Dabangg poster

Dabangg

wogma rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do (?)

quick review:

Dabangg, and more so, Salman Khan, won't even allow a reviewer her right to roll her eyes. How can she be the snoot who ignores a packed house is dancing and clapping its way to the background score of an action sequence? She laughs at the silliness on screen and off. She walks out of the theater feeling happy for the people who had come to enjoy and made sure they had a good time. But enjoy, for her own self, did she? Nope. Not a chance.

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Director: Abhinav Kashyap
Running time: 124 minutes
Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime
More Movie Info

Dabangg - Preview

Dabangg has all sort-of filmy ancestory associate with it. Of course there is the one and only non-stop, non-sense creator Salman Khan in the lead with brother Arbaaz Khan and sister-in-law Mallaika Arora Khan producing the film and playing bit roles. Dabangg is also the launch pad for khaamosh Shatrughna Sinha's daughter Sonakshi Sinha and Anurag Kashyap's brother Abhinav Kashyap.

The sound of a Kashyap-Khan rings a weird bell. But we live in a strange world. What is disturbing though is a combination of bits of information doing the rounds -

Influences of my brother's style of filmmaking are definitely there since we have worked together in 1995. There will be overlapping sensibilities, but the subject of this film (Dabangg) is very different from the kind of subjects Anurag chooses for his films.

The same article goes on to quote Abhinav Kashyap -

We work in a democratic set up… everyone throws in their ideas. Yes, we did change certain things in the film, but everything was not dictated by Salman. We all sat together and brainstormed and decided to mould the vision of the script a little bit. It was a collective process

So, we actually have a Anurag Kashyap-Salman Khan influence on the film. I have no clue whether that'll make 'a best of both worlds' film or a broth that is spoilt by the proverbial too many cooks.

But the balance of course is tilted towards Khan -

once we made up our minds that we are going to make a commercial pot-boiler, we thought of going the whole unapologetic way, the Salman Khan way

And as if we needed proof -

And you sure have the target audience, the 'Salman Fan Club' drooling -
Bollywood Hungama - First Look promo of Arbaaz Khan Production's Dabangg gets over leaving you gasping for breath and panting for more.

Blogger Papa Bear - Dabangg, for me, has one of the best Hindi movie trailers of all time.

Passion for Cinema - The movie does not promise to be a path breaker or an achievement beyond excellence. It's an entertainer meant to rigor our senses and connect with the audience. Let it be so!

While it looks like Salman Khan fans are going to have a blast, lesser mortals like us cannot complain about not being warned if the director says -

I don't know who said that but I read somewhere that 'Cliché is a cliché because it works'. Dabangg will work. There is a reason why such films do well

And the actor is absolutely clear about his skills as a performer -

I can get caught for anything, but not acting. I’m on screen just the way I am in real life. I’ve never played any characters. When you’re acting, you’re basically taking a character from somewhere. With me, it’s like Jo line aya hai, jaisa bolne ka hai, waise bolo, khatam karo. Aage bhado. (Read the line and move on) I’m not one of those who comes on the set and says ‘Give me half an hour, I want to get into character
...
I think multiplex audiences have money and are more conscious of what people will say if they clap and whistle. That’s it. We are trying to change that in Dabangg, get them off their high horses and make them scream and shout

Anyway, the party has started well -

Milliblog - Two listenable tracks is a lot for this soundtrack!

Apun ka choice - Music directors have done full justice to the album and to Salman’s character

Yahoo! - has mass appeal

Bollywood Hungama - something in store for mass as well as class

Sudeep Shukla - Some might find [sic] is too cheesy with all those lyrics and some might see it more loud

Megzone - Just waiting to catch a glimpse at Malaika’s jhatkas and matkas

And here go, catch your glimpse of Malaika's jhatkas

- meeta, a part of the audience

No one can say, "Dabangg falls short of expectations." - Salman Khan fan or not. The kind of 600-odd youngsters that come for an 8:30AM show; those who boo at trailers because they stand between Dabangg and them; they can't wait for their hero's grand entry - these people certainly fall in a skewed sample set. But they are the target audience too. Vouching for Dabangg, on their behalf, is easy. Thanks to the deafening cheers at every line Salman Khan mouthed and even at some non-verbal, action-packed sequences. Me? Well, I am an outsider in such a forum. I try to go with the flow but it just isn't my kind of film, Dabangg.

Dabangg turned out to be what I thought it would be - Salman Khan playing himself (for he knows no other way); reasonable action; cheeky one-liners; good music; and loads of nonsense in the story but who cares about that anyway, right? In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say Dabangg even exceeded my expectations - Salman Khan plays Rajnikanth; there are a few awesome moves in the fight sequences; and the plot is loosely coherent.

But then again, I'm no Rajni-fan either. ducks brickbat(s). At least, that attack on me isn't animated by some shoddy computer graphics. And they are not bad copies from various other films either. Also no chick editor snap and sew it together oh-so-quickly. Hey, who am I kidding, I ain't Salman Khan fan either.

Every actor in the film takes cue from Salman Khan. Take one expression and stick to it. Be it Vinod Khanna or Dimple Kapadia. Oh, Sonakshi Sinha, she has two to switch between - disturbed-why-me and smile-when-my-admirer-wants-me-to. Her role seems to have gone under some heavy-duty scissors. Only that can explain the gaps in her character arc. Producer and item-numberer, Malaika Arora Khan makes a better impact on your memory than Sonakshi Sinha.

