The news of the film getting screened at Cannes Film Festival came way back around 2013 and since then I was wondering that if the film is so good and getting rave reviews all over, then why it is not getting even a limited release in its own country, despite one of its lead actor becoming a big name in the last two years?
Thankfully it has now reached the theaters and the reason behind the four years long delay is pretty clear as the film isn’t any great, engaging venture for even the lovers of this particular genre of dark crime thrillers. Based on an experimental but familiar plot of presenting an event through three distinctive perspectives resulting in different consequences, MONSOON SHOOTOUT is a film that keeps relying more on frames, camerawork and stylish execution, missing the more important engaging content in its less than two hours of duration.
As usual, it all begins well introducing the viewer with many interesting characters, but the narration fails to form any kind of grip further, feebly toying with the idea of following the wrong path, the right path and the middle path by its lead character of a newly joined police officer. At times a few sequences impress because of their classy execution, but most the times it remains plain boring or frustrating due to its unengaging screenplay and the same old premise of gangsters, underworld and builders-politicians-police nexus seen several times before.
Revealing it honestly, its not a Nawazuddin Siddiqui film informing the viewers who might be willing to see it for the man alone. Completed in 2013, Siddiqui was certainly signed by the makers, when he was not the Nawazuddin Siddiqui we all are familiar with now. So that is one clarification you need to keep in mind before going for it (looking at the re-designed posters using a much bigger image of the more famous name). As a criminal - more interested in using his axe than the revolver (as the axe man), Siddiqui actually looks like playing the early raw version of RAMAN RAGHAV in the film but that too just as an important supporting character instead of anything else. Vijay Varma is fine as the unsure cop (playing the main lead) but both Neeraj Kabi and Tannishtha Chatterjee remain unable to make any solid impact despite their earnest performances.
Summing up, MONSOON SHOOTOUT does have its moments but they are all technical related to its cinematography, art-direction and the overall look and feel remaining true to its genre of a (literally) dark crime thriller. At times the songs running at the background also catch your attention with a catchy phrase or energy enhancing the onscreen developments. And that unarguably is a feature that forces you to notice the work of its debutant director Amit Kumar, who is sure to come up with a much better film in the future given another deserving chance.
Rating : 2 / 5
(Note: The article was also published on UC-News Mobile App in December 2017)
(Beyond The Review by Bobby Sing)
Completed and screened at Cannes Film Festival way back around 2013, this is a perfect example of how DESTINY turns the table with time and a film manages to get release due to a supporting actor instead of its leading hero after a gap of four long years.
The fact gets a visible support as MONSOON SHOOTOUT releases with newly designed posters wherein the not so prominent negative character of the film (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) gets bigger and the actual hero (Vijay Verma) gets smaller as per their present status in the industry or business equation.
However being a weak project, the film is not going to work in favour of anyone as it seems due to the reasons given in the detailed review available at the link given below.
Moreover showcasing three different outcomes of the same event it also remains a highly inspired theme making you recall much better films from the World Cinema as GROUNDHOG DAY (English/1993), RUN LOLA RUN (German/1998), SLIDING DOORS (English/1998), MELINDA AND MELINDA (English/2004) and more.
Interestingly Vikram Bhatt also vaguely tried to adapt the same theme in his film BHAAG JOHNY (as a writer) released in 2015 directed by Shivam Nair.
