critic's rating: 2.5/5

Vir (John Abraham) is Batman on steroids. Unlike the caped superhero, who is Gotham’s guardian angel, he isn’t concerned with the whole of Mumbai but wants to weed out it’s corrupt policemen. And he exercises a scorched earth policy while on his mission -- soaking them with kerosene or any other fuel or even alcohol and setting fire to them. DCP Shivansh (Manoj Bajpayee) is the ace cop charged with stopping him and there ensues a cat-and-mouse game where the good cop remains just a step behind the killer. There is a plot twist which is given away way too early. Another twist, which was predictable a mile off, comes towards the end.

The film belongs to it’s-so-bad-it’s good category. You thought you have outlived the ’80s cinema but it comes to haunt you with a vengeance through Satyameva Jayate. It looks like director Milap Zaveri has put all he liked from the era in a concrete mixture and spread the outcome with a shovel on celluloid. So you get scenes like planted evidence found in an honest policeman’s house and him committing suicide in front of his young children because he can’t tolerate losing face. Their own emotional well-being is of no consequence of course. A woman whose son is being beaten up inside a police station offers Namaz outside it because you know, God will intervene (He does). John Abraham joins a Muharram procession and flays away his skin because it’s the cool thing to do when you are out to assassinate a bad cop.

It’s full of unintentionally funny moments as well. John Abraham wants to be pally with the heroine Shikha (Aisha Sharma), so he takes a sick puppy to her as she’s a vet. She advises putting the puppy to sleep as she thinks it won’t survive for long. Manoj Bajpayee bugs a place to catch the vigilante but neglects to put cameras. There is a scene where John and Aisha are sleeing together and yet we see him outside the room as well. What was that -- astral projection, out of body experience? As in the very next scene it’s morning and the two loved ones are cuddled up once more. The film also has the cheesiest of dialogue heard this side of Gunda. And in the end, John refuses to die, mouthing reams and reams of lines while Manoj Bajpayee channels his inner Dilip Kumar and enacts his own versions of the climax of Shakti and Waheeda Rehman’s death scene from Mashaal.

Where the film scores are the action scenes which are brutal to the extreme. A pumped up John Abraham pummels the bad guys as though he was Hulk. Kicks and punches fly aplenty, bones get broken on regular intervals and all you need is a dhai kilo ka haath dialogue really to convince yourself you’re watching a Sunny Deol film. Only Sunny’s films had an emotional core but this has none. There is supposed to be one -- it was all written down and enacted but somehow fails to touch your heart.

John Abraham looks good in his shirtless avatar, killing all and sundry without remorse. He is a one man killing machine and there would always be fans of that kind of high octane action. Manoj Bajpayee has got his game face on throughout the film and rises to the occasion even in the midst of all kinds of madness. Both Amruta and Aisha don’t have much to do really, other than looking pretty.

This masala potboiler is strictly for John Abraham and hardcore action fans. The film’s title made it sound patriotic but the patriotism gets overshadowed by high melodrama and mindless action...

Trailer : Satyameva Jayate

Rachit Gupta, August 14, 2018, 9:30 PM IST

critic's rating: 2.5/5

Satyameva Jayate Story: Veer (John Abraham) takes on the mission of killing corrupt cops in the Mumbai police force. Haunted by ghastly incidents from his past, he turns into a vigilante and Veer has his own mysterious plan of action. Meanwhile, honest and intelligent inspector Shivansh (Manoj Bajpayee) is given the arduous task of tracking down the cop killer.

