Rustom - Decent Enough. 🙏

🎭Genre :- Thriller / Courtroom Drama

Runtime :- 2 hrs 30 mins.

Cast :- Akshay Kumar, Esha Gupta, Ileana D'Cruz, Sachin Khedekar, Pavan Malhotra, Arjan Bajwa, Kumud Mishra.

Director:- Tinu Suresh Desai

Akki had two releases this year. Airlift and Housefull 3; the former being better than the latter for obvious reasons. And now he is back with another thriller : Rustom.

Despite emphasising that the film is a fictionalised account, and doesn't bear any resemblance to anything real, the film is all about the Nanavati case. Trust me.

Plot - Loosely based on the Nanavati case, Rustom is the story of a decorated Naval Officer, who is acquitted of the murder of his wife's lover. Guilty or Nay? Let's find out.

The characterization is pretty simple. Director Tinu Desai’s characters reveal themselves rather obviously - A heartbroken naval officer, his cheating wife, the Casanova lover, his evil sister, sympathetic cops, an ambitious reporter and an overtly confused jury. But, slowly and surely, the movie grips you.

Expectations were already high because of all the promotions and the oh-so-convincing trailer, but it failed. It failed as a thriller but entertained us enough as a good courtroom drama.

What links Rustom to A Wednesday and Special 26, both films directed by Neeraj Pandey (who is one of the producers here), is that it asks us to root for a law-breaking protagonist. But this isn’t half as thrilling a film as those were.

Screenplay and Editing - Average !
Screenplay is dull in the first half and it ends with a budding suspense which we've already seen in trailer. The second half, which is set almost entirely in a courtroom, has more vigour and is definitely better. Rustom could have been shortened by 15 minutes, as a lot of time is wasted on slow motions and flashbacks.

Direction :- Tinu Desai, being the director of the film tried hard to justify the tagline of the film murderer, traitor, and patriot. But he couldn't execute that well. Too much time is wasted on setting up the affair between Rustom’s wife Cynthia (a mostly comatose Ileana D’cruz) and playboy businessman Vikram Makhija (Arjan Bajwa). The audience anticipated for that big punch which it could not deliver.

Story - It has a story explained in layers. The movie had a great potential, its inspiration being the fascinating Nanavati case. But sadly, it seems like an opportunity lost.
Tinu and Vipul (Writer) take the framework of the Nanavati case and add a generous dollop of fictional tadka. It’s a compelling idea but the result is a half-baked drama.

Cinematography :- Rustom has been shot well and despite the low budget, production design is good. Also, the cinematography is a clear winner.
The world from the 1950's looks almost perfect as the makers have kept a close eye on the detailings.
There are some flaws in it too coupled with poor CGI, but those are passable.

Music - Tere Sang yaara by Atif Aslam is soulful and hummable. The rest, are okay. The background score is over-dramatic and does not leave a good impression.

The most annoying part has to be outside the sessions court, wherein the crowds carry completely-out-of-place placards that read "Marry me Rustom", "I love you Rustom" and "I want your baby Rustom". Seriously?
We are not in an IPL match people. Ffs!

Also, unforgivably, the film sacrifices the complexities of the Nanavati case for the sake of commercial drama.

Apart from all the technical flaws, I will have to mention the fact that the audience seem to have enjoyed this movie thoroughly. I could hear hoots and whistles after many scenes. On a personal level, the movie is engrossing and wouldn't let you feel the pain in the neck.

One of the highest selling point of the movie has to be the courtroom drama and humour content in the second half. It proves as a catalyst in maintaining the viewers interest.
Also, right from people selling the 'Rustom Pistol' and the 'Vikram towel' - jo marne par bhi nahi girta hai', to the self-defense vs pre-determined murder arguments, the film draws heavily from the Nanavati case. And it works.

Performances -
💨 Is there anything this mahn can't do? It is hard to believe that the same guy was playing the character of a lame ass Sandy, a couple of months back. As an honest naval Commander Rustom Pavri, he has played his character with full gusto. He cuts a dashing figure in his naval uniform. His erect spine is shorthand for a man of duty and determination.
Although he went poker faced in some scenes making it a performance that isn't even close to Airlift or Baby.
Still, the intensity in his eyes, dialogue delivery, screen presence,etc is perfect, the AK style.
To be honest, the only thing Parsi about Akshay is his character’s name.

*Do watch out for whistles on his entry in the film.*

💨 Ileana D'Cruz is beautiful and cute. That's it. She is a treat for the eyes no doubt, but i wish her acting could match up to her beauty. In almost half of her portions in the film, the lady is trying hard to fake an accent. Why woman, why?
( The rest half she spents in crying ofcourse. XD )
Also, there is one scene wherein she falls and sprains her ankle, so badly that she is unable to walk. And the next morning, she gets up and walks so smooth, as if nothing had happened. Much wow!
*Scoffs*

💨 Esha Gupta. Well, her character is that of the antagonist's snobbish sister. The only things she does in the movie are wearing expensive blouses, conducting parties, lots of eye-rolls and smoking lots of cigarettes.
(carrying a slender cigarette holder as if it were an extension of her lips.)
*Eye-rolls*
But she is nothing in comparison to Nargis Fakhri. Nargis still remains the undisputed queen amongst the most annoying actresses in Bollywood.
Hands down. XD

💨 Usha Nadkarni, playing Rustom’s maid, gets many standout moments.
She maintains her Savita Tai -esque attitude, and keeps us all entertained.

💨 Pavan Malhotra, who, as always, makes an impression that rises above the weaknesses of the film. He plays the character of a suave investigating officer Vincent Lobo, and is never caught without his starched buttoned-down shirt, black tie and pleated trousers as he goes about the job of establishing Rustom's guilt.

💨 Kumud Mishra, as an editor of a tabloid called 'Truth' is a flattering caricature of a journalist who gets hauled up on a daily basis by the judge for infringing the law. The character is obviously modelled on Russi Karanjia of 'Blitz' from the original Nanavati case.

💨 Sachin Khedekar as the public prosecutor, is boisterous and annoying.

💨 The judge (Anang Desai) adds to the drama with wisecracks when he is not overruling or sustaining objections.

💨 Arjan Bajwa as the lover, Vikram Makhija, did a decent job.

💨 The other supporting cast did a convincing job. Some of them over acted a bit though. But that's exactly how people used to react in the 50-60's, right? *Wink*

The courtroom drama is scripted, crafted and geared to give the lead actor all the space that he needs in order to own the project.

For Akshay Kumar fans, Rustom is bound to be a full-on treat this Independence Day. With AK donning the patriotic uniform of a Naval officer throughout, it is absolutely as the prosecutor claims, "Uniform ka puura istemaal kiya hain." XD

Happy Independence Day Everyone ! ❤

Ratings - 3/5
(Half a star extra just for the mahn himself, Akshay Kumar.)

✍❤ PRIZMI TRIPATHI ❤