Films of this genre can't be bothered by things like consistency and comprehension, and this one at least makes an attempt. Fails miserably, but tries nevertheless. It actually takes time to set the characters and their relationships up. The script goes on to build on this background, too. But, the rush to wrap it up shows. The urge to put in more action and less story, becomes transparent. Thus starts a race for the quickest character transition - be it good to evil or the other way around. The change is glaring at you even harder because of the extremes that each of these characters have gone to in the opposite direction. You remember the 80s.

The broad plot tries to say something about national issues, from political to social, from dowry to bribery. But then they are left loose. Not that I want any preaching from anyone. But those elements don't find conclusion and that's sort-of disorienting. You leave with questions that didn't look like they were intentionally so.

Oh, look at me trying to impersonate an intellectual fart. Go on people, go enjoy your annual dose of Salman Khan. I love to see people let their hair down, abandon care and just have a good laugh...or dance. Even if it is to the tune of a wannabe 'omakara' or 'beedi jalai le'. Oh, by the way, if you enjoyed the munni song, check this out - the original.

- meeta, a part of the audience

53 reviewers(?) - 35 yays 15 so-so 3 nays

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up, by Stefan S, A Nutshell Review : ...I can continue to wax lyrical about Salman Khan's performance, and I will be honest to admit I haven't been quite convinced with his roles in Veer and London Dreams, though I must say this role of his has converted me into a fan. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Naresh Kumar Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice : ...Debutant director and scriptwriter Abhinav Kashyap keeps the story simple, conventional and pretty ordinary.... full review

Thumbs up, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...The surprise of Dabanng, however, is that this aggressive masala-fest, hero versus villain, is a mere bookend to the unexpectedly low-key relationship drama in-between, played out in an Omkara-land, resplendent in earthen hues, where politics runs headlong into passions.... full review

Thumbs up, by Roshni Mulchandani, Bolly Spice : ...your complete Bollywood film.... full review

Thumbs up, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...it has Salman like never before. Breathing fire and venom, Chulbul Pandey aka Robinhood Pandey taps Salman's star power like no film has and the result is sheer magic.... full review

Thumbs up, Bollywood Mantra : ...S. Vijayan's stunts and Sajid-Wajid's music are the positive factors of the film.... full review

Thumbs up, Daily Latest News : ...S. Vijayan’s stunts are really commendable and the score by Sajid-Wajid is already hitting the top of music charts. ... full review

Thumbs up, desi hits : ...The good versus evil, police drama is cliché so we can't say too much about the creativity of this film, but the repeated story was executed very well.... full review

Thumbs up, by Blessy Chettiar, DNA : ...Arbaaz Khan as the mandbuddhi (slow-witted) stepbrother puts on a good show playing a character with slightly grey overtones.... full review

Thumbs up, by dunkdaft, Dunkdaft : ...Go, Get Dabangged... full review

Thumbs up, by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions : ...The hero must look into the camera and talk to you like you're privy to his inside track.... full review

Thumbs up, by Manisha Lakhe, Film Impressions : ...SANITY SAYS: I don't like it. Why is it so choppy? SalmanfanINSANITY SAYS: OOOOOH! BHAI IN A YELLOW SHIRT! CHOPPY KAUN DEKHTA HAI! WOW... Look at the fights! AWESOME... full review

Thumbs up, filmi cafe : ...things do take a turn for much better in the second half and as the plot thickens... full review

Thumbs up, by Karthik Pasupulate, fullhyd.com : ...Sonu Sood, it must be said, does a great job with his old school villainy.... full review

Thumbs up, by Somak Basu, Gomolo.in : ... In an action movie, a Hero always steals the eyeballs but in Dabangg, separately everyone delivered a commendable performance.... full review

Thumbs up, by Divya Solgama -Divs, Gomolo.in : ...The screenplay holds you tight trough out the film. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Asif, Gomolo.in : ...The music is superb,mind blowing...... full review

Thumbs up, by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times : ...It’s difficult to figure what the hero is fighting for really, but his own self. This makes the villain (Sonu Sood) terribly weak; eventual salvation, deeply unsatisfying; plot, fairly pointless.... full review

Thumbs up, by Kaveree Bamzai, india today : ...So Salman Khan's pelvis is more expressive than his face. His lip sync is distinctly dodgy. His dramatic scenes always border a bit on bathos. And he could always do with a few extra inches. But is there a movie that has tapped into his charisma as well as Dabangg? No.... full review

Thumbs up, by Amrita Ranjan, Indiequill : ...He’s not trying to re-interpret, deconstruct or elevate it. He’s simply and methodically bashing in the heads of random people who get in his way in a manner that makes you feel like he’s doing it for you as a personal favor.... full review

Thumbs up, by Kshitij Mehta , J.A.M : ... Though there's no compelling plot here, its just the way all these characters play off each other that's a joy to watch. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Komal Nahta, koimoi : ...The screenplay also may not be the most ideal screenplay or one which offers novelty but it is, at least, clear and conveys everything in a straight and simple manner. ... full review

