Risk

wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list ^(?)

quick review:

Too much of the same thing over and over again - loud music, close-ups. How many underworld sagas can we watch? It has good acting and good twists in the plots but they are not enough to warrant a trip to the theatre.

Director: Vishram Sawant

Cast: Randeep Hooda, Vinod Khanna

Running time: 120 minutes

Genres: Action, Crime

More Movie Info

An excess of anything causes indigestion. Then may it be the loud drums and violins trying to follow the pace of your heart-beat or the close-ups / top and bottom angles. Note that I am not even complaining about the bloodshed and the gore. In fact, I missed the profanity. Hard core Mumbai goons and no abuse? The only things that make Risk watchable are the fantastic performances and a few twists in the plot.

The story is nothing new. Two gangs wanting to beat each other down as if that is the primary business they conduct. But, what scores is the way in which they beat each other. Through the two hours, the audience is wondering, “oops…now how will he get out of this one?” and that is what a drama should do. The only issue is that the end does not leave anyone surprised.

Watch out for some marvelous performances. Randeep Hooda need not prove himself any more in this genre, he has most certainly mastered the serious character - the dialogue delivery, the timing. Vinod Khanna plays his part with elegance and style. The rest of the supporting cast looks perfect for their roles too. Oh yes, there is Tanushree Dutta too, or is there? I am pretty sure, she too will forget that she had a role in this movie, very soon.

What on earth was a song like ‘hichki’ doing in a movie like this? It was point-blank out-of-place! Are we so desperate to please the masses that not only do we bring in an absolutely out-of-place love angle but have a Miss India who has no qualms about gratuitous show of skin? ‘out-of-place’ is the only phrase that seems in the right place!

Vishram Sawant uses music to cover conversations that the audience don’t really need to listen to. The same technique was used in ‘D’. Surely, there is no problem with reusing a technique from an earlier movie, but doing it through the movie? Was there a lack of talent in the dialogue department? Sort-of. There were some really good dialogues mixed with regular, very forgettable lines.

Agreed, like love triangles, there are only so many ways in which gang-wars can be treated. But, today we need something, something more to make the movie stand out. And that is what Risk misses. Or maybe it is time for the director to move on to another genre…

- meeta, a part of the audience

6 reviewers^(?) - 1 yays 1 so-so 4 nays

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

Thumbs up, by Priyanka Jain, Rediff : ...Risk keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.... full review

Thumbs down, by Nikhil Kumar, Apun Ka Choice : ... The movie buffs are already sated of seeing such cops and gangsters films.... full review

Thumbs down, by Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM : ...Although he carries the burden of an oft-repeated story and lackluster screenplay, there's no denying that Vishram Sawant's direction is a notch above the ordinary.... full review

Thumbs down, by Ashish Shakya, J.A.M : ...director Vishram Sawant is to blame here for not using his lead actors well... full review

Thumbs down, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...when it comes to performances, Risk scores fairly well... full review

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

Plot Summary

Suryakant (Randeep Hooda) is determined to get rid of the mafia in Mumbai. And he is not particularly interested in the means. He doesn’t mind doing what it takes. Meanwhile, Naidu (Zakir Hussain) has reentered the underworld scene and is trying to make his presence felt. In doing this he irks his ex-boss and current leader Khalid (Vinod Khanna). Naidu has the backing of Home Minister (Anant Jog) while Khalid is close to Devki (who has a strong hold in politics). How the all use each other to get what the need is what the movie is all about.

What Worked

The characters are introduced by a voice over, very regular dialogue. But the sequences you see on screen create a huge impact and set the stage for the characters.
The pace at which Suryakant eliminates a few members of the Khalid gang has come out very well. But, then they repeated it 5 times and spoilt the show.

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

What kind of an inspector meets his informer in broad daylight at a public place? And to top it, the otherwise all-knowing gangsters don't catch the informer.
Full cinematic liberty taken to show a dramatic shooting in a prison.
In one scene, Suryakant has a vision of Khalid. How could that be? He hadn't even seen Khalid yet!

Nitty-Gritty

This section lists things that I think are not important to the overall impact of the movie. In most cases, it could be explained away by something like, "we noticed the glitch after the scene was shot and there were schedule/budget issues and thus we could not re-shoot it". I like giving the makers the benefit of doubt, but I am amused nevertheless. Hopefully, they will tickle you too.

It is annoying when in such a tight plot just to establish the main characters, a side character does something really stupid! E.g., A small dealer does not know that it is silly to lie to Khalid. His character is made to do that just to make Khalid look scarier.
It made me laugh when in one scene Suryakant was shaving his stubble and in the next scene he still had it!
The sunlight was exceptionally bright in a scene where it was pouring cats and dogs.