Satyameva Jayate Review: Movies with themes of anti-corruption and misuse of power are relevant to our times, now more than ever before. ‘Satyameva Jayate’ (SMJ) is an action thriller that works on the simple premise of an angry man, fighting corruption with raging passion and violence. While the setup is pertinent, the execution is far from ideal. This masala entertainer has a huge hangover of the staple cinema that used to draw crowds during ’70s and ’80s. But the thundering background score (the Sanskrit chanting used to heighten the drama in several scenes), unrelenting drama and over-the-top action, make this movie feel a little too jaded.
The film starts off with Veer (John Abraham) burning a cop alive. It sets the tone for the rest of the film, which over a course of 2 hours and 20 minutes, does not deviate from the set path. Veer miraculously shows up every time a cop is committing a crime in various suburbs of the city. There is a twist in the story at mid-point, but even after the arrival of this unforeseen development, the screenplay stays focussed on the crusade against corrupt cops and setting them to flames. The narrative never changes gears from the cliched good versus evil scenario, while also doling out lessons on patriotism. The heavy-duty dialogues are written to play to the gallery, but more often than not they’re over employed and end up losing their intended impact. The rivalry between Manoj Bajpayee and John Abraham’s characters had a lot of scope, but the writing fails to explore it in a credible manner.

The performances are a lot better than director Milap Zaveri’s vision. John Abraham leads the charge in ‘SMJ’. While he’s tearing up tyres and beating the bad guys to a pulp, he infuses the angry young man role with passion and energy. Manoj Bajpayee as is in top form. His ace act as the fiercely determined and honest cop adds credibility to the film. Debutante, Aisha Sharma, has a confident screen presence, with a little more work on diction, she could do much better.

‘SMJ’ desperately tries very hard to sell the age-old idea of revenge and righteousness. But the big booming treatment is a little too hard to accept and digest. With John in the film, one can expect good action, but it’s gruesome and a little too bloody at times. Truth be told, the story is relevant in today’s times, but too many cliches in the story and the style of storytelling will make you want to cop out of this one.

Also See: Here's what John Abraham had to say when asked about 'Gold' V/S 'Satyameva Jayate'

Rachit Gupta, August 14, 2018, 11:54 PM IST

critic's rating: 2.5/5

आज के समय में भ्रष्टाचार और सत्ता के दुरुपयोग जैसी थीमों पर फिल्में सबसे ज्यादा प्रासंगिक हैं। ऐक्शन थ्रिलर 'सत्यमेव जयते' एक ऐसे आदमी की कहानी है जो काफी गुस्से और हिंसा के साथ भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ लड़ता है। फिल्म की कहानी ठीकठाक है लेकिन इसका प्रदर्शन सत्यता से कहीं दूर है। इस मसाला फिल्म में कई तत्व 70 और 80 के दशक की फिल्मों से लिए गए लगते हैं।

फिल्म में हाई बैकग्राउंड म्युजिक, जरूरत से ज्यादा ड्रामा और बेशुमार ऐक्शन इसे कहीं-कहीं थकाऊ बना देती है। फिल्म की शुरूआत में वीर (जॉन अब्राहम) एक पुलिस वाले को जिंदा जला देता है। यह बाकी की फिल्म के लिए एक जमीन तैयार करती है और अगले 2 घंटे से ज्यादा समय तक फिल्म एक ही ढर्रे पर चलती रहती है। वीर हर उस जगह पहुंच जाता है जहां कोई पुलिस वाला कोई अपराध कर रहा होता है। फिल्म के बीच में एक ट्विस्ट जरूर आता है लेकिन इसके बाद भी फिल्म का फोकस भ्रष्ट पुलिसवालों को आग के हवाले कर देने पर ही रहता है।
पूरी फिल्म अच्छाई और बुराई की लड़ाई और देशभक्ति के कुछ पाठ पढ़ाते हुए आगे बढ़ती है। फिल्म के लिए भारी-भरकम डायलॉग्स लिखे गए हैं लेकिन वे फिल्म पर ही भारी पड़ रहे हैं। मनोज बाजपेई और जॉन अब्राहम के किरदार की लड़ाई को कहीं बेहतर तरीके से दिखाया जा सकता था लेकिन स्क्रिप्ट इसमें फेल हो गई।