Thumbs up, Mixed Bag : ...The story of ‘Dabangg’ is plain but the screenplay is electrifyingly tight and the director Abhinav Singh Kashyap loaded the moving script with tonnes of entertainment... full review

Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...If one thought that Salman was great in 'Wanted', then he is absolutely brilliant in 'Dabangg'.... full review

Thumbs up, Mumbai Mirror : ...The genius of the character starts with the very name, Chulbul Robin Hood Pandey, and then instantly clicks because it’s so close to the real hero.... full review

Thumbs up, by Abhishek Gurbani , My Take on Flicks : ...The character of ‘Chulbul Pandey’ seems to be tailor made for Salman Khan because he fits in to the role of a ‘good’ corrupt cop completely with his distinct style and mannerisms.... full review

Thumbs up, by Anupama Chopra, NDTV : ...It's the role of a lifetime and Salman Khan bites into it like a starving man devours a feast. He inhabits it fully, strutting and swaggering and even, spoofing himself. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Irfan Makki , Planet Bollywood : ...However, I wish an equal amount of effort was put into sketching the rest of the characters in the movie.... full review

Thumbs up, by Ankit Ojha , Planet Bollywood : ...If the writing is excellent, the execution by Kashyap is top-notch. Aadmi mein dum hai. He handles each scene with so much finesse that you’ll end up getting gripped with the whole film. I can’t wait to see what Kashyap intends to direct next. ... full review

Thumbs up, by GreatBong, Random Thoughts of a Demented Mind : ...The excellent way Abhinav Kashyap, brother of Anurag Kashyap, lays out the opening fight set-piece sets the mood for the entire movie.... full review

Thumbs up, by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com : ...The title track, 'Tere mast mast do nain' and 'Munni', composed by Lalit Pandit, are the icing on the cake.... full review

Thumbs up, by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice : ...Leave your brains, knowledge of physics , and hoity-toity attitude behind while watching the film... full review

Thumbs up, by K K Rai, STARDUST : ...Sonakshi Sinha, the gorgeous daughter of Shatrughan Sinha who plays the part of Rajo, comes out with a confident performance. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...For anybody who wants to know what is the on-screen definition of Bollywood (read popular mainstream Hindi cinema), Dabangg is truly text book fare.... full review

Thumbs up, by Spicezee Bureau , Zee News : ...Kudos to Kashyap for extracting out great performances from the entire star cast of ‘Dabangg’.... full review

So-So, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...Now apart from its weak storyline and script, what’s the greatest flaw in DABANGG? That’s the absence of any out of the box, solid and powerful villain standing against Salman Khan in the film.... full review

So-So, by Fatema, Cinemaa Online : ...While a profitable film is always good news, the better news Dabangg brings is the arrival of a talented director in Abhinav Kashyap, assured of his story-telling.... full review

So-So, by Sukanya Venkatgarhavan, Filmfare : ...You get the 80s melodrama spiced up with some 90’s style comedy propped up by some 2000 style treatment.... full review

So-So, by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com : ... download DABANGG wallpapers So the question is, does DABANGG entertain? Yes, but only in handful portions. ... full review

So-So, by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live : ...haphazardly plotted film... full review

So-So, by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes : ...One doesn’t expect an intellectual or inventive story from a Salman Khan film but the writing by Abhinav Kashyup and Dilip Shukla is pretty predictable and dated.... full review

So-So, by Subhash K Jha, Now Running.com : ...And Dimple Kapadia, wheezing, coughing, groaning and ranting her way through the mother's role (what got into Dimple???) hams her way through this action drama where being opulently outrageous comes naturally to everyone. ... full review

So-So, by moviemagik , Passion for Cinema : ...But a good script is still a good script, and that is exactly what this film lacks. The story is too simple and straightforward, and is deliberately kept that way while other aspects were given importance.... full review

So-So, by Padmaja Thakore , Passion for Cinema : ...Salman Khan doesn’t play the character, he plays the star the audience sees him as.... full review

So-So, by Abhishek Mande, Rediff : ...In a way Dabangg is an ode to Salman's off-screen persona -- macho, large-hearted, unpredictable and bigger than life.... full review

So-So, by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters : ...In the beginning, it was endearing. But then it began to seem contrived, forced and totally unnecessary — just like the film... full review

So-So, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...One wishes there was more of Sonakshi Sinha; she makes a promising debut and plays her character with a quiet strength.... full review

So-So, The Friday Freak : ...For a crisp action thriller, the screenplay lags in between, and you will find yourself twiddling your thumbs between one Salman Khan appearance and another for a while.... full review

So-So, by Sahil Khan, The Tossed Salad : ...Malaika Arora-Khan sizzles the screen as always in Munni Badnaam Hui. ... full review

So-So, by filmbear, Upper Stall : ...The whole idea of Robin Hood is lost as there is hardly any focus on 'robbing the rich and giving it to the poor', save for a couple of stray, forced instances. The analogy is fraud. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Deepa Gahlot, cinemaah : ...The ecstasy in certain quarters over Dabangg seems to prove that no matter how much we may try to impress the West with sophisticated films set amidst the diaspora, or realistic films about starving farmers, we actually just want updates of the old B-Cinema... full review

Thumbs down, by Sanjukta Sharma , Live Mint : ...the film’s writing rests on the dialogues, inspired entirely by Hindi heartland humour, which debut director Abhinav Kashyap obviously understands... full review

Thumbs down, by Khalid Mohamed, Review and views uncensored : ...Naturally, a war of the Moustaches is about to erupt. Where the hell is the shaving cream, please?... full review

106 tweeters(?) - 96 yays 6 so-so 4 nays

ZebaKhan17: @Faridoon_S No big director, No big producer, No big co-star but still dabangg manages to break all records! true superstar @BeingSalmankhan

vyasabhayvyas: @BeingSalmanKhan dabangg just wow...... pandey sir.. tussi gr8 ho...

vivek_mandal: @sonakshisinha DABANGG rocks bigg time... :D also the music is outstanding...HIT hai boss!!

