Singham Again Review

Step into Rohit Shetty's roaring Cop Universe, where patriotism doesn't just wave a flag; it rides in on a truck, flips a car, jumps from a helicopter to a warship, and walks away unscathed. Singham Again is the latest high-octane entry, the fifth and the most expensive, to the franchise, where Ajay Devgn's stoic Bajirao Singham delivers what it unashamedly screamed in the trailers - saffron stunts on steroids.

In the previous film, Singham (Ajay Devgn) had wiped out most of family of the terrorist Omar (Jackie Shroff), sparing only Omar himself, one of his daughters-in-law, and his grandson Zubair (Arjun Kapoor). Now Zubair is out for revenge, determined to destroy Singham's family and friends. To lure Singham into a trap, Zubair abducts his wife, Avni (Kareena Kapoor Khan), planning to kill Singham and his team when they come to her rescue.

Most members of the franchise - Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff, Dayanand Shetty and Kareena Kapoor - reprise their roles. This film parallels the story of the Ramayana, with Singham rescuing his wife from Zubair in a way reminiscent of Rama rescuing Sita from Ravana. The supporting characters align with the Ramayana figures: Ranveer Singh's character Simba resembles Hanuman, Akshay's character resembles Garuda, and Tiger's character resembles Lakshmana.

Most of the cast and crew, with the exception of Kareena Kapoor, are vocal supporters of India's current administration. As a result, the film features a number of saffron-tinted dialogues and visuals, including lines like "Yeh naya Bharat hai; ab hum ghar mein ghus ke maarenge". Many such lines as mouthed by NDA spokespersons in mainstream TV debates are used verbatim.

Also, while drawing parallels with the Ramayana, the film strongly suggests that the epic is not fictional but a historical account of the subcontinent, presenting "evidences" that have already been debunked numerous times. This aspect feels like a deliberate attempt to exploit popular sentiments. The movie weaves in mythological references like it is the work of a filmmaker on a holy mission, and that is arguably the film's weakest point. I was kind of collapsing under the weight of all that mythic energy.

Minus the saffronisation, the movie is well made, and stands out in the franchise for the singular approach - sophisticated, stylized John Woo-like stunts throughout the movie. Shetty delivers all cylinders firing on the action, turning physics into a spectator sport. Vehicles pirouette in slow-mo, walls disintegrate under punches that seem to come with seismic aftershocks, and gravity feels like it's gone on vacation. By the seventh car flip and tenth slow-mo punch, you start wondering if Singham's training for a divine showdown. If Kill was hand-combats from the beginning to the end, this movie is action, chases and stunts throughout.

Indeed, for the sake of all the action, the movie even forgoes songs. There is just one, the theme song Singham, that's brief. However, there's plenty of bombast. Each line is wielded like a sword, and the dialogue in general is so fervent it could probably stir up a cyclone. While Shetty's trademark one-liners are more pointed and brief, they are also aplenty, and, many times, incongruous (all that banter in what are supposed to be gripping action pieces?). Subtlety has been kicked out, replaced with melodrama wrapped in the grit of a dust storm.

Devgn struts through the mayhem as an immovable force of intensity, a storm, his eyes smouldering like the coals of Mount Doom. Kareena Kapoor, meanwhile, is the eternal cheerleader, dropping in to remind us there's a softer side to the storm. Jackie Shroff's villainy is a grand affair, while Ranveer Singh barrels through scenes with an energy that's both wildly entertaining and deliciously over the top (he also brings in lots of LOLs to this otherwise action-only movie). Arjun Kapoor is a surprising and refreshing addition to this installment, taking on the role of the main antagonist. As a debutant villain, he delivers an intimidating presence and brings a visceral intensity to his scenes.

The film has been shot across several scenic locations in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kashmir and Sri Lanka. The sequences along the Sri Lankan coasts and in the coastal forests are especially captivating, offering a stunning virtual tour of the region. Cinematographer Girish Kant and editor Bunty Nagi have skillfully crafted these scenes, making the movie ideal for an IMAX experience, though it is also available in a standard format.

In short, Singham Again is a firework display of patriotism, mythology and bravado that'll thrill both the loyal fans of Shetty's Cop Universe and the fan-boys and girls of the current ruling dispensation, and leave skeptics feeling like they've wandered into a mythological theme park with Singham as their fearless tour guide.