Baazaar Movie Review: Saif Ali Khan's ruthless aggression is the driving force of this roller coaster ride
Baazaar Movie Review: When Saif Ali Khan is given an eccentric and unconventional character, the actor delivers and as Shakun Kothari, he delivers strong. is But is the Baazaar stock worth investing in? Read below to find out.
Bazaar
Director: Gauravv K. Chawla
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Rohan Mehra, Radhika Apte, Chitrangda Singh
Rating: 3.5/5
Shakun Kothari's introductory sequence in Baazaar takes place in a religious set up; a stark contrast from the person that the ruthless Gujarati businessman is. Within a span of just ten minutes - accompanied by a witty childhood story - we are well acquainted with the corrupted mastermind who owns an empire worth Rs 5000 crore. It's this scene which sets the ball rolling for Gauravv K. Chawla's Baazaar.
Baazaar is the story of a protégé and his guide and the rise to the top in the business world, by any means necessary. On one hand, we have Rizvan Ahmed (debutant Rohan Mehra), a small-town lad with big Mumbai skyline dreams. His aim is to meet and become one with his idol, Shakun Kothari (Saif Ali Khan), a Gujarati businessman with tricks up his sleeves so convincing that even a SEBI employee is easily obliged by his menacing charm. Rizvan finds love and an accomplice in Priya Rai (Radhika Apte), a seasoned broker who matches Rizvan's ambition and is heaps ahead of him. We also have Mandira Kothari (Chitrangda Singh), Shakun's trophy wife and investment deal. Rizvan uses his small-town mentality fused with emotions to win over his mentor and becomes an ally who doesn't just shake hands with Shakun but hugs him too. Rizvan is then welcomed into the top rung of the ladder, Kothari style but with every high, there is a major downfall and only one can come out on top - the guru or the chela.
When Saif Ali Khan is given an eccentric and unconventional character, the actor delivers and as Shakun Kothari, he delivers strong. Shakun is filled with 50 shades of grey and with a believable Gujarati accent fused with whistle-worthy oneliners, Saif steals the show hook, line and sinker. Rohan Mehra, son of late veteran actor Vinod Mehra, makes an earnest attempt as the calculated Rizvan. He isn't completely flawless, but more of a work in progress. However, his likeability factor is a plus point for the newcomer. Radhika adds spunk and glamour to a limited role and stands on her own right. On the other hand, just like in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3, Chitrangda plays second fiddle to the main character, i.e. Shakun.
It's obvious that Gauravv and the screenplay writers Nikkhil Advani, Parveez Sheikh and Aseem Arora were heavily inspired by the Hollywood movie, Wall Street (1987) starring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen. However, the inspiration was for the positive as they added a desi twist to the stock market. It's the editing which is the true king of the jungle thanks to Maahir Zaveri and Arjun Srivastava. Maahir and Arjun perfectly balance the art of maintaining two different storylines of Shakun and Rizvan, without losing focus on either and also breaks the fourth wall with finesse.
When we come to the negatives; Baazaar almost hit the 'Bullseye’ but just about missed the mark in the last thirty minutes. When you have a crisp start and middle, it needs to end with a bang! Creative liberties were aplenty with the writers, who chose convenience during many plot points but to look on the bright side, the ending line of the film makes up for the shoddy ending. Then there was the soundtrack which seemed irrelevant and timed at a place when the action had just gotten interesting. But, Kem Cho will surely be stuck in your head post leaving the theatres.
Ultimately, is the Baazaar stock worth investing in? I'd say go all out with this thrilling roller-coaster ride!