Vipscooldude: @sonakshisinha hii....ur r awesme in dabangg.....really nce...rocking movie...by d way which ur next movie..m really excited 4 dat....

vinaykashy: @beingsalmankhan Dabangg is awesome!

varangupta: @BeingSalmanKhan dabangg rocks...wat a movie...really liked it very much.........

urDIPAN: DABANGG:full on commercial,Entertaining film wid not so good story But hit the theater like 'THE-BANG'

UmairSalman: Dabangg Dabbang Dabaang :P <3

thecooldesiboy: Watched Dabangg ! Kamal Karte Ho ! 70's Ke Purane Formule Mein Salman Ko Dal Ke Jhakass Bana Dete Ho ! Great In Every Sector, A Must Watch !

syedaslam: Yesterday saw two movies back to back. Resident Evil 4 and Dabangg. First one was not up to the expectations and second one was awesome.

Syed_Alamgir: @BeingSalmanKhan THANKS FOR GIVING US DABANGG WE ARE SO GREATFUL TO YOU.

suryakanta_88: Watched Dabangg today 5 out of 5

sunitatripathi4: @BeingSalmanKhan hey congrats,for the smashing hit dabangg

sumit0546: salman is done an awesome job in dabangg..........

sree_nath: Dabangg beats weekend earnings of 3 Idiots http://goo.gl/fb/5Wxg0

soulfulsaai: @chin80 i dont hav words to tell u wht i felt after i saw robot promo when i went to see dabangg!!

SKPCFanNo1: @priyankachopra dabangg rocks salman khan arbaaz khan r so cool in the movie but salman kan rocks seen it twice

skm1710: @BeingSalmanKhan Boom............. waw...... Congratulation! To success of Dabangg............

SK_4ever: RT @ashu8000: @sonakshisinha hi sister how r u?i watched dabangg again,kya alam tha cinema hall ka!kamal karte ho yaar! :D

siddiq690: dabangg is like big bang on B.O

sherrytui: Afta emulating Rajnikant's style in Wanted n nw in Dabangg, @BeingSalmanKhan can rightly be called d Rajnikant of North India, wat say?!

shefali_gautam: @sonakshisinha Hey u were too good in dabangg...all boys went crazy...! Hope to c in glam look too in ur next film..!

shalin135: Salman u rocks! Dabangg rocks! Dont get of frm twitter

ShahainiZahar: @Vivekkl it a big slap to them #dabangg is phenomenal! @beingsalmankhan is a living legend wiv Chulbul Pandey.Tq 2 @arbaazSkhan for his job!

sghbcorp: dabangg is very nice................

sejal007dev: RT @satishkaushik2: Can't get over from Salman's stylish performance in Dabangg..He is now Rajnikant of hindi movies.Audience was hysterical yesterday in gaiety

seerat83: @BeingSalmanKhan. We all love you Salman and dabangg rocked!!! Andone more thing, what you said was not wrong. Masses would agree.

sapthagiri_186: @beingsalmankhan :Congrats Sallu bhai....Ur action in DABANGG was MASTH... All d best!!!!!!!!!!! :)

sanvari: how amazing is dabangg !! havent stopped talking about it all weekend ! jeeyo chulbul makhi and the gorgeous munni :)

samsaggu89: @t_kittu dabangg movie is super 5 star movie/.salman is realy god.............

samirtengli: @BeingSalmanKhan Dabangg ws amzin, saw 2x already, mite c again! Congrats on d muvi 2 u & ur team!

salmatuli: Dabangg was gr8!

Saif_4m_BD: @Anjaani_Shamsa eid was mast with dabangg

Sahil_Menon: eid mumbarrak dabaang was superb.i love u salman u r the best,great truelly a dabangg

S1kandar_khan: @sonakshisinha aahaa koi problem nahe... :))love u sonakshi.. Love DABANGG! U and salman kamal kardeya :)

ripujivahara: @sonakshisinha saw DABANGG.... terrific performance SHOTGUN JUNIOR.....

randipsm: @BeingSalmanKhan `dabangg a rokin flik,thanx mate

RamyaBhatt: @BeingSalmanKhan Sirji....Dabangg... what a Movie... Loved watching it even third time in three days...

prayankit: DABANGG, a must watch.....Loved Salman and Sonakshi.....

