The film industry's fascination with gangster movies dates back to the 1970s. But, this year has witnessed an excess of gangster movies invading our cinema halls, while a few of them were inspired by real-life characters as well. Additionally, the year also marks a substantial rise in sequels, since the original movies have tremendous recall value.
Milan Luthria's ONCE UPON AY TIME IN MUMBAI DOBAARA! takes off from where ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI concluded -- the fight for power. But unlike most gangster films, ONCE UPON AY TIME IN MUMBAI DOBAARA! takes the precarious route of narrating a love story, with two criminals falling in love with the same woman, besides focusing on the game of one-upmanship between gangsters and the power struggle being played in the lanes and streets of Mumbai.
Milan Luthria has never been a great filmmaker. At least his earlier movies like "Kachche Dhaage" and "Dirty Picture" had some interesting conflicts between characters who are driven by a desire for revenge but are frustrated in their malevolence by their love for the very same people they want to hate.
ONCE UPON AY TIME IN MUMBAI DOBAARA! narrates the story of an underworld don, Shoaib (Akshay Kumar). His only confidantes are his best friend Javed (Sarfaraz Khan) and former lover Mumtaz (Sonali Bendre). He notices Aslam (Imran Khan) and takes him under his wings. Slowly, Aslam becomes one of his trusted confidantes.
Shoaib stumbles upon an aspiring actress Jasmine (Sonakshi Sinha). Slowly, but surely, his attraction towards Jasmine goes on to becoming an obsession. This creates a rift between Shoaib and Aslam and results in the ultimate face-off between the mentor and protégé.
Milan Luthria, who replicated the bygone era in his last two movies (ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI and THE DIRTY PICTURE) successfully, seems like a complete pro in recreating the long-gone decades with flourish. Right from the ambiance to the outfits to the dialogue the protagonists or the assorted characters deliver, everything mirrors the 1970s and 1980s with accuracy and aptitude.
Unluckily, the first hour doesn't cut ice, focusing on the compulsory light moments, songs and dramatic moments that seldom seize your attention. But, Milanand writer Rajat Aroraa make sure they reserve the best for the second hour, packing the movie with heavy-duty drama and conflict that makes it captivating and engaging. Also, Milan doesn't resort to action and bloodshed -- the key aspects that are inevitable for any gangster movie -- to carry the story forward. These elements, although part of the narrative, are used as garnishing wherever essential. In a way, Milanattempts a gangster film, but steers clear of factors that could eclipse the love story, drama and conflict in the story.
ONCE UPON AY TIME IN MUMBAI DOBAARA! suffers because the grip is absent from the very start itself (which was the highpoint of the prequel). Also, the villain (Mahesh Manjrekar) is just not reliable or commanding enough here. But the writer springs a surprise by making the don (Akshay) vicious and vindictive towards the latter half, which adds a lot of weight to the proceedings. The final moments, starting with the fiery confrontation involving Akshay and Sonakshi, when she mistakes his friendship for love, right till the closing stages of the movie, the graph of the movie only soars upwards.
Milan gets ample support from the DoP by Ayananka Bose as well as the art department (well done, yet again!) to impart his vision on screen. The styling is perfect, while the background score enlivens the ambiance at many junctures. The high point, of course, is the dialogue penned by Rajat Aroraa, which contributed enormously to the last two movies and makes a significant contribution this time too. The conversations are compelling, forceful and power-packed. Pritam's music is in sync with the mood of the movie. 'Yeh Tune Kya Kiya' and 'Tayyab Ali' are remarkable compositions.
Milan is an expert who extracts proficient performances from his actors and this is apparent in ONCE UPON AY TIME IN MUMBAI DOBAARA! as well. Akshay enacts the grey character with flourish. He adds a lot of novelty and uniqueness to his character, underplaying it magnificently and modulating his voice dexterously. After playing urban characters in his earlier movies, Imran plays a desi character (his second this year!) this time, catching you by complete surprise yet again. It won't be erroneous to state that he's the dark horse. Sonakshi seems to be improving with every movie. Besides exuding the right amount of innocence, she goes on to demonstrate that she can handle emotional outbursts really well, especially during the climax confrontation with Akshay.
Sonali Bendre Behl doesn't get much scope, but shines in the powerful sequence with Akshay. Sophie Choudhry sizzles in a cameo. Sarfaraz Khan does well. Mahesh Manjrekar is wasted. Abhimanyu Singh doesn't get much scope. Pitobash, Hussain Shaikh, Mushtaq Khan and Chetan Hansraj are good.
And really, what this film has done to the Mohd Rafi Qawwalli "Tayyab ali pyar ka dushman" would make Manmohan Desai wince if he was alive.
On the whole, it is praiseworthy to watch once.
