Risk

I saw this movie only because it had Vinod Khanna. That’s sad in a way as I preach about breaking the star system or making commercially successful movies without big stars but I find my own behaviour also influenced by the stars….

Risk is about the police – politician – underworld nexus. About an honest cop trying to make a difference and becoming a sort of police executioner. He’s trying to bring down a Bangkok based Khaled Bhai (Vinod Khanna), who runs Mumbai rackets by remote control. Khaled Bhai has his own share of problems (apart from the cop), with a former partner now trying to set up his own business and joining hands with a rival politician to the one linked with Khaled Bhai. Does all this sound familiar ? That’s the problem of the movie…

It has a nice narrative style, its gripping in parts, it’s a tightly knit story (almost no songs) and the casting is excellent with a very fine ensemble of character actors. But. There is a huge but…its all been seen before…the twists are predictable…the story meanders a bit in the second half and we all know how its going to end. Plus there is a lot of mayhem…the body count is over 30 and they showed enough blood to keep a blood bank in business for a year.

Its also kind of sad, that a movie about corruption, showing police bowing to politicians and politicians bowing to toughies only provokes apathy and a sense of ‘ho-hum, show me something new’…not a terribly good state of affairs for the country to be in. But I guess that’s another story.

The movie features 2 excellent performances. First, by Randeep Hooda, who plays the lead role – the tough honest cop – very believably and credibly. Despite being a Jat, he looks very Maharashtrian in the movie, and easily seems to fit his surroundings. He manages to show a lot of inner turmoil quite effectively with just a few expressions and has a nice, though rarely seen, smile.

The second is by Vinod Khanna. He doesn’t disappoint his fan following and like in his hey-days, looks like the only one who can give competition to the Big B, though now as a grey beard…The man can act, has a screen presence, a charisma that comes through and, like Amitabh, an amazing ability to convey emotions effortlessly, almost without seeming to act. I’m glad he is back…
I just wish he had chosen a better vehicle for his return. This one is just about so-so…