PoojaSingh2602: saw DABANGG yesterday... brilliant work by salman khan... his best performance so far!!!

parajjack: @BeingSalmanKhan Bhai jaan tussi kamaal ho........... juss got fascinated by dabangg

nsimhacharya: @RajeevMasand Dabangg i is surely a complete entertaining film after RAJNEETi and iam surprised both films were not city centric n yet hits!

nikhilluvsalman: @BeingSalmanKhan salman bahi agar aapne hume dabangg ki treat nahi di to hum itni mitahi khilaye ge canfuse ho jahaoge konsi mitahi hai ye

Nikhil_Dwivedi: RT @Guruprasadb: Watched 'dabangg'-hav to say a movie with the bang!actionpacked tailor made movie for salman&apt debut for sonakshi-thumbsup !!

navedkhan05: watched dabangg finally.....excellent one...salman's best performance till date..super cool rock star...keep up this gr8 work man.

naim_hassan: watchd Dabangg,,, It wuz jus awesum... Poora paisa vasool... :)

nadeem4ompk: must watch dabangg movie,, again khan rocks

mueena: @arbaazSkhan And most importantly ur hardwork n determination towards dabangg is portrayed in the film..Gr8 job! :) :) :)

mshamsheer9: @BeingSalmanKhan: Dear Salman Bhai.You have a heart of Gold.was following boxoffice report of dabangg and was expecting this bangg.congrats

Mohit_the_gr8: @sonakshisinha I WACHED DABANGG U&SALMAN BHAI JUST ROCKED ME KAMAAL KARTE HO YAAR. I CAN WATCH DIS MOVI 100 TIMES

mohdzairr: @BeingSalmanKhan bhaijaan, Dabangg gave u that "King level" back which u were having before 8 yrs! Now ur time is back again! ....congrats!

mohammedaves: Dabangg - Must watch movie , Awesome ... Loved it !!!!

meenasinha06: chulbul pandey to mast hai, kya dabangg acting karte ho ....salman you are fantastic and awesome!!!!!!!!1

me_schhantyall: @sonakshisinha its the pleasure, watched the movie like DABANGG......

me_aamiryk: @arbaazSkhan awsome....inshalla Dabangg will be the best movie of this year.

mdsojib: dabangg is vare supar movie dabangg big hit

mbehani: @BeingSalmanKhan kamal karet ho pandeyji...what an awesome movie...thanx for treating us with such a blockbuster...DABANGG

manish_pandey1: Watching Dabangg again... can't get over it

lucent_c: RT @PatelDevansh: @arbaazSkhan Congrats my friend, Dabangg has re-written history in the history books. Didn't I say it is the new BIBLE of Bollywood ? :)

lubnarafi: @BeingSalmanKhan - Watched Dabangg last night...What a movie..Kudos to you and your entire team,u truly r a ROCK STAR n a super Human Being

loverboystrikes: RT @satishkaushik2: Can't get over from Salman's stylish performance in Dabangg..He is now Rajnikant of hindi movies.Audience was hysterical

kshitijkokas: RT @satishkaushik2: Can't get over from Salman's stylish performance in Dabangg..He is now Rajnikant of hindi movies.Audience was hysterical yesterday in gaiety

karenites: dabangg really rocks..

karan7sethi: DABANGG !!! Bas naam hi kaafi hai !!!

karan2988: @being salman: superb performance dabangg was mind blowing

kalpitabhosale: #dabangg fun movie

joevazir: @arbaazSkhan..Dabangg superb movie..One of the nicest movies saw in recent times..cheers..

imdanishkhan: @BeingSalmanKhan watched dabangg it was most dabangg movie i hav recently seen

ikramsheikh18: @BeingSalmanKhan....terrific movie dabangg....i watched 10 times in theatre but still want to see again

hossainaziz: @arbaazSkhan Congratsss Arbaaz.....Congratsss to entire Dabangg team for giving us such a good and entertaining movie....

harshmittal05: dabangg.....full on paisa wasool, effortless performance by salman...must watch.....

h_chakkiwaala: Again in theatre ......... For "Dabangg"

gueswhosbak: Watched Dabangg. Watched Dabangg. Slept-woke up. Watched Dabangg #nowwatching Dabangg.N U know what's on my "To Do' list: Watch Dabangg.:-P

gsy1985: hiiii salman bhai... u r real man like dabangg.... m ur big fan,,,, i watched ur movie thrice in this weekend.

gooner_nemo: RT @priyal: 24 hrs since I saw dabangg. I can't stop singing the munni song.

gaurav_lord: @BeingSalmanKhan Bhai aaj Dabangg dekhi. Aap to kamaal karte ho, maza aa gaya. Dabangg ho!!

frodoeoffers: Salman Khan is back with a bang, I mean the bang, actually Dabangg….. Dabangg is an action film with vignettes of... http://fb.me/HCbntmVX

fabash04: faaacckkkk... a guy watched #dabangg movie 18 times in 3days.. hahaha superbb stuff @beingsalmankhan

erika_k12: Dabangg Is an Awesome movie.! Love u Salman.

