'Shivaay' review: Ajay Devgn's action-adventure will make an adrenaline junkie of you

Film: Shivaay 
Cast:  Ajay Devgn, Erika Kaar, Abigail Eames, Sayyeshaa
Director: Ajay Devgn

What it's about

Touted as the big action-adventure this Diwali, Ajay Devgn’s Shivaay isn’t particularly an original. Its screenplay takes inspiration from films like Taken and Cliffhanger while the film’s (super) hero is sketched on the lines of the one-man-army called Sunny Deol in Gadar. Shivaay (Ajay) is someone who resides in the Himalayas and is into the mountaineering business. A romantic tryst with a tourist Olga (Erika) results in a love child Gaura (Abigail). Olga goes back to her land (Bulgaria) leaving Shivaay to bring up Gaura all by himself. Years later, on Gaura’s insistence, he gets her to Bulgaria to meet her mom. During that time, Gaura is kidnapped. When everything else fails to get his daughter back, Shivaay takes it upon himself to do the job. It’s a no-holds-barred mission with Shivaay leaving no stone unturned.

What's good

Without  doubt, the one thing that stays with you long after the film is over is the spectacular action and stunts— it’s comparable with Hollywood’s best. That’s not a surprise considering it was a foreign crew that supervised and executed it. Yet, the end-result is jaw dropping in every sequence. Shivaay is a perfect Diwali film— the canvas is massive; it has dollops of emotions and it represents the quintessential good-versus-evil story. The action scenes shot in snow deserve special mention. You need a different level of dedication to achieve that. Director Ajay Devgn doesn’t leave his grasp on the film’s emotional quotient at any level. That’s what enhances the action sequences. There is also a certain element of freshness to the film’s visuals and setting. Among the performances, Erika and Abigail try their best to bring in the emotions— they succeed to a point. Debutant Sayyeshaa has a distinct charm in terms of looks— one wishes she had focused as much on her performance. Ajay Devgn wows the screen in every frame— his natural flair adds immensely to the screen character. 

What's not

When an actor decides to direct himself in a film that stars him, the result can be quite volatile. As a director, Ajay Devgn is riddled with two major problems— editing and self-indulgence. The film had every reason to be at least 20 minutes shorter in length. Some of the scenes are so long and without a reason, you feel the editor was on vacation. Indulgence is evident in the way the scenes are shot. The camera lingers on even when the characters have nothing new to offer. The core of the story is based on the protagonist’s relationship with his daughter. But that itself is randomly scattered in the screenplay. A bit of logic would also have helped. Shivaay’s survival and escape in the pre-climax part is rather unreal. 

What to do

If you’re an adventure junkie, Shivaay is the film for you. And even if you aren’t, Shivaay will make you one. Prepare for action and stunts like never before.  

Rating: ***