Does it matter what we think about this film? It will make pot loads of money anyway. It will send the masses a-cheering and a-whistling. It will annoy the classes and numb many a brain. The same old story of the heroic cop defeating the vulgar villain will play out on screen. The same old story of the mainstream audience loving it and the wise man rejecting it will play out as the credits roll. This is to say the mainstream audience isn't wise, right?
Where do you fit in? That should definitely help you make the decision of choosing to buy a ticket for this film. Where do I fit in? I fit in with the audience who whistles and cheers when the hero kills the villain. Rowdy Rathore is a remake of Vikramarkudu. The remake brigade consists of Ghajini (2008), Wanted (2009), Dabangg (2010), Singham (2011) and Agneepath (2012). I enjoyed all these films which bring back "a bit of the old ultra-violence" onto the Hindi cinema screens. Only Bodyguard (2011) made me angry to the point where I could not stand the film. (You see even I have standards, said he while he chuckled). What's common between all of them is they make you angry. They make you want the hero to destroy the villain. Rowdy Rathore cashes in on this and, in fact, has the protagonist verbalizing his anger and turning it into a catch phrase. Is Rowdy Rathore in the league of extraordinary cinema commerciale or did it angry me? (Angry at the film, not the villain). It will join the 100 crore club, that's for sure. I didn't hate it as much as Bodyguard. But I wouldn't say this is the best form of entertainment. It hits all the right notes but doesn't create great music.
Prabhudeva who directed the Salman Khan vehicle - Wanted, has taken up the job of giving Akshay Kumar a chance to jump on the band wagon. Why this film will work is because Prabhudeva is aware this is not a Salman Khan film. He incorporates the Akshay Kumar humor. Let's face it, Akshay Kumar did not become a star because of his action films, it was comedy that got him there. I do enjoy the idiotic humor of his films. It isn't of the highest quality but it does make me laugh (I plead guilty). He's kind of like the Adam Sandler of Bollywood. Without Akshay Kumar playing the bumbling idiot who indulges in ludicrous comedy, Rowdy Rathore film would fall flat on its face even when all the masalas were in place. The first half of the film and the final half hour where the action is mixed with comedy worked for me. The flashback portions weren't particularly interesting and sucked out the energy. The villain is also a bit of a letdown even though he did make me angry. I'm sure it would still fall flat for many but then you didn't like Housefull 2, did you? Must have standards.
Oh wait, I must talk about the film too. Rowdy Rathore is about a con man, Shiva, who falls in love with a girl, Paro. He can rewind and replay the meet-cute or any other significant moment in his love life for us. Paro unknowingly and oh-so innocently ends up causing a man to suffer a heart attack by bursting a Mango Frooti tetrapack. The con man while successfully stealing mobile phones also revives this man with his Chinta Tata Chita Chita hand dance. This is all you need to know whether this film is your cup of tea or not. Just go and watch it if you enjoy the masala. Or even crass humor. If you don't, don't buy that ticket. Make a wise decision.
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