns over Singham.
Ajay Devgn is back as super-cop Bajirao Singham, and he is going to clean up Mumbai of all evil by any means possible, whether that means going undercover, or showing up in underclothes, or by indulging in wanton lawlessness himself. Guruji (Anupam Kher) is a virtuous politician, his idealistic agenda takes the best of all current political parties- BJP's development agenda, AAP's corruption, and Congress's woman empowerment, and drives involvement of today's youth in politics. Opposing him is a political-religious nexus, fronted by Amol Gupte's Asaram Bapu styled sleazy god-man, Babaji and Zakir Hussain's Prakashrao.
When one of Singham's compatriots is found dead with a large stash of cash, the standard hero versus villain storyline takes over. He also has to play lover-boy to Kareena Kapoor's near mental character Avni, deliver whistle inducing dialogs, position himself as the solution to all the problems that beset India, lead a ludicrous police uprising which involves the 47,000 strong Mumbai police force going shirtless, and deliver his own brand of justice, which includes shooting folks in their bums. Twice.
Ajay and Rohit are a hit combination, whether the nonsensical Golmaal or the all too serious Singham series. This is an out and out Ajay Devgn show, and he is in roaring form, after the monstrosity that was Himmatwala. It helps that the script gives him a tailor made role to shine in all his brooding glory, and topics that the audience will relate to easily- black money and divisive politics. Ajay is permanently in Hulk mode, however, it is the vigilante like message that is worrisome. We see the police as the most effective arm of the system, but are they that honest and so utterly frustrated that they need to take the law in their own hands?
But the movie does not disappoint on the action front. There is some great choreography and stunt-work, so long we have established that Devgn's guns never run out of bullets, and he can still manage 20 bad guys on his own. The comedic moments are genuinely bad, and gluttony being Avni's standout quality so we can understand how poorly written her character is, but Amol Gupte's Babaji is hilariously hammy, while for TV fans, there is CID's Daya in a meaty role.
Singham Returns is yet another movie that espouses the thought that the only solution to crime is violence. Good idea? No. Entertaining? Maybe for some. Must watch? No.
