'Dishoom' review: John Abraham and Varun Dhawan's bromance makes it a fun watch!

Movie: Dishoom 

Starring: John Abraham, Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez  Akshaye Khanna. Nargis Fakhri and Akshay Kumar (special appearance)

Directed by: Rohit Dhawan 

WHAT’S IT ABOUT:

Films based on cop bromances are pretty common in Hollywood. The genre was popular back home too (especially in the mid-80s). Director Rohit Dhawan tries to revive the formula with his twist with Dishoom. India’s most successful cricketer Viraj Sharma (Saquib Salim) is kidnapped by an evil bookie Wagah (Akshaye) a couple of days before an India-Pakistan final. New Delhi sends tough cop Kabir Shergill (John) to handle the case. Joining him in the mission is the local bumbling cop Junaid Ansari (Varun). Running against time and without any clues, they begin their hunt with the help of a glamorous pickpocket Ishika (Jacqueline).

WHAT’S GOOD:

The high point of a ‘bromance’ film is the camaraderie between the two lead characters. And Rohit handles that rather well. The personalities are clearly defined – Kabir is the silent and brooding types; Junaid brings the fun element. It’s what you’ve seen before in every two-hero cop film. The film is shot on a lavish scale and looks fresh. Dishoom’s slick editing, intercutting, overall packaging and presentation help it sail over the weak screenplay. Rohit doesn’t have much of a story here too so he fills the holes with some enjoyable thrills and action. Dishoom is a full-on masala entertainer clearly aimed at the young generation. The director gets his casting bang-on, which is what makes his characters so likable. John Abraham towers the screen as Kabir and has a phenomenal screen presence. Varun Dhawan plays to the gallery and is generally having a gala time. His on-screen antics work big time. Jacqueline does her charming bit well. Akshay Kumar’s cameo is the film’s biggest highlight – revealing much will spoil the fun, so watch it yourself. The actor brings the house down with his guest appearance.

WHAT’S NOT:

When you’re making a film of this size and magnitude, the least a filmmaker can do is arm himself with a decent screenplay. The writing by Rohit and Tushar Hiranandani is the worst part about Dishoom. The emphasis is only on one-liners and not on making the scenes interesting. In a film like this, no one goes looking for logic. But at the same time, you cannot treat the audience with contempt. The second half of the film drags only for this reason. The entire segment where the two heroes go looking for Rahul Dev is annoying and boring.  

WHAT TO DO:

Despite the potholes, Dishoom is a fun for most part. Watch it for the John-Varun bromance and Akshay Kumar’s outrageous cameo.    

RATINGS: ***