डायरेक्टर मिलाप जावेरी के नजरिए के मुकाबले कलाकारों का प्रदर्शन काफी बेहतर है। जॉन अब्राहम ने लीड के रूप में कमान संभाली है। टायर फाड़ते हुए और बुरे लोगों की पिटाई करते हुए उन्होंने एक ऐंग्री यंग मैन की भूमिका पूरी लगन और ऊर्जा के साथ निभाया है। मनोज बाजपेई अपने टॉप फॉर्म में हैं। एक दृढ़ और ईमानदार पुलिस वाले की उनकी ऐक्टिंग फिल्म को थोड़ा मजबूत बनाती है। न्यूकमर आयशा शर्मा कैमरे पर काफी कॉन्फिडेंट नजर आईं, हालांकि डायलॉग्स पर उन्हें थोड़ा और मेहनत करने की जरूरत है।

'सत्यमेव जयते' इंतकाम और अच्छाई के सालों पुराने आइडिया को बेचने की कोशिश कर रही है लेकिन इसका अतिनाटकीय प्रदर्शन के कारण इसे हजम करना मुश्किल होता है। जॉन अब्राहम के होने की वजह से आप इसमें अच्छे ऐक्शन की अपेक्षा कर सकते हैं लेकिन कभी-कभी यह काफी भयानक हो जाता है। सच यह है कि फिल्म की कहानी आज के समय में काफी प्रासंगिक है लेकिन फिल्म में इस कहानी को कहने का तरीका इसे कमजोर बनाता है।

Kunal Guha, August 15, 2018, 4:05 PM IST

critic's rating: 2.0/5

There’s a peculiar sociopath on the prowl. We see him setting cops ablaze, often forcing them to endure dialogue that can extinguish living brain cells (“Patil ho ya Qadri, sabki ek biradri”). His backstory about what triggered his lunacy reveals a personal vendetta that is realised in penalising the police for their misdemeanours. But if you’ve signed up for this one, you wouldn’t care for motives. Satyameva Jayate, after all, caters exclusively to those who relish blows and jabs and the sight of humans being roasted and toasted.

The film opens with DCP Shivansh (Manoj Bajpayee) being summoned from his holiday to nab down a certain cop killer who is eliminating his targets by burning them alive, after mercilessly bashing them up, of course. That the cops being eliminated happen to be corrupt or malicious, elevates this serial cop killer to a demi hero. No prize for guessing that the killer in question is Veer (John Abraham), an artist who also recreates his victims’ terrified faces on large canvases. An idealist, Veer believes that those who don’t deserve to wear khaki, need to be reduced to khaakh, or something to that effect. Then, there’s an opinionated vet, Shikha (Aisha Sharma) who insists that she can correct minor injuries for humans too. And thus she blows softly over the scratches on Veer’s neck, and predictably, it’s love-at-first-bite.
Will Shivansh manage to crack the pattern in these cryptic killings and get to the bottom of the affair? Will Veer’s terrifying paintings make it to album covers of metal bands? Will Shikha deploy her animal instinct to court her partner? Some questions are best left unanswered.

Abraham knows his audience and is well-aware of his calibre. He’s also cognizant of the fact that his mukkas are usually more effective than his attempt at method acting. So he packs in more than enough blows to have you reeling about as much as those receiving them onscreen. Bajpayee lends some intensity to the proceedings but only manages to slightly elevate the film. Aisha Sharma’s husky voice is distracting and makes you wonder if her character’s backstory of having swallowed something that didn’t get ingested would be detailed at some point. As an actress, she barely has much significance in the plot and her character is marginalised and easily dispensable.

Director Milap Zaveri, also credited for the dialogue of Kya Kool Hain Hum 3 and Hate Story 4, has a dated concept of an action thriller. That immortal soul who hopes to disinfect the system of corruption by eliminating the corrupt, was a formula that worked in the South a few decades ago. But in 2018, it seems like a jaded remake that insults the audiences’ intelligence. Braving scene after scene where the culprit gets away from under the investigator’s nose — leaving the crime scene littered with compelling evidence, can be frustrating.

