Shootout At Lokhandwala is based on a real life shootout that took place in the suburbs of Mumbai city. It is a part fact, part fictionalized gangster film which is dark and violent and attempts to portray the ruthlessness of the underworld. Shootout At Lokhandwala though also portrays the dilemmas faced by the city cops and the same ruthlessness that also prevails amongst them to eliminate crime. The film is a typical bollywood gangster film with plenty of action, a balanced dose of glamour and high packed drama which enthralls the masses. A stellar cast with the likes of Sanjay Dutt, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek, Vivek Oberoi, Arbaaz Khan, Suniel Shetty, Dia Mirza etc also lend the film high packed performances and appreciation from the masses. The fact that the story is set around a real life shootout also adds to the excitement and curiosity for people. The screenplay and execution by director Apoorva Lakhia unfolds in a convincing manner and manages to entertain the audiences. Shootout At Lokhandwala is a good action packed, pacy and fierce film.
The film has been produced by Sanjay Gupta and Sanjay Dutt and has been directed by Apoorva Lakhia. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt as ACP Aftab Ahmad Khan, Suniel Shetty, Arbaaz Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi as Maya Dolas, Tusshar Kapoor, Rohit Roy, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Aditya Lakhia, Neha Dhupia, Amrita Singh, Dia Mirza, Aarti Chabria etc.
Maya Dolas (Vivek) and his cronies are gangsters to reckon with as they are fearless and ruthless in their profession. Maya rose to become one of the most dreaded gangsters in the 90’s and extortion and murders were synonymous with his name. Amongst the underworld too he took on the bigwigs and made a prominent place for himself. Maya’s powers kept rising and he became more bold and fearless. This is when a team of encounter specialist cops decided to take on the dreaded gangster Maya. The team of cops was headed by ACP Ahmad Khan (Sanjay) and his other police colleagues Suniel Shetty and Arbaaz Khan. The fearless encounters between the cops and gangsters continued, till one incident brought a gory and violent end to everything.
A real life shootout took place between the cops and the robbers in a residential locality for over six hours and the end results were destruction, death and devastation.
Although there are so many actors in the film, director Apoorva manages to bring forth and establish all the characters well. Apoorva’s technique of going from present to past and back to present to explain the rise of gangster Maya has been executed well. Several scenes are executed with complete deft and make a huge impact, like the face to face encounter between Sanjay Dutt and Vivek Oberoi. Also several violent and murder scenes are sensationalized to give a hard impact. Apoorva has used a lot of violence, blood and gore in the film but that is in keeping with the gangster theme involved. The script is kept simple but the screenplay is hard hitting and even the finale which includes the actual real life shootout is incredulous and gives maximum impact. The climax is worthy and enthralls audiences towards the end of the film. Apoorva also tries to give a brief background on the other cops and gangsters in the film. Apoorva Lakhia’s execution is forceful and effective too.
There are a few setbacks though; barring the real life shootout incident at the end there is nothing different from the writing point of view as compared to other bollywood gangster films. There are plenty of clichés that are seen in Shootout At Lokhandwala. The women in the film don’t get much scope and the song and dance routine too seems quite forced.
The music is strictly okay, the item songs are just about average. The dialogues though are candid and forthright. The film has a rustic, earthy worn out look parallel to the theme. Cinematography is average. The screenplay is bustling and pacy. Performances too are able and adept. Amitabh’s monologue makes an impact with his powerful voice, Sanjay Dutt’s robust stature and poise make him a good choice for the no nonsense cop, he delivers performance wise too and pulls off the role of a tough cop with aplomb. Suniel Shetty is able and Arbaaz Khan too is extremely capable. Vivek Oberoi once again manages to make an impact in a negative role, Tusshar Kapoor is average, Rohit Roy, Shabbir Ahluwali and Aditya Lakhia are fare. Abhishek Bachchan in a special appearance is average. Amongst the ladies, Amrita Singh manages to deliver a heartfelt performance, Dia Mirza is average, Neha Dhupia and Aarti Chabria don’t get much scope.
Overall it is a good film that engrosses and entertains the audiences for two hours. It is a bollywood potboiler for the masses. At the box-office its action packed theme, the real life incident, the glamorous star cast etc should make it have a good running.
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| Reviewed By: Rachel Fernandes |
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