Following the massive success of Housefull 2, Akshay Kumar is back in action with Rowdy Rathore, the remake of Vikramarkudu which was also made as Siruthai in Tamil. The trailers met with good response from the general masses. Whether this film directed by Prabhudheva (yes that is how he spells it now) and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali in association with UTV, does provide the expected entertainment quotient? Read on to find out.

Shiva (Akshay) is a petty thief who is an expert conman along with his partner in crime, 2G. He makes a lot of money out of this and also succeeds in bowling a girl over (Sonakshi as Paro) with his dubious charm and antics. But after the entry of a little girl (Chinki) into his life who calls him as her father, things turn upside down for Shiva. Certain goons are behind his life while certain people swear by his side. Why exactly this happens, who are these goons and how does Shiva finish some unfinished business with these goons is what unfolds in the remainder of the film.

There is no point in comparing this movie with the original as it is more or less a faithful remake. The essence of the original is not lost though as comedy, action, sentiment and masala are there in correct doses.

Akshay Kumar is in home territory as funny antics, punch dialogs, clumsy body language, atrocious dressing sense etc. are so easy for him. He pulls it off convincingly though a proper mustache would have helped his looks much more than the artificial mustache. Sonakshi Sinha dresses properly as the mandatory eye-candy in a commercial movie though the scenes involving her waist give us doubts whether they are graphically enhanced. The villains are all loud, inclusive of the seasoned Nassar as Baapji.

Among the songs, ‘Chinta Ta’ is a universally likeable number with special appearances for Vijay, Kareena and Prabhudheva himself. They are all ‘blink you miss’ type cameos. The other songs will appeal to the masses though placement of these numbers have been done randomly. Costumes for the songs are pretty crude and could have been toned down. Action choreography by Arasu Kumar has the necessary punch what with Akshay’s proven prowess at martial arts.

The mother sentiment element in the movie might be laughable for the youth but, will appeal in the heartland of the country.  Ultimately, this is a movie that will give critics a lot of fodder to pan upon the fact that this is a mindless commercial movie. But, this is escapist cinema and it is meant to be enjoyed. Just switch off your analytical mind and you will find yourself clapping and whistling happily at many points in the movie.

To conclude, Rowdy Rathore in all probability will join the list of blockbusters (Bodyguard, Ready, Singham, Wanted) remade from Southern super hits. This will also give that much needed solo hit for Akshay Kumar who has generally been riding on multi-starrer comedies for the past few years. This being another cop movie based on the South, after Singham, Force and Wanted is another coincidence.

Verdict: Proper masala fest guaranteed to please the average movie goer