Review: 'Crook' is a fast-paced film with a strong theme

Crook – It’s Good To Be Bad (A)
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Neha Sharma, Arjan Bajwa
Director: Mohit Suri
Rating: **1/2

Emraan Hashmi has the reputation of being a ladies' man. A Hashmi film means the audience had better be prepared for some steamy scenes. But for a change, Crook does not announce the vulgarity of Hashmi’s on-screen persona barring in a few scenes. Don’t be disappointed, there is more to Crook than its frivolous title.

The strong storyline of Crook revolves around racism against Indian immigrants in Australia. Apart from racial discrimination, the film has parallel love stories.

Suraj Bharadwaj/Jai Dikshit (Hashmi) is involved in illegal activities, often landing in trouble and almost always saved by guardian Inspector Joseph (Gulshan Grover in a special appearance). Joseph packs Suraj off to Australia to save him from impending trouble in India, far away from his dark past. “It’s good to be bad” — is that irritating phrase Suraj reiterates even though you are never clearly shown the bad in him.

Down Under he meets Suhani (Sharma), a level-headed, idealistic social worker, who dreams of a society where Indians and Australians can live in harmony. Her liberal views have earned her a few good Australian friends, while over-protective brother Samarth (Bajwa) believes Indians are all good and Australians all evil. A spate of racial attacks on Indians fuels Samarth’s hatred of the goras.

Predictably, Suraj and Suhani fall in love, a match Samarth doesn’t approve of. Suraj is also involved with an Australian girl Nicole, who becomes that important link in the healing of the soured relationships between Indians and Australians.

The first half is fast paced and director Mohit Suri packs in a lot in there — Suraj’s escape to Australia, his meeting with his love, and also sets the background for the main plot point: racism. The second half is thrilling and holds the surprise climactic events. The soundtrack is bubbly, notwithstanding the fact that some songs could have been done away with. Mohit Chauhan singing Tujhko jo paya brings a smile to your face.

Hashmi is terrific and rules the screen. You are left wondering why the film is called Crook when the filmmaker devotes hardly any time to establish Hashmi’s wicked ways. Very charmingly, Hashmi shows why he is director Suri’s lucky charm, making an appearance in his film a third time.

Sharma shows promise as an NRI with liberal values. But she fails to look natural in challenging scenes that require her to shed a tear or two. Bajwa is outstanding, to the point of stealing some of the limelight from lead Hashmi. Kavin Dave as Romi Latti looks out of place with his Punjabi act. He should stick to the Sprite ads. Hashmi’s Punjabi bachelor boy gang headed by GoldE encourage the few chuckles in the film with their eccentric Punjabi traits. “Fact hai, fact hai” is sure to find its way into common lingo.

The premise of Crook makes it watchable, though it’s up to you if you want to take a stand for yourself and others or just let go.