WAZIR MOVIE REVIEW

‘Wazir’ is an emotional thriller directed by Bejoy Nambiar with story, screenplay and editing jointly done by Abhijat Joshi and Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It is the story of Omkarnath Dhar and Danish, an unusual combination of an old chessmaster and an ATS Officer. Yes, the concept is unusual but how was the movie treated? To check that out, read on. 

 

The story revolves around Danish (Farhan), a family man who works for the Anti-Terrorism Squad and Om (Amitabh), a retired chessmaster who feels in touch with his daughter by teaching young kids. Crisis strikes these two varied humans, uniting them in turn. How they travel together through each others’ lives, walking by each other, looking out for each other, sharing their sorrows and leaning on each others’ back is the journey that ‘Wazir’ wishes to tell. 

 

One can dedicate more than a paragraph to Amitabh Bachchan, just to praise him or talk about him. Such is his career, his acting and his versatility. He shines in every frame, sometimes even stealing it from Farhan. As a paralysed old chessmaster, he is apt. Dialogues for him in particular are mention worthy and even bring out some laughs.

 

Farhan is effortless as a father, as a lover, as a friend and as a police officer; a very controlled, subdued and mature portrayal from the power-house performer. With many dimensions to his character, you’d expect more from the screenplay. But Farhan tries to carry the movie in his shoulders, which due to some major drags in screenplay makes it less captivating.  

  

One of the best things about the movie is the casting, only with regard to Farhan and Amitabh, it is clearly one of the best combinations on screen. While John Abraham disappears in a flash, with just about 3 scenes to his credit, Neil Nitin Mukesh shares an equal fate. 

 

Generally there is a stigma attached when it comes to villians, especially if he is linked to a terrorist group. They are ruthless, fearless and don’t care a damn about anybody else. Neil Nitin Mukesh unfortunately doesn’t add up to that. Also, in order to prove the same convincingly, a villian is given a beaming introduction but the build up is too less so when they give us those extreme scenes of him being all cruel, it just doesn’t add up.  

 

The authenticity shown in real emotions in particular is a sure thumps up. But is it engaging enough to make you understand those factors? This question lingers on your mind. For a shockingly short run time of 104 minutes, ‘Wazir’ still makes us reach out to check what the time is. Maybe the screenplay and editing weren’t as convincing as the portrayals? Perhaps.  

 

The opening hero introduction sequence, tried in slow motion shots, revealing Farhan’s family life, the bond he shares with his wife and daughter, not dragging them, but making it seem real in a song was a neat idea. At the same time, Amitabh’s flashback was beautifully carried out with just his dialogues and sound effects. Not playing it in sepia or in black and white was a relief. 

 

Shantanu Moitra gives us ‘Tere Bin’, with Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal mellifluously gliding us through love in their trademark Hindustani flavor that makes you hum even after the movie though that is the opener. 

 

Emotional scenes are shot beautifully with just a light re-recording supporting the intensity of the visual scene. Chess used repeatedly as a metaphor to the story is a good twist. But when we talk about the twists, the only major lagging factor in the movie is the get-hooked racy writing that one would expect for a thriller that brings down most of the positives.   

 

The director seems to have lost his way in between the story as there are a few abrupt cuts that affect the effect of important events in the story. Though ‘Wazir’ takes a long time to capture your attention, it still is worthwhile of a one-time watch.