Edelweiss88: @BeingSalmanKhan......... Loved your performance in Dabangg... U truly rock!!!!!! :-) ;-)

dilhacker: @BeingSalmanKhan will u pls try 2 make dabangg or any other action movie in 3d

DabanggVicky: RT @Sreeni_k: Congrats to the Dabangg Team of @BeingSalmanKhan @arbaazSkhan @sonakshisinha and Abhinav Kashyap for the Record Breaking Opening !!!!

dabangg_pratsy: @Faridoon_S The legend of chulbul pandey is historic,#dabangg has struck me.The films is a blast..salman is a magician,he created magic..WoW

DABANGG_LOKESH: @BeingSalmanKhan http://twitpic.com/2ni7rj - Bhai yo ka bhai tum ho sallu bhai jay ho #dabangg

da_babe: @beingsalmankhan u r a true star...a star of India...good show in dabangg...give us more like this

coolrus10: Cant control .. so again I saw #Dabangg

BeingRajeshSing: RT @starhansika: just watch dabangg . omg i loved it ,njoyed it ..had complete fun while watching it . salman khan /robin hood is outstanding !

beibz_apeh: Ghazni : Dabangg is worth seeing, outstanding actions by Salman - International Reporter http://uxp.in/15628510

ATTiTudKIng: hmmmmmm DABANGG .........dats luck of GG&munni wich makes audience deewana.the whole theartre dance munni and sallu........dabangg move on

ashishnandi: Saw dabangg today..it was truly awesome!

ankit_23: @BeingSalmanKhan i think you should not salman, and congrats for DABANGG. Mr Robinhood pandey urff Chulbul padey ji..you rocks in the movie.

ammarsa: Dabangg is very gud i went 2day.........how did not see go see now fast.......salama is very gud is that.........

Air_Nab: @arbaazSkhan-watched Dabangg last night with my mom in london, we loved it, Salman was awesome, but i really liked ur work in it as well!

ahmadasrar: its DABANGG all over d world.....

aakashsanyal: @TeamSalman i m excited to tell u tht one of my frnd had seen dabangg 2wice intead of he being hardcore fan of shahrukh

A_shaheed: RT @Vivekkl: me havin a laugh at those who had declared way bck dat dabangg wont be a hit. :D ab kaha ho saalo. mooh dikhao apna. :D

maya206: best thing about Dabangg was Munni, who is badnam for no good reason. Really. A few good laughs in the 1st half, post interval total OTT.

dikshya09: @Sivchaliha Yeah saw dabangg y'day n kinda likd it...wbu? Watchd dabangg?

being_Sujit_P: RATING 4 DABANGG - 3/5

basu_BANSAL: RT @ItzBollywood: #Dabangg Movie #Review - http://bit.ly/cEenVX

ameenmaj: Dabangg is a totally nonsensical movie which can entertain anyone who has shut his/her brain. I had nice fun. Courtesy: Hooting in theatre

70mm: Dabangg: classic Bollywood masala entertainer. Flimsy revenge plot, dhansu dialogues, comedy, over the top action & full timepass fun. 3/5

rkknows: “@ShahanaGoswami: Watched Dabangg. I can't say I loved it. I liked Salman but felt it lacked story telling and (cont) http://tl.gd/613991

ridziegal: What's so great about Dabangg? Everybody is raving about it. My hate for Salman Khan cannot be converted X - ( .

egorsteroid: yesterday i watched dabangg the multiplex was housefull i think it is a super flop movie and salman khan is acting like rajnikant

arunavaguin: @BollywoodGandu I will be ashamed as an Indian if Dabangg becomes greatest Hindi hit ever

8 readers - 2 yays 2 so-so 4 nays

Not Interested in Watching, by free games win cash uk ltd : Filigare

Yay! Thumbs Up, by atishnis : one of the entertaint movie i hv evr seen

Yay! Thumbs Up, by Pine Post

So-So, by Angelita

So-So, by sk mishra

Nay! Thumbs Down, by BornGothic : sallu should learn acting

Nay! Thumbs Down, by chandu : i was waiting for the hat-trick of salman khan for giving us continiously three disaster movies.

Nay! Thumbs Down, by kay

Nay! Thumbs Down, by Rema Anand

This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.

Warning: this section has some details that could distort your experience while watching the movie. I strongly recommend reading this only after you have seen the movie or if you have decided not to see it.

Plot Summary

Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan) was never accepted as a son by his step-dad, Vinod Khanna. Chulbul then grows up to become a police officer, and calls himself Robinhood Pandey. In this profile he makes friends and enemies.

What Worked

  • Chopping of the kundli.
  • Chulbul's respect for women.
  • An attempt to move the movie forward in every song - however half-hearted it be.

What did not

Note: This section simply lists the things that I did not like in this movie. This is not the overall impression about this movie. Please read the full review here

  • Salman Khan's lip sync is so bad, especially in the Dabangg song.
  • What's with the shoes on alungi?
  • The tribute to Sholay - lame!
  • What happened to Rajo's (Sonakshi Sinha) secret?
  • How come Chulbul never has a question about the missing money?

Parental Guidance:

  • Violence: Loads. In fact the non-violent parts are the ones we should be able to count on our fingers.
  • Language: A couple of innuendoes and strong language implying violence
  • Nudity & Sexual content: The 'munni badnaam hui' song.
  • Concept: Dowry, politics, bribery, family tiffs, etc, etc, etc.
  • General Look and Feel: Its bright and never takes itself too seriously.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction:
Story:
Lead Actors:
Character Artists:
Dialogues:
Screenplay:
Music Director:
Lyrics:

Dabangg - Cast, crew, links

Dialogues:
Cinematography:
Background Score:
Action Choreography:
Music Director:
Costume Designer:

Inspired by:

All Rajnikanth films(?)

