Dabangg Movie Reviews

The fight between good and bad has been the fodder of many a Hindi film of 1970s and 1980s. In fact, it wouldn't be erroneous to state that these films dominated the cinema of yore and a lot of us, who have grown up on masala films/wholesome entertainers, will vividly recall the serpentine queues outside cinema halls and a mad scramble to book the tickets of those films. Hardcore masala films were relished with glee by the audience then.

For anybody who wants to know what is the on-screen definition of Bollywood (read popular mainstream Hindi cinema), Dabangg is truly text book fare. It's loud, crazy, zany, exaggerated, larger-than-life, almost nonsensical, totally make-believe, comic book like, complete kitsch, generously peppered with the mandatory desi tadka (garnishing) of songs and dances that keep popping out of nowhere and is literally oozing with star charisma

“Dabangg is a buffet meal, there’s something for everyone,” said director Abhinav Kashyap before the release of his debut film. His baby stays true to the director’s claim. An out-and-out Salman Khan entertainer, Dabangg (which means fearless) give you a lot of reasons to love Khan even more. We see Khan as his old self, packaged in a new police ki vardi as Inspector Chulbul ‘Robinhood’ Pandey in a certain Laalgunj gaav of Uttar Pradesh.

If you kill me off, Chulbul 'Robinhood' Pandey warns a bunch of goons: “You serve 21 years in jail; thokai alag se (get thrashed separately).” He says of himself, “Iss policewale ne agar thoka (If I bump you off instead), then promotion (for me); bahaduri ka medal alag se (bravery award comes separate).” Mr Pandey is a policeman, of course. In the midst of a shootout and while chasing criminals, he never yet lets go of his sense of humour.

Salman Khan's latest offering Dabangg starring Arbaaz Khan, Sonu Sood and debutante Sonakshi Sinha is a film that cannot be said to have a coherent storyline or consistent characterisation. And while the music sounded okay to me, the picturisation of the songs often left a lot to be desired. Also the fact that they kept cropping up at regular intervals didn't help much. Dabangg tells the story of Chulbul Pandey

Welcome to the world of full-on masala entertainment. Don't look for logic, for story, and don't expect the unexpected. Dabangg is the kind of cinema that made Amitabh Bachchan -- paisa vasool action, dialogues that evoke ceetees and the leading hero's one-man-show. Only this time, it is Salman Khan carrying the film on his shoulders in his typical style and swagger. Last year's Wanted established him in the ranks of a Chuck Norris and Rajnikanth

Chulbul Pandey, co-written by writer-director Abhinav Kashyap and enacted by Salman Khan, is the most thunderously crackling character I've seen in a Bollywood film in months. This lower-rung cop in small-town Uttar Pradesh is so larger than life that when he stands fully erect and enraged, his shirt rips off his body from the sheer force of his muscles-just like The Incredible Hulk. Chulbul is cheerfully corrupt but not without honour. He steals from the bad guys

Who'd have thought one caterpillar moustache and a pair of Ray Ban Aviators (that he dangles from the back collar of his shirt, by the way) is all it needed to finally turn Salman Khan into a wholesome character on screen? That character is Inspector Chulbul Pandey, the charming protagonist of director Abhinav Kashyap's Dabangg; and for a change Salman doesn't sleepwalk through this role. In fact it's the most fun you seen him having on screen as far back as you can remember.

Salman Khan lives his role and is the life of the film. He is so extraordinary that it seems, he was born to play ...