'Race 3' Review: Salman Khan & Co bring over-the-top masala feast for Eid

Film: Race 3

Critic's Rating:  2/5

Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Saqib Saleem, Freddy Daruwala, Daisy Shah

Direction: Remo D’Souza

Genre: Suspense, action-drama

Duration: 2 hours, 40 minutes

Language: Hindi(U/A)

Story:

Shamsher Singh (Anil Kapoor) is a billionaire illegal arms dealer who has had to leave Handwa (really!!!), India and relocate to Al-Shifaa, UAE, because "the situation back home got too-hot for him to handle.’’  His nephew, Sikander (Salman Khan), who grew up in Beijing, is the apple of his eye. Anil’s ill-mannered, 25-year-old, twins—Sanjana (Daisy) and Sooraj (Saqib) are jealous that their father can’t see beyond Sikander. There is also Yash (Bobby Deol) who is a Sikku loyalist. Wait wait, not everyone is who they seem they are (Remember it’s a Race franchise). Incidentally there is also a common love interest between Yash and Sikku who goes by the name of Jessica (Jacqueline Fernandez). Who is she? Like I said, by the end of it, you will not be any wiser. You will care, even less. And even applaud, when the makers announce that there will be a Race 4!

Review:

If you are a Race franchise fan, the first thing you will do as soon as this movie begins is start looking for similarities or connects between the prequels and this one. And you will heave a sigh of relief when Anil comes on screen looking dapper and spouting dangerous desi dialogue like - "Jab sher shikaar karta hai, toh pehle khud khaata hai, phir geedad khate hain aur phir keede, maukaude khate hain." You will shudder, even shiver and gape open-mouthed when he blows up his foes with a gelatine-filled bomb that is put into a $20,000 ugly gold-pen! That’s how dangerous he is.

Fair enough. Once you have been initialised, you will just sit back and relax. You will laugh uncontrollably when each character from the film is introduced with plaudits that will make you whistle, clap and stomp your feet in sheer joy. This is the kind of film that was once made by Naseer Hussain, Manmohan Desai and other stalwarts from the 70s-80s, who believed that once you have converted your audience, you have them hooked. Yes, Race 3 is not even boasting of being an intelligible film which has been made to clear the cobwebs in your mind. It is an ostentatious, over-the-top Salman Khan vehicle, made for his fans between the ages of 5 and 60 (like me!). 

There is not a semblance of a script (guess the writing team got an Eidi). As for the dialogue writers, they must be awarded. Each dialogue beats the other. Sample these — The Lion doesn’t believe in making enemies; Don’t open your dil open your Dell (computer); Sad very sad, there is no cure of foolishness; If you are protected by God, then none can touch you. There is a full book of these gems but to whistle for those, you must visit a theatre near you. The film is absolute stressbuster that is meant to be seen and taken in lighter vein.

The songs are God-awful with the exception of 'Allah Duhai Hai,' which for some strange reason starts with Jacqueline doing a pole dance. Or was that another song? Sorry! It is also so fuzzy and confusing, just like the plot of the film.

The Direction — well there isn’t any.

The action directors Anl Arasu & Thomas Struthers are the only ones who have earned their money. Cars, bikes, tankers, hand-to-hand combats between the two girls, then between Salman and Bobby (that too shirtless, showing four packs each) wow…this is the only wow part. Action is cleverly placed through the film just so that you can vent.

Acting: All members of the cast are happy being a part of Salman’s chorus line, stepping forward, doing a gig and stepping back. As for Salman, is he acting? No, he is just enjoying his superstardom. Like he constantly repeats - jaa ko raakhe saiyaan maar sakhe na koi, which when translated means, if you are protected or the chosen one, no one can 'mess’ with you. Forget attempting a review on the film.  That would amount to insubordination.