By Kanika Tandon
Film: Special 26
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill, Manoj Bajpai and Divya Dutta
Rating: 5 stars
This is one thriller which has been served sizzling hot to the audience. Director Neeraj Pandey, of A Wednesday-fame, delivers another mind-blowing treat which will make you sit at the edge of your seat till the very end.
Giving away too much of the plot would be an injustice to the movie, so we’ll offer a quick bite summary to you. A group of conmen (lead by Akshay Kumar and Anupam Kher) carry out a number of fake raids creating nuisance for the government officials.
So, one distinguished CBI officer (Manoj Pandey) is given the charge to bust the gang’s plans and arrest them. What ensues is a game of cat and mouse, where each side seems to be in control of the game, until we reach the moment of revelation and realise that nothing is actually what it seems to be.
Neeraj Pandey’s superb direction and attention to detail has made the film even more enjoyable. Full marks to him for dressing up the characters as well as the city in the 80s look—very impressive. The dialogues are outstanding and the audience will definitely pick their favourites to use in everyday scenarios. Moments of humour are sprinkled throughout the movie, making it entertaining and pleasurable even as the mind constantly keeps asking ‘What will happen next?’
Akshay Kumar is fabulous in his role as Ajay Wardhan. In fact, in one of his interviews, he had said that the film Special Chabbis had given him a chance to “re-invent” himself as an actor, and he couldn’t have been more accurate. It’s a new avatar for him and the audience will love him for it.
Jimmy Shergill shines in his short but significant role. Anupam Kher continues to be the seasoned actor that he is, and needs no critics to evaluate his performance. Kajal Agarwal is just an accessory in the whole plot and passable as the love interest of Akshay’s character.
Overall this movie is a pure, unadulterated thrill-ride which will make your heart smile and your mind marvel the genius of the people behind it. Must watch film of the year, don’t miss it for anything!
PS: The film has earned about Rs 27 crore in its first week, after its opening on Friday.
