Maximum joins the list of movies based on fake encounters, politics and power games in the police force. With 2 strong male leads in Sonu Sood and Naseeruddin Shah, does Maximum deliver maximum value for the ticket money? Read on to find out.

Through the eyes of a budding journalist, we see the intense power games that happen in the police department in Mumbai in the time period 2003 – 2008. The underworld is eagerly waiting for an opportunity to get even with the police force after being suppressed post 2003. Fake encounters and money laundering from big real estate magnets are the name of the game.The politicians are another angle in this game where maximum power is the only motto.

If lot of bullet shots and bloody encounters is your idea of entertainment, then you might enjoy this movie.

Sonu Sood is good as long as he isn’t required to emote. He looks the part as the ambitious police officer Pratap Pandit and has a majestic screen presence. Naseeruddin Shah is cold and calculating as Arun Inaamdar, Pratap’s fierce rival within the police department. Naseer’s dialogue delivery drags though. One wonders why a seasoned actor like Naseer chose such a shallow role.

Vinay Pathak is believable as the typical politician while Neha Dhupia is dignified as the wife of Pratap. Her costumes are classy. Amit Sadh fits the role of the budding journalist and his is among the very few notable performances.

Hazel Keech scorches the screens in the ‘Aa Ante’ item song which is the only mainstream entertainment element in this movie. She has provided a feast to the male viewers with her ample assets on display. The moves in this song are crude though. The BGM has just one recurring theme all through while the other songs are nothing worth raving about.

Since the movie is set in Mumbai, we get to see shots of Mumbai’s famous landmarks like the tall skyscrapers and Marine Drive very often. There are lots of close-ups and slow motion shots just to position the 2 cops as ‘larger than life’ and macho.

On the whole, one certainly expected more after seeing the gripping trailer. It is a disappointment as one anticipated some substance with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah in the cast.

Verdict: The film fails to entertain...