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Direction: Sriram Raghavan
Cast: Dharmendra, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Rimi,
Rating: *** 1/2
If, after 2004's 'Ek Hasina Thi', there were any doubts that Sriram Raghavan was one of the biggest emerging talents of the 2000s, these will be completely dispelled with his follow up film 'Johnny Gaddaar'. Not only has he crafted a thriller, which dots every 'i' and crosses every 't', his characters come to life with the minimum of fuss thus leaving the viewer free to concentrate on the twists and turns that constitute normal life in the underbelly of society.
When five members of a gang of hustlers sense a chance to make quick money on a deal they immediately set out to put it in operation. Except that one of them, the youngest, Vikram (Neil Nitin Mukesh) intends to double cross the others Seshadri (Dharmendra), Shardul (Zakir Hussain), Prakash (Vinay Pathak) and Shiva. With expert cunning and inspiration from the Amitabh Bachchan-Navin Nischol thriller 'Parwana', he succeeds in doing so.
The question is will he get away with it? And this is where the storytelling (Sriram Raghavan) comes into its own as, with relentless pace, it keeps you glued to your seat as the body count rises. Right from the first scene it reels you in and keeps you absorbed in the story of a heist gone terribly wrong.
Sriram Raghavan wears his heart on his sleeve. Straight away he doffs his hat to the masters of mainstream thrillers--Vijay Anand and James Hadley Chase and then continues to do so throughout the film whether it is a character reading a Chase book, Vikram falling in love with Shardul's wife Mini (a Chase staple) or strewing the story with wildcards that actually take the story forward. Conspicuous by their absence are swashbucklingness and bravado as Sriram keeps it understated and inevitable.
Aided by expert cinematography by C K Muraleedharan and upbeat and fitting music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy, he is always in command of his subject.
Dharmendra leads the cast of very impressive performers and though his role is relatively small it's great to see him back in form. Zakir Hussain, who can chill you with the intensity of his eyes, is most effective in the scene in which the reality about the traitor slowly dawns on him.
Vinay Pathak faithfully bumbles his way through keeping totally in character. But it is Neil Nitin Mukesh who holds your attention throughout. He shows none of the awkwardness of a first film, and is an actor to watch out for.
If you have spent many nights reading and re-reading every James Hadley Chase book your local library could provide, a ticket to this film will bring those words to life with panache, but with none of the OTT showing off and gun waving that characterises Bollywood films of the thriller genre.
