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It’s Friday, and quite a few people, especially Akshay Kumar fans cannot wait to have a dekko of the star’s newest movie – Rustom. Starring Akshay Kumar as Commander Rustom Pavri, Ileana D’Cruz as his philandering wife Cynthia Pavri and Arjan Bajwa as Vikram, the man who romances Akshay’s wife, the movie draws inspiration from a real life incident. The movie is directed by Tinu Suresh Desai and written by Vipul K. Rawal
The original story played out in the life of commander Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati, a Naval Commander who was tried for the murder of Prem Ahuja, his wife’s lover. The famous case got unprecedented media attention. Commander Nanavati was initially declared not guilty by a jury under section 302. This verdict, however, was dismissed by the Bombay High Court and the case was retried as a bench trial. This case overhauled the judicial process in India, and led to the abolishment of jury trials in India.
The incident has been adapted for the screen at least twice through Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke (1963) and Achanak (1973). Rustom is the third adaptation of the real life drama for the big screen.
The reviews of the movie, as on the Friday morning, after the special previews by select reviewers and as per the viewers of the first few shows are mixed. Some reviewers have thrashed the movie as slow and boring, blaming the director for treating the subject sloppily, while some others, in stark contrast have praised it for its fast pace. There doesn’t seem to be a clear verdict here, however, we can safely conclude that the initial reviews are not as positive as expected.
Here’s what various publications and individual reviewers have to say about the movie.
Rediff 1.5 / 5 stars
To start off, Raja Sen from Rediff, strongly opinionated as he often is, has written the movie off by calling it “an accidental parody of itself”. He finds some sequences over dramatized, and thinks that some very nice actors have been wasted in the movue. Rediff’s review sums up the movie by saying “Despite Kumar’s valiant (albeit overdressed) attempt at calm and gravitas, this film is bilge, unintentionally hilarious and eventually tedious.”
Scroll.in : Average
Nandini Ramnath from Scroll.in calls the movie “a tacky timepasser about the historic Nanavati trial”. The review, however, endorses the movie for its fast pace. Their contention with the movie, however, is, that it hasn’t stayed true to the facts in a bid to playing for the gallery.
“Rustom’s recreation of an iconic trial echoes the narrative style of the lesser films of the period in which the actual crime occurred – it throws out the facts in favour of a simplistic and crowd-pleasing solution, glosses over its hero’s criminal behaviour, and paints its characters in black and white” the review concludes.
It’s not a bad review overall though and in a veiled way recommends the movie to those seeking only entertainment and not cinematic excellence in particular.
Economic Times 3.0/ 5 stars
The rating by ET is average, with the reviewer asserting that Akshay Kumar is worth a watch in the movie. However, the publication agrees that the overall treatment could have been pacier, and the director has somewhat lost an opportunity here.
“Though the actors perform well, they fail to engage you emotionally, as the scenes are over-dramatised and there is a feeling of watching a courtroom drama being enacted. Overall, given the subject, “Rustom” could have been more taut and thrilling, but, Akshay Kumar makes it worth watching,” the review concludes
Hindustan Times 3.0 / 5 stars
Hindustan times have given their approval to the movie, even if they’ve not been wowed. The newspaper has called the movie an “intriguing courtroom drama” in their title and have been appreciative of Akshay’s performance too.
“Not everything in Rustom is proportioned right. Lousy special effects and the language of certain characters are a few things that warp the authentic feel of the movie” they conclude. They add “yet, somehow Rustom doesn’t falter, except when you realise the movie two and a half hours long.”
Firstpost : Negative
Firspost has been critical of the review by calling its execution ‘farcical’ and the movie ‘silly’ overall. They haven’t even like Akshay’s portrayal of Commander Nanavati. “Akshay Kumar’s performance is more trying-to-be-intense than intense, which is disappointing” according to them.
The reviewer also has issues with poor attention to detail and flaws with the statements made in the movie.
Anna MM Vetticad, the reviewers says “Just reacting as an ordinary member of the audience, it has to be said that the treatment of the film is lackadaisical.”
Indian Express: 1.5 / 5.0 stars
Indian Express too have been extremely critical of the movie, calling it “dreary piece of work”. There’s nothing positive about the movie in this review.
“There is not a single frisson of excitement or fear or real emotion: How could the filmmakers have turned a crime of such high passion into such a dreary piece of work?” the review declares.
In addition to the expert reviews above, we have a bunch of tweets from some common moviegoers to help you decide whether you want to watch this one or not. Don’t forget sharing this post with friends and family to help them decide on investing their time and money on the movie better
#Rustom Movie Review : A Monumental Dud That Even Akshay’s sincerity couldn’t save- https://t.co/3CsYRkHBAn #RustomDay
— pinkvilla (@pinkvilla) August 12, 2016
Watched @Rustom_Film 1st show
Mja aa gya sir @akshaykumar you nailed it. Gajabbbb!!!!
Judge saheb is fantastic…
— Yogesh Choudhary (@bgys_yogi) August 12, 2016
@akshaykumar such a beautifull film.full of thriller@Rustom
— SUNIL JHA (@sunilmunna66) August 12, 2016
#Rustom #FirstHalf
Very Interesting!! Real Deal has Begun just now….
WELL PRESENTED
— Ãмяιтα ⓢ (@DaddyFreak11) August 12, 2016
@ndtv @Rustom_Film good film
— Mohd Waqar Choudhary (@mwchoudhary) August 12, 2016
saw #Rustom mind blowing movie. @akshaykumar sir as usual powerful <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/72x72/1f44c.png" alt="