Running time:
124 minutes
Reviewer:
Language:
Country:
Genres:

Comments (43)

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Taran Adarsh seems to have gone bonkers on this one. However, truth be told, I wouldn't mind watching this film if it is as entertaining as it is being made out to be.

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/13793/index.html

Taran Adarsh... no comments.

g

watched it today.. suuuuuuuuuuuuuuperhit.

@Rahul go right ahead!

@Roy :)

@Harpreet true, enjaay maadi!

@cinefreak oye teri! He copied mine!

You liking this one is a surprise. Cool. As long as you had a good time, sab chalta hai.

@g that i will have to agree. I'd be shocked if this one doesn't do well financially.

Well Andy, I did feel that Jodhaa Akbar and Namastey London were really bad movies :)

Usually I tend to agree with her reviews, though I actually did like Khosla Ka Ghosla

@cinefreak I think i've mentioned this earlier. I don't get this whole concept of honest vs. pretentious film-making. This HAS to be our perception of the film, I doubt any director starts out thinking, I actually want to pretend to be so-and-so or like-this.

@Swetha thanks ;)

@Andy You are right, and it's because I cannot even attempt to understand the pulse. I can just say what I liked and why and same for what doesn't work for me. And you can agree/disagree with the opinion and the reasons, of course.

@Abhinav There is no way there can be a 100% match for movie-liking, no?

Meetu,

It seems you enjoyed the movie, but did not 'like' it? Anyway, here is a review on Shaolin Soccer by Roger Ebert, where he explains his reasons for giving a movie the ratings he does.
Even if you may not feel he is a good reviewer, the points he raises are all valid.
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040423/REVIEWS/404230305/1023

@Andy I'd love to, in fact there is a provision for that information already in wogma's backend. But, I don't know of any reliable source from where it would be legal to take this information.

@Lost in Lamancha yep! i have that and 54 others listed in the 'external reviews section'

@Pondy Yep! The enjoyment vs. liking argument is epic. My problem is there is half a percent chance that I won't enjoy a film, I enter a film and start enjoying. On the other hand though, I am going through a rigorous internal thought process about reviewing films. I will share that with you in a couple of days.

10 Reasons why Dabangg Rocks!!
http://bit.ly/bRrIEW

@Satish :D

@lost in confusion - thanks for pointing it out, fixed now.

looks like Salman has did it again !! awesome flick, complete family entertainer. albeit it has some Rajnikant style action and moves but it is still entertaining and Salman has done a great job there.

cheers
Dimpykash
TVForDesis.com

@Meetu
The plot might be loose....but Salman wasn't, isn't it?

A lot of movies with great plots haven't done so well on the box-office; haven't made a lot of money either....Film makers prefer making more money rather than getting great reviews from critics and the new phenomenon is to get good collections in the first 2 weeks and for this reason every other star tries to promote their movies by going to every other TV show etc

Salman Khan has acted superbly in the movie.The plot is nice..Arbaz has chosen a rather dumb role for himself...but overall the movie has enough to win the hearts of the people.:)

@Shilpa agree that among many other things that were handled lightly :D

@Neetu wanting to make money is not a new concept really. Neither is the concept of Dabangg, nor is Salman's style. It's all the same ol'-same ol'

@USAGiftStore if you say so! :D

@Pragya Nope, I don't think a reviewer's role includes predicting 'how well it will be liked by the junta' because -
1. No one person can claim to predict how a certain thing (in this case let's say a movie) one thing will be liked by another person. Even if they are the closest friend or share the same blood.
2. That one person change with time.
3. That person can be in different moods at different times.
4. Not to mention enjoyment can differ depending on who you are watching the film with.
5. Junta is not one person and thus certainly not that one person.
I don't know how any one person can be expected to figure out what a junta might like. Even a majority of 'junta' is a huge number. Not to mention, even if you divide the junta into whatever categories, each category still has a whole load of junta in it.

I say 'watch if nothing better to do' because that's what i thought while walking out. I'm very very aware that you or the third person might not feel the same. Therefore I perform the role of giving detailed explanation. If the reader's requirements don't quite match the reasons I have cited for my discontent, they decide to watch the film.

On whether or not I want people to enjoy, I'm writing a piece on that. Will publish it soon. Thanks!

@cinefreak you are right, when i write a review i wish to present an 'image' of an honest person :)

ok funny side aside, I know we judge people by their body language all the time to figure out if they are being pretentious or not. But, i haven't understood how a film can be judged similarly.

On another point, almost none of us can be really honest about our intentions, why are we making that expectation of our film-makers especially those who are trying to say something different or in a different manner?

@Pragya I describe what a review's role is, here - http://wogma.com/article/why-read-a-review/

>> Why play in the safe domain. It would be a fun exercise to predict junta's verdict and see how it goes.

That would be another blog, another agenda. It's like asking Abhinav Kashyap, "why make 'Dabangg', when you can make 'Manorama Six Feet Under'?"

Naah, had decided about the 'what people enjoy' article right after watching dabangg :D

@AngryYoungMan2.0 Well, no one has bullied me into liking anything or not. It's just that there is an audience like me out there and these people you hate cater to us.

