‘THUGS’ lacks muscle

Review While Bollywood star Aamir Khan is in top form as scheming rebel, it’s not enough to keep this big-budget spectacle afloat

There are a few ground rules to follow before you venture out to watch Thugs Of Hindostan. Scrub away your perception that this action adventure is a poor cousin to Hollywood’s hit fantasy epic Pirates Of The Caribbean. While you are at it, try erasing the notion that Aamir Khan as the wily Firangi is trying to ape Johnny Depp’s inventive Jack Sparrow act.

If you have these two misgivings firmly tucked away, then you are likely to sit through director Vijay Krishna Acharya’s painfully predictable action adventure Thugs Of Hindostan. The key here is to manage your expectations and peg it to an absolute minimum. This star vehicle isn’t powered by a fool-proof story, the spine of any good film.

Set in 1795 in the precolonial India, this revenge saga chronicles the battle waged by a band of rebels against the British traders who are out to plunder and loot the country.

Khan is in top form as the wicked Firangi who deceives and double crosses for a living. He’s the kind of guy who would sell his soul for a quick buck. His cartoonish swagger and devilish glint are spot on. He’s undoubtedly the shining star of this bigbudget spectacle.

Amitabh Bachchan as the weathered warrior with amazonian grit is passable, while Fatima Sana Shaikh as the avenging princess warrior does her bit to liven up things.

Actress Katrina Kaif has been reduced to a beauti-

Photos courtesy of Yash Raj Films The makers of the film nail a casting coup with Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan.

Khan and Katrina Kaif in ‘Thugs of Hindostan’.