Originally posted on www.passionforcinema.com on September 21, 2009
Let me get this out of the way. Wanted isn’t as good as Pokiri. Wanted could have been the best masala actioner of the last 2 decades if the love story was handled with a heart (The main reason Ghajini worked in its last half-hour); if there was some chemistry between Salman and Ayesha, if songs were cut on the editing table itself and alas if the punchlines could have been worked on more seriously.
The above mentioned things were minor quibbles in my first WANTED experience, but they amplified to major irks when I watched it the 2nd time. But despite of these downers Wanted delivers on the Babagiri that it promised. It delivers, as PS puts it, ‘le aaya mera sher, yeh maarega mukka’ adrenaline rushes along with some rip roaring laughs. It may well be the first in the toungue-in-cheek masala genre. The other films that come to mind, which could have fit in this genre are Om Shanti Om and Tashan. OSO was more of a spoof, while Tashan tried its level best to bring back the kitsch with style. But as I had dozed off for the major part of Tashan(not bcoz of boredom, just the late hour I guess), I will not dwell more on its aspirations. What Tashan tried hard to do, Wanted does it effortlessly. It has absolutely no hang-ups about its cliché laden ‘incite and payoff’ formula film making. It sheds all the inhibitions and with a sense of humor, unapologetically serves the masses.
The HERO, whom we desperately wanted back in bollywood arrives in some style. Salman Khan turns on his superstar aura like never before and kicks some serious butt. But Salman’s aura is both a boon and bane for Wanted. His aura obviously sends the masses into raptures, but a major ingredient of this aura is his tomfoolery, his monkey antics. At least he himself thinks so. Because even as a cold-blooded hitman he doesn’t miss a chance to shows his antics in the songs and the scenes with Ayesha, which were so not required for the role of Radhe. If he would have taken the no-nonsense approach to this role like in Veergati and Karan Arjun, Radhe would have been more potent and it would have done loads of good to the movie also. Here is where Mahesh Babu scored. The suaveness that he exuded even in his taporigiri, added the extra coolth to Pandu. Mahesh Babu was so friggin smooth as Pandu that he made Salman’s Radhe look like a wannabe.
But I guess the comparison would be unfair on Salman, because here in Bollywood he has a niche created for himself, where even if he walks in slow motion with his sleeves rolled up for the whole movie, public would cheer him throughout (I just wished Salman could run the way he walks). I don’t think Mahesh Babu has that sorta thing in Telegu cinema. This is what Salman is and this is what is shamelessly exploited in Wanted. Everyone knew Salman has to go shirtless at some point in the movie, and the film builds it up with panache, and finally when Salman rips off his shirt in the climax battle, the theatre reverberated with serious seetis and cheering never heard before during the movie.
The last half hour belonged to THE man named Prakash Raj. He is the best thing that happened to Wanted after Salman. And in the finale, it is Prakash Raj who makes Salman look deadlier. He sends the audience rolling on the floor with his sleep deprived Gani bhai act. When he meets Radhe he says “Tu toh romantic hero lagta hai”. To this Salman quips “Aur tu B-grade pickchur ka villain!” This is the cheeky humor I was referring to. Be it the Gani bhai’s retort to the police commissioner when he asks “Tune apni maa ke saath bhi sauda kiya tha kya, pet se bahar aane ke liye?”, the beating that Mahesh Manjerakar receives in the brothel area or the genius ‘gani bhai goes deaf’ moment in the finale, the movie carries the humor throughout.
During my first watch, I just remember myself laughing my ass of at every friggin thing in the movie. It takes ridiculousness to new levels with the gun-playing act, the Vicco-Vajradanti moment and the train fight sequence. And I was laughing at these too, the first time. Maybe it was just the mood I was in. But the 2nd time I was just waiting for Salman slo mo walks and the ingenious moment when the deaf Gani Bhai sees Salman spin-kick his men in slo mo with only the deafening humm in the background. Sooper!!!
Let me get this out of the way. Wanted isn’t as good as Pokiri. Wanted could have been the best masala actioner of the last 2 decades if the love story was handled with a heart (The main reason Ghajini worked in its last half-hour); if there was some chemistry between Salman and Ayesha, if songs were cut on the editing table itself and alas if the punchlines could have been worked on more seriously.
The above mentioned things were minor quibbles in my first WANTED experience, but they amplified to major irks when I watched it the 2nd time. But despite of these downers Wanted delivers on the Babagiri that it promised. It delivers, as PS puts it, ‘le aaya mera sher, yeh maarega mukka’ adrenaline rushes along with some rip roaring laughs. It may well be the first in the toungue-in-cheek masala genre. The other films that come to mind, which could have fit in this genre are Om Shanti Om and Tashan. OSO was more of a spoof, while Tashan tried its level best to bring back the kitsch with style. But as I had dozed off for the major part of Tashan(not bcoz of boredom, just the late hour I guess), I will not dwell more on its aspirations. What Tashan tried hard to do, Wanted does it effortlessly. It has absolutely no hang-ups about its cliché laden ‘incite and payoff’ formula film making. It sheds all the inhibitions and with a sense of humor, unapologetically serves the masses.
The HERO, whom we desperately wanted back in bollywood arrives in some style. Salman Khan turns on his superstar aura like never before and kicks some serious butt. But Salman’s aura is both a boon and bane for Wanted. His aura obviously sends the masses into raptures, but a major ingredient of this aura is his tomfoolery, his monkey antics. At least he himself thinks so. Because even as a cold-blooded hitman he doesn’t miss a chance to shows his antics in the songs and the scenes with Ayesha, which were so not required for the role of Radhe. If he would have taken the no-nonsense approach to this role like in Veergati and Karan Arjun, Radhe would have been more potent and it would have done loads of good to the movie also. Here is where Mahesh Babu scored. The suaveness that he exuded even in his taporigiri, added the extra coolth to Pandu. Mahesh Babu was so friggin smooth as Pandu that he made Salman’s Radhe look like a wannabe.
But I guess the comparison would be unfair on Salman, because here in Bollywood he has a niche created for himself, where even if he walks in slow motion with his sleeves rolled up for the whole movie, public would cheer him throughout (I just wished Salman could run the way he walks). I don’t think Mahesh Babu has that sorta thing in Telegu cinema. This is what Salman is and this is what is shamelessly exploited in Wanted. Everyone knew Salman has to go shirtless at some point in the movie, and the film builds it up with panache, and finally when Salman rips off his shirt in the climax battle, the theatre reverberated with serious seetis and cheering never heard before during the movie.
The last half hour belonged to THE man named Prakash Raj. He is the best thing that happened to Wanted after Salman. And in the finale, it is Prakash Raj who makes Salman look deadlier. He sends the audience rolling on the floor with his sleep deprived Gani bhai act. When he meets Radhe he says “Tu toh romantic hero lagta hai”. To this Salman quips “Aur tu B-grade pickchur ka villain!” This is the cheeky humor I was referring to. Be it the Gani bhai’s retort to the police commissioner when he asks “Tune apni maa ke saath bhi sauda kiya tha kya, pet se bahar aane ke liye?”, the beating that Mahesh Manjerakar receives in the brothel area or the genius ‘gani bhai goes deaf’ moment in the finale, the movie carries the humor throughout.
During my first watch, I just remember myself laughing my ass of at every friggin thing in the movie. It takes ridiculousness to new levels with the gun-playing act, the Vicco-Vajradanti moment and the train fight sequence. And I was laughing at these too, the first time. Maybe it was just the mood I was in. But the 2nd time I was just waiting for Salman slo mo walks and the ingenious moment when the deaf Gani Bhai sees Salman spin-kick his men in slo mo with only the deafening humm in the background. Sooper!!!
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