Perhaps it is a tad bit presumptuous to label Special 26 India’s Ocean’s Eleven, but when you see the movie, you will realise that we aren’t entirely wrong. Heist films in Bollywood are toddling up to the mark, finally.
Special 26 has a very simple story line. A foursome (Ajay- Akshay Kumar, PK Sharma - Anupam Kher, Joginder- Rajesh Sharma and Iqbal- Kishore Kadam) pretend to be anything between CBI officers and income tax officials to pull off these rather interesting raids (read – real life heists). They simply walk into your house and take it all away. There is clearly no stopping them. They target politicians, big businessmen and the best part is – no one wants to make a police report since reputations are at stake. They walk away easy after robbing the corrupt and the money-hoarding.
All’s fair till two well meaning police officers Ranvir Singh and Shanti (Jimmy Shergill and Divya Dutta) get suspended and the real CBI are called in. Waseem Khan (Manoj Bajpayee) is one of those no-nonsense cops who take crime as a personal offence. And when Khan goes behind the four – he is determined to end their joy ride.
Waseem takes on Ajay, Sharma, Iqbal and Joginder as they make plans for the mother of all heists. With Ranvir Singh aiding in the investigation, there is no looking back.
The movie will keep you hooked till the end and the climax is worthy of a gleeful applause. Muted and perhaps undestated at times, Special 26 captures your imagination withe the right feel and pace. Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai of 1987 is shown with a aesthetic flair. Hats off to the minds behind the costumes – the designer hits the mark perfectly.
While the movie is starkly devoid of the usual Bollywood over-acting, the histrionics are perfect. Every character is so perfectly cast and believable. From Waseem’s eagle stare to Ajay’s easy strut – Pandey has cast his actors so well.
Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill and Manoj Bajpayee ace their roles. Divya Dutta matches up while Kajal Aggarwal as Ajay’s love interest acts her coy best. The women don’t have much of a role in either the plot or the plan. Rajesh Sharma, who stunned us in Luv Shuv te Chicken Khurana can’t unleash his true colours in Special 26. But even that is admissible. Well done Pandey!
Rumour has it that the film takes its foundations from the infamous robbery of 19 March, 1987, when 26 people posing as income tax officials raided a famous jewellery store in Mumbai. And we aren’t complaining.
Special 26 is not a movie to be missed. The dialogues are brilliant and they hit the nail right on the head. There are no unnecessary chor-police drama. The game is of brilliant minds battling and we are floored. While you might be waiting for Akshay Kumar to bust an action move or two, the excellent control makes the movie rather stunning.
Nothing like A Wednesday, Special 26 grabs you with a deft smoothness characteristic of Hollywood films. Ignoring the little love story, that seems grossly unnecessary, the fiery Waseem Khan, the uber smooth Ajay and the slightly faltering Sharma steal the show.
3.5 for the execution and a half more for smoothness. Don’t miss Special 26.
Special 26 has a very simple story line. A foursome (Ajay- Akshay Kumar, PK Sharma - Anupam Kher, Joginder- Rajesh Sharma and Iqbal- Kishore Kadam) pretend to be anything between CBI officers and income tax officials to pull off these rather interesting raids (read – real life heists). They simply walk into your house and take it all away. There is clearly no stopping them. They target politicians, big businessmen and the best part is – no one wants to make a police report since reputations are at stake. They walk away easy after robbing the corrupt and the money-hoarding.
All’s fair till two well meaning police officers Ranvir Singh and Shanti (Jimmy Shergill and Divya Dutta) get suspended and the real CBI are called in. Waseem Khan (Manoj Bajpayee) is one of those no-nonsense cops who take crime as a personal offence. And when Khan goes behind the four – he is determined to end their joy ride.
Waseem takes on Ajay, Sharma, Iqbal and Joginder as they make plans for the mother of all heists. With Ranvir Singh aiding in the investigation, there is no looking back.
The movie will keep you hooked till the end and the climax is worthy of a gleeful applause. Muted and perhaps undestated at times, Special 26 captures your imagination withe the right feel and pace. Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai of 1987 is shown with a aesthetic flair. Hats off to the minds behind the costumes – the designer hits the mark perfectly.
While the movie is starkly devoid of the usual Bollywood over-acting, the histrionics are perfect. Every character is so perfectly cast and believable. From Waseem’s eagle stare to Ajay’s easy strut – Pandey has cast his actors so well.
Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill and Manoj Bajpayee ace their roles. Divya Dutta matches up while Kajal Aggarwal as Ajay’s love interest acts her coy best. The women don’t have much of a role in either the plot or the plan. Rajesh Sharma, who stunned us in Luv Shuv te Chicken Khurana can’t unleash his true colours in Special 26. But even that is admissible. Well done Pandey!
Rumour has it that the film takes its foundations from the infamous robbery of 19 March, 1987, when 26 people posing as income tax officials raided a famous jewellery store in Mumbai. And we aren’t complaining.
Special 26 is not a movie to be missed. The dialogues are brilliant and they hit the nail right on the head. There are no unnecessary chor-police drama. The game is of brilliant minds battling and we are floored. While you might be waiting for Akshay Kumar to bust an action move or two, the excellent control makes the movie rather stunning.
Nothing like A Wednesday, Special 26 grabs you with a deft smoothness characteristic of Hollywood films. Ignoring the little love story, that seems grossly unnecessary, the fiery Waseem Khan, the uber smooth Ajay and the slightly faltering Sharma steal the show.
3.5 for the execution and a half more for smoothness. Don’t miss Special 26.