Time flies when you’re having fun.

The third instalment in Rohit Shetty's Singham franchise, Singham Again relies heavily on the epic Ramayana to give the run-of-the-mill masala potboiler an update. Does it help though? 

Singham Again review: The story

I can sum it up in one sentence. A villain’s (Jackie Shroff) relative Danger Lanka (Arjun Kapoor) is back for revenge, and Bajirao Singham’s (Ajay Devgn) wife Avni (Kareena Kapoor Khan) is kidnapped, but he can’t save her alone, so he gets friends on board.

This is where the curious case of Singham Again begins. A common complaint with a lot of films is that while the first halves are always good, the dip comes in the second one. Here, it’s the opposite. Six people have been credited for the screenplay- Yunus Sajawal, Abhijeet Khuman, Kshitij Patwardhan, Sandeep Saket, Anusha Nandakumar, and Rohit. I wonder what so many people did, because the first half is chaotic. Actually, I get it now. Too many cooks spoil the broth. The attempt to link Ramayana’s story with Singham’s universe is novel, but the execution goes haywire. It takes forever to evoke the thrills we are seated for.

Singham Again review: The verdict

Rohit has a good concept in hand- then he decides to take the entire first half just to establish ‘look its Ramayana, see the same scene, look at the symbolism’. What also doesn’t help is that we know what’s going to happen next, as is the template of masala films. The ‘India ghuske maarta hai dushmanon ko’ is a narrative that’s added to make the film appear in sync with real life. All it does is disconnect one as a viewer because we didn’t sign up for a political science lesson when we purchased the ticket.

What doesn’t help is the makers had shown pretty much everything in the trailer. I can only imagine the disbelief in theatres if say, Deepika Padukone’s role in the film was kept a secret. But everyone’s entry, which is supposed to be a high point in multi starrers, are arrives cold as we had already seen them in the trailer.

The intermission comes, rather quickly. It can only go downhill from here, right? The second half begins, and it’s a completely different film. The one liners, the in-jokes, and just seeing a smattering of stars- Deepika, Tiger Shroff, Ranveer, Akshay Kumar and Ajay in one frame is worth the price of admission. Yes, movie universes are here to stay.

Worth mentioning here is the decision to shoot the portions based in Kashmir, at real locations. Over reliance on VFX has ushered in a certain laziness into filmmaking of late, which is why films don’t feel visually grand. Rohit and his team have captured the valleys of Kashmir very well, and it definitely helps.

Singham Again review: Actors' report card

The performances in Singham Again are a mixed bag. Ajay is his brooding self, and you see the OG Singham, albeit in occasional flashes. This is a subdued version of the supercop we first saw in 2011. Action scenes are his forte, but what’s missing is the anger which Singham as a character is all about. Akshay’s entry as Sooryavanshi invited hooting, the man has still got it. When he handles a gun, you know he means business. Deepika, much like the trailer, just isn’t able to convince us that she is a whacky cop in Rohit Shetty’s Cop Universe. Tiger is passable.

And Ranveer- you realise how much you have missed seeing him just have fun on screen in a well-written role. His presence adds the much-needed energy to Singham Again. Be it him telling Kareena in one scene that someone’s wife is always getting into trouble in the CopVerse- ‘Aur phir sabko aana padhta hai, sabka date milna mushkil hota hai’. I wasn’t expecting a Rohit Shetty film to go meta! Same for when he looks at Deepika after the climax, and says ‘Dekho abhi family bhi badh raha hai’. Is it the CopVerse he refers to, or their own baby? Go figure!

Arjun Kapoor as Danger Lanka… he just isn’t able to evoke terror as the antagonist. His look is on point, but when he opens his mouth, you know it’s Arjun. Beheading someone on screen isn’t enough to showcase invincibility. For someone as maniacal as Danger Lanka, the unhinged attitude should begin with the crazed look in one’s eyes, which is nowhere to be found here. The weapons, the fistfights should come much later.

Overall, Singham Again delivers in parts. I am all for masala films, when they are made properly. Watch it for the second half. And Ranveer Singh. PS- One misses the OG Singham entry music. If only art was placed above egos here. Enough said.

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