Simmba Review {4.0/5} & Review Rating
Telugu film TEMPER is one of my favourites. A film that’s very fresh in my memory. A well-packaged entertainer, it was embellished with a bravura, commanding performance by the lead man Jr NTR. The expectations from SIMMBA - an official adaptation of TEMPER - are monumental.
Rohit Shetty has to live up to the expectations for varied reasons: He teams up with Ranveer Singh for the first time... He attempts a cop story yet again... And, of course, those who have watched TEMPER will compare the two films minutely.
Rohit borrows the essence from TEMPER, but modifies a major chunk of that film [especially the second half and climax]. What eventually unfolds on screen is so different, in a positive way.
First, the plot line, without giving away the entire story / spoilers. Sangram Bhalerao aka Simmba [Ranveer Singh] is a dishonest police officer. Once transferred to a different town, he meets Shagun [Sara Ali Khan] and love blossoms between the two.
Sangram also develops a bond with Aakruti [Vaidehi Parashurami], a medical student who teaches poor kids. She realises her students are being used for drug peddling by the brothers [Saurabh Gokhale and Amrit Singh] of a powerful man, Durva [Sonu Sood].
Aakruti lands up at the pub where the illegal activities are taking place and manages to capture it all on her cellphone, but gets caught. What happens next?
First things first. Rohit Shetty and screenplay writer Yunus Sajawal [additional screenplay by Sajid Samji] pick and choose some memorable, clap-trap moments from TEMPER and give SIMMBA an altogether different texture. The essence of the story remains intact, but it’s made more contemporary to suit the pan India tastes.
There’s no denying that Rohit Shetty is the present-day Manmohan Desai of Hindi cinema. His fundas are crystal clear: Deliver entertainment in large doses. In SIMMBA, there’s a powerful message too that stays with you once the movie has concluded.
SIMMBA is an absolute joyride in the first half. A number of sequences and the witty and sharp one-liners [dialogues by Farhad Samji] are sure to bring the house down. The post-interval portions get serious and you may miss the fun and laughter, but the issue that’s depicted demands seriousness.
Like I stated at the very outset, Rohit and his writers offer a completely new conclusion to the tale and those who’ve watched TEMPER will notice the difference. In my opinion, the courtroom sequence and the final moments take the graph of the film higher.
Ranveer Singh is the lifeline, the soul of the film and I must add, he proves he’s an all rounder who can essay diverse characters with superb ease. SIMMBA is sure to multiply his fan following by leaps and bounds.
Sara Ali Khan sparkles, just like her debut film KEDARNATH, although there’s not much scope for her in the second half. Sonu Sood is in terrific form. SIMMBA would’ve faltered if the antagonist wouldn’t be as convincing as the protagonist. Sonu matches up to Ranveer every time they come face to face.
SIMMBA has a huge supporting cast, but I would like to single out a few names that add weight to the proceedings. Ashutosh Rana is exceptional. The salute sequence will be greeted with a thunderous applause. Siddharth Jadhav excels. Vaidehi Parashurami is wonderful. Ashwini Kalsekar is fantastic. Her dialogues in the climax will be greeted with applause. Ganesh Yadav and Ashok Samarth [the lawyers] do a fine job. Saurabh Gokhale is first-rate. Sarita Joshi is alright.
SIMMBA has a number of cameos, including the GOLMAAL gang [Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade and Kunal Kemmu]. Ajay Devgn’s introduction will be greeted with whistles and claps and his act is sure to find love. Last but not the least, there’s Akshay Kumar too. Again, the viewers are in for a treat.
The soundtrack gels well with the mood of the film. ‘Aankh Maare’ is already a chartbuster, while ‘Aala Re Aala’ leaves you awestruck by its execution. Background score deserves special mention, especially the fusion of the themes of SINGHAM and SIMMBA. Jomon T John’s cinematography is flawless. The action sequences are vibrant and striking.
On the whole, SIMMBA is a sure-shot winner, no two opinions about it. This one will storm the boxoffice. 2018 is sure to conclude with a roar!