Mainstream films earn money to make indies all over the world. And I don't think anyone calls anyone names except in forums like these. Dabangg is by Anurag's brother, for goodness sake!

@Lost in Lamancha absolutely! i'm human. Which is why i can only neutralize my moods, etc, but do that for an entire population - i'm not up for it.

@Samir :) thanks! I think the debate is because 'Dabangg' is this suppa-duppa hit and I kind-of wrote it off...

You were right Meetu - this was crap! Pure crap.

@all I've been pretty clear on why i started, when I started it 4 years ago. I'm also very aware of my limitations, including the fact that I cannot judge how 'junta' or 'masses' will like a certain film. With an individual person, given his likes and dislikes, I can with a sufficient accuracy predict whether or not he'll like the film. But then again, that's one person or at the most 20-odd people I can claim that for. Still not a big enough sample for "junta" pulse determination.

like many of you re saying here, ab bahut hua, time to move on...

I think you must read this also -http://www.nsbollywood.com/bollywood-movie-reviews/414-dna-dabangg-is-an-out-and-out-entertainer

@Pooja yep, read that

@Pragya Nope, my rating scale only says what I think one should do (ideally, after considering why I'm saying that and depending on whether or not they agree with the explanations). I'm not saying I know what they want to do and thus telling them what to do.

@lost in confusion yeah i remembered that after it was too late. Had done it for wanted! Completely skipped my mind here. Oh well...

#Dabang - one of the worst movies I have seen recently. Don't watch even if paid to do so :) ...Rating: '0/5' would be doing injustice to 0.

@Amit i hear ya, my friend!

@bhupusingh what are you saying? not even for the scene where Salman says 'papa' for the first time? :D

@Pragya it's great to have such discussions, keep them coming.

@all hear this one out! I saw Dabangg again yesterday (some fine print in the wedding vows about watching every Salman Khan film with husband, such is life!)

And I must say, I disliked it even more. So, yeah bring it on...

@lost in confusion accepted :)

the problem that follows this movie is that being a total crap it's a record blockbuster hit.what's irrestible is that people who aren't salmaniac's are feeling pain to summon this.There were movies which happened to be less worse than this but they proved never as shocking as this one .It's the second high grosser with piles of bugs yet to be added.the bottom line is that it's just the blessings(miracle) of ALLAH and GANESH baba which we ordinary people can't judge with our brains.The movie has a high critical acclaim with 4.0 rating in wogma.But i know even salman knows the movie has any artisic value or a movie worth to be called a movie afterall he's a writer too.

@Sesh Sonu Sood does have the Big B streaks in his acting, but completely misses out on screen presense. Has to try way too hard. Him playing Arbaaz's role and someone else playing Salman's role would be a completely different film. What's done here is done.Also, I doubt this film would work for me unless there were some serious changes in the writing.

Dimple Kapadia on the other hand, I think was trying her best to look like an Asthmatic patient, which came out alright.

Re: Tashan let's not get into a tashan about this one.

@Samir NO! no way...

@simy ha ha ha ha. that's a wild one. I have no clue and I try to keep away from such speculation. I didn't like the film, that's all i know. Thanks a ton for stopping by!

@Simy he he he! no i'll not copy that line. ;)

@guddu slow down. Didn't understand what you are getting at.Sorry, can you explain again?

Films of this genre can't be bothered by things like consistency and comprehension, and this one at least makes an attempt. Fails miserably, but tries nevertheless. It actually takes time to set the characters and their relationships up. The script goes on to build on this background, too. But, the rush to wrap it up shows. The urge to put in more action and less story, becomes transparent. Thus starts a race for the quickest character transition - be it good to evil or the other way around. The change is glaring at you even harder because of the extremes that each of these characters have gone to in the opposite direction. You remember the 80s.

kay

The song might have been what made this movie hit. I am not a Salman fan but I do watch his movies when I have forgotten how bad his movies are. This was one such instance. Don't know if its all brawn that can make you so lovable ..

@guddu aah that way. i didn't see any of the things you mentioned when I went there, i just heard the song, i thought it was just an audio link. thanks for pointing it out, will take better care next time.

@atishnis sorry didn't see many of the positives you've mentioned :)

@kay let's hope it just makes us like other films better

@Rema my heart goes out to you, girl!

@chandu ha ha ha

I love salman khan

I like this movie

it was a hit movie

salman khan is the bollywood hero

Nice review

Fan

On this day when Vinod Khanna has left the world, nothing better than to reminisce on what a wonderful portfolio of films he has left us. He was a small yet delightful part of Dabangg. His second innings (or third innings if we count his Osho days as a break) started with Wanted (Salman Khan) film, in a very lovable and memorable role, and went on to better form with Dabangg and the others.

However, I remember him and miss him most for his first innings. There are simply too many films where Vinod Khanna has left an indelible mark. Where do I start and where do I finish, Mere Apne, Achanak, Haath Ki Safaai, Amar Akbar Anthony, Khoon Pasina, Hera Pheri, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Parvarish, Qurbani, and so on and on.

A fantastic actor, a lovable star, a Greek God, a thorough entertainer.

I hope that his soul finds the solace that he once was seeking when at the top of his profession. As a true fan of Hindi films, I will always miss Vinod Khanna and cherish the treasure of films that he has given us over the years.

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