5 Reasons Why India’s Most Wanted Works Even Before Release

In the week when Will Smith will  take  over  the world over  as the  blue genie in Alladin , here comes  a sobering  film that tells us why  the world needs to rid itself  of the looming threat  of terrorism so that we can all go back to enjoying Alladdin without wondering if we will get home safe with our families after the  film. Here are  5 reasons why  we welcome India’s Most Wanted.

1.     Because  it’s  Rajkumar  Gupta, the  imperturbably  skilled director from Jharkhand who started his career with the beguiling  terror-thriller Aamir. The  entire film was  shot  as through CCTV  cameras capturing the movements  of  the scampering  hero,Rajiv Khandelwal, with  a  brief case , as he was given sinister instruction  from  a mysterious voice  on the phone.This was  Costa Gavras reborn.

2.     Then there  is Rajkumar  Gupta’s No One Killed  Jessica, a stylish  yet real and raw take  on  the  slaying of the unfortunate  Jessica Lal (played by the  lovely Myra Karna who is now Mrs Rajkumar Gupta). Among the  many  huge  virtues  of  this unforgettable   film  was  the  singular  honour of  watching two of the  finest contemporary actresses Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan,  together in  a duel under  the stunned.Please  note: no  other director has  pulled off such a  casting coup.Rani, please  reunite with Vidya.

3.     Rajkumar Gupta last directed Raid. Set  in  a real raw politically  simmering  world  of  corruption and  the bureaucracy  it had  Ajay Devgn  as a real-life income-tax officer in Lucknow  who  raided a  powerful politician, entirely at his  own  risk. For me  Raid proved one  thing once and for all. Ajay Devgn can move  effortlessly from  Golmaal to Raid.Rajkumar Gupta Can’t. His goofy Ghanchakkar  was  a big flop.

4.     Rajkumar Gupta’s  Ghankchakkar didn’t create  the  impact  it was meant to. But grant Gupta the  fact that he  made a rare  film that cast a female  actor Vidya Balan in a comic  role.  As a bullying  overambitious  housewife  Ms Balan nailed  it. I’d describe  Ghanchakkar as  an honourable(and enormously amusing) failure.

5.     India’s Most  wanted  is not about the  stereotypical super-heroic intelligence  officer, the kind that Akshay Kumar plays , chasing  down a  terrorist  in  fancy cobbled lanes, but  a common man pledging to  nab  a  terrorist  on the crowded  streets  of (my city!) Patna and  Nepal.. Again  , the  film  has a raw wounded  feel to it. And  Arjun Kapoor plays  the role that  I suspect will  be  a game-changer in his career.

Well-made films countering the  scourge  of global terrorism are  never unwelcome. I hope the  film releases  in both India  and Pakistan.  Because both the countries are  fighting a common enemy.