Dabangg is a usual story of good prevailing over evil. Salman, the shady cop, never knows fear. He confronts everyone upfront and is never shy to mouth his words before anyone superior too. ACTION. He has a step-brother and a step-father whom he hates and a mother he loves most. SENTIMENT. He falls in love with Rajo (Sonakshi Sinha) instantly and goes all out to woo her. ROMANCE. He makes the evil politician – villain pay the price for his bad deeds. REVENGE. Sounds familiar? But the movie is a compelling watch... in every sense. Why? Because, Salman Khan is the hero. The ‘Atta Khatta Dabangg hero’ will be the most talked about personality in weeks to come.

Chulbul Pandey lives with Pandeyji (Vinod Khanna as step father), Makhkhi (Arbaaz Khan as step brother) and Ma (Dimple Kapadia). He is full of surprises. For some he is a corrupt police officer who makes money from politicians and bad guys. For others, he is the fearless cop who never thinks twice to wipe out bad guys. Chulbul hates his step father and so does he. Only person he cares for is his mother. Arbaaz is the naive brother whose only aim in life is to marry his girlfriend Nirmala. Chulbul falls in love with Rajo. The scene where he falls in love at first sight is one of the best scenes of the movie. Moving on, there is of course the corrupt politician Chedi Singh who locks horns with Chulbul given the slightest chance. He kills his mother, spoils his stepfather's business and poisons Makhkhi's mind to turn against Chulbul. What happens in the end? The director is in no mood to surprise us here.

Abhinav Singh, the director, must be praised here for his street smart direction. He certainly does not have a worthy story on hand but the screenplay and the graph he has sketched for Salman has worked wonders. He certainly has learnt a lesson or two from his brother Anurag Kashyap. The dialogues need to be mentioned specifically. If not for the wit and humor, the film would have been classified "just another Salman Khan movie". The audience just loved whenever Salman packs a punch with his dialogue.

Sometimes, it makes one wonder if Salman is a cop or a showroom model with his perfectly-fit shirts and trousers. The best part of a magic trick is that we know we will be fooled but still we wouldn't want to know how. This movie is like that. We are here to get entertained. Logic? Maybe next time please. Because this is Salman's movie. This man is ‘bulbul by heart and Dabangg by mind’. He is the perfect cop Bollywood has seen for quite sometime now. He is brash, bold, funny, witty and emotional but above all, he is lovable. Lovable not only for Salman fans but for everyone.

Salman's screen presence in this movie makes him tower above everyone. When we are treading on a path of subtle and offbeat movies, Dabangg laughs out loud at subtlety. Be it his romance with Rajo, his roguish stunts or his confrontations with the bad, every slide in the movie screams Salman. He looks every bit suave and debonair as his creased shirts and trousers.

Sonakshi Sinha (daughter of Shatrughan Sinha) makes a noteworthy debut as Rajo. Though her scope is limited, she makes her presence felt. Arbaaz as the brother has done a decent job. Vinod Khanna and Dimple Kapadia show why they are still sought after veteran actors. Their remarkably subdued acting is indeed a treat to watch. Anupam Kher and Om Puri have been wasted in miniscule roles as usual. Sonu Sood, as the antagonist, has shone in his character. One feels this talented guy deserves more than just villain roles.

Abhinav has been neatly assisted by slick cinematography, editing and a wonderful music score. The crowd erupts every time there is a song sequence. The background score is also very effective.

Overall, Dabangg escapes from the usual with a larger than life hero and neat direction. It is a Salman Khan movie right from the first frame. Never one to disappoint masses, Salman and Arbaaz have delivered a Super-hit which Bollywood was yearning for a while. Celebrate Eid Salman Ishtyle!

Verdict: A perfect holiday entertainer for the masses.