Elaan Review

[Slim Shady mode begins] Guess who's back. Back again. Mithun da's back. Back again. [Slim Shady mode ends] Boy, has he lost none of his touch! In fact, if the audience response is anything to go by then the hiatus has only endeared the man further.

Mithun da plays Baba Sikander, the baddest man Bollywood has ever known. He runs from Venice the most-powerful organized crime syndicate in India. So when a certain Kantilal Shah refuses to pay him Rs. 20 crores, Baba promptly exterminates him. Only, he does not take into account that Shah's adopted son, Karan (Rahul Khanna), is the hero of the movie.

That he would have gotten away with. But, the director just did not play fair. As it is, the villain has to fire one thousand nine hundred and fifty seven bullets before one of them grazes the hero's arm. Did Vikram Bhatt have to bring in two more by the names of Arjun Srivastava (Arjun Rampal) and Abhimanyu (John Abraham)? And no, the buck did not stop there. No, no, no, no, no, no!

Baba also has Priya (Amisha "bullet-proof" Patel) and Sonia (Lara "oomph" Dutta) to contend with. Between them they have enough girl-power "stacked" on their persons to leave any man grappling, and yet defy all known laws of gravity. Top that with their wielding a gun that is as much in accordance with their persona as Shah Rukh Khan in a thong.

Like any self-respecting bad guy, Baba knows when his time has come. In any case, it is hard to ignore a sign as ominous as the Germans understanding English or the French co-operating with anyone non-French. Or Priya and Sonia wearing a raincoat in heavy downpour. Clearly, someone wasn't thinking. Here was an opportunity gone begging.

Without a shadow of doubt, Mithun da is the best thing to have happened to the movie. Not for no reason is he called the poor man's Amitabh Bachchan. Chunky Pandey (as Baba's brother, Salim) makes an impressive return to celluloid. But, the absolute scene-stealer (and we are only considering people here, not their endowments) has to be Arjun Rampal. His looks are among the most over-rated, and acting skills among the most under-rated in the industry.

Being a Bhatt(i) product, it is a very slickly produced movie. Two aspects, though, need special mentioning. The cinematography, with the alpine heights forming a majestic backdrop, and the action, despite being a tad implausible, will take your breath away. Surprisingly, the script ain't too bad for an action movie. The background score is just right.

For all those looking for a mindless action movie, look no further. Actually, even all those looking for a mindless movie need look no further.