Jun 09, 2014 09:35 AM
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When hard-nosed multiplex audiences are clapping, cheering and hooting for the hero, and when the hero is someone like Akshay Kumar who has a more massy fan following, it is safe to assume that film mein dum hai! And sure enough, Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty is a one-of-its-kind Hindi film which is packed with all the ingredients of a so-called typical Hindi film – romance, music, humour, action, menacing villain, powerpacked entry of a hero et al. At the same time, it is laced with some intelligent and smart sequences and developments. The balance is thus brilliantly achieved by writer-director A R Murugadoss, making Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty one of the best films of 2014!
The story of the movie: Captain Virat Bakshi(Akshay Kumar) gets leave from duty and he returns to his residence in Mumbai. His parents want him to marry Sahiba(Sonakshi Sinha) but Virat has his doubts. But soon, his doubts vanish and he falls for her. As he is trying to woo Sahiba, he unexpectedly gets involved in a major terrorist attack being planned on Mumbai. How Virat attempts to tackle the menace, planned meticulously by a mastermind(Farhad) forms the crux of the story.
One might not instantly fall for the film. Akshay’s entry is whistle-worthy but doesn’t quite pack a punch. At the same time, the absurdities in the script might put viewers off! The train breaks down far away from Mumbai and yet no announcement is made on the railway station about the same, even when the scheduled arrival time of the train has passed by. Virat enters a spacious house wearing shoes(dirty ones, that too) and nobody raises eyebrows. 4 people, including Virat, cram on the backseat in a Mumbai taxi – that too when the family is going for seeking a bride for their munda! Later in the story, an intelligence official is seen giving interviews in Hindi on Times Now! Barring the last, the rest of the scenes are in the very beginning. But 15-20 minutes after the film commences, the story takes a sudden serious turn and from here on, Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty turns out to be a taut thriller. The manner in which Virat manages to thwart the terrorist’s plans is seen to be believed! The intermission point is a masterstroke!
The fun continues in the second half. The Akshay-Sonakshi romance(and the associated two songs) turns out to be speed breakers in the narrative. Yet, it is cute which makes it bearable. The climax is far-fetched and a bit convenient but again, it has some witty moments and hence there would be no complaints. Along with witty, the scenes in the film come as a whiff of fresh air. After all, post the release of Dabangg, we have been inundated with similar clones where the director and writers went to any heights to show the ultimate herogiri. In Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, the herogiri is there but it’s all done in a slightly more believable manner. And it’s all a part of the script. And kudos to A R Murugadoss for it!
Akshay Kumar delivers a brilliant performance that would surely be loved. The actor is often complained for being repetitive. With films like OMG Oh My God, Special 26 and now Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, he proves that he is equally effective in doing something hatke and at the same time, conforming to his trademark style. Here’s hoping the actor keeps on delivering such performances in such brilliant films!
Sonakshi Sinha is adorable but sadly, she doesn’t have much to