Kamal Haasan’s 1996 film, Indian had taken a similar approach where a commoner decides to eliminate the corrupt. Now, how about a film on a serial killer who jabs rickshaw drivers for refusing to ply?

Read Also:
Gold movie review

Rachit Gupta, August 15, 2018, 5:37 PM IST

critic's rating: 2.5/5

भ्रष्टाचार , सत्तेचा सातत्याने होणारा गैरवापर अशा विषयांवर येणाऱ्या चित्रपटांचे प्रमाण सध्या वाढले आहे. या यादीत सत्यमेव जयतेची भर पडली आहे. सत्यमेव जयते ही अशी एका तरुणाची कहाणी आहे जो रागाने आणि त्वेषाने भ्रष्टाचाराविरुद्ध लढतो. चित्रपटाचे कथानक काही खास नाही. त्यात सिनेमाचे एकूण अंतरंग पाहिल्यावर चित्रपट वास्तवापासून कोसो दूर असल्याची जाणीव होते. चित्रपटातल्या अनेक गोष्टी सत्तर ऐंशीच्या दशकातील हिंदी चित्रपटांची आठवण करून देतात.

चित्रपटातले संगीत अंगावर येते, अतिरंजीतपणा, वाजवीपेक्षा जास्त हिंसा चित्रपटाला कंटाळवाणा बनवते. चित्रपटाच्या सुरुवातीला वीर (जॉन अब्राहम) एका पोलीस अधिकाऱ्याला जिवंत जाळतो.येथून चित्रपटाला दिशा मिळते आणि पुढील दोन तास चित्रपट एकसुरीपणे चालतोय. जिथे पोलीस अधिकारी गुन्हा करतो तिथे तिथे जाऊन वीर त्यांचा खात्मा करतो. चित्रपटात एक ट्विस्ट येतो पण शेवटपर्यंत भ्रष्ट अधिकाऱ्यांचा खात्मा हाच एककलमी अजेंडा चित्रपटात राबवला आहे.
चांगल्या आणि वाईटामधील संघर्ष चित्रपटात चितारला आहे. पटकथा आणि संवाद नीट न मांडल्यामुळे चित्रपट भरकटतो. नायक जॉन अब्राहम आणि खलनायक मनोज वाजपेयीमधील संघर्ष अधिक चांगल्या पद्धतीने दाखवता आला असता पण या आघाडीवर कथानक कोसळतं.

मिलाप जावेरींच्या दृष्टीकोनाच्या तुलनेत कलाकारांनी केलेला अभिनय खूपच चांगला आहे. नायकाच्या भूमिकेत असणाऱ्या जॉन अब्राहमने एका हिंसक, आक्रमक अँग्री यंग मॅनची भूमिका चोख बजावली आहे. मनोज वाजपेयीने एका सच्च्या पोलीस अधिकाऱ्याची भूमिका सुरेख वठवली आहे. नवोदित आयेशा शर्मा कॉन्फिडंट दिसते पण तिला अजून भरपूर सरावाची गरज आहे. चित्रपट चांगले आणि वाईटच्या युद्धात अडकतो. चित्रपटात देशभक्तीचे काही डोसही देण्यात आले आहेत. पण एकंदरच चित्रपटातले संवाद सुमार असून चित्रपट त्यामुळे ढासळतो.

अखेर सत्याचा विजय होतो या संकल्पनेवर हा चित्रपट आधारला आहे पण चित्रपटातील अतिरंजीततेमुळे शेवट पचत नाही. जॉन अब्राहममुळे चांगल्या अॅक्शनची अपेक्षा ठेवू शकतो पण ही अॅक्शनसुद्धा बिभत्स रूप घेते. चित्रपटाचा विषय वास्तवाला धरून आहे. आजच्या भ्रष्टाचारावर भाष्य करणारा आहे. पण चित्रपटाची मांडणी मात्र प्रचंड कमकुवत असल्यामुळे लेखकाचं म्हणणं लोकांपर्यंत पोचवण्यात चित्रपट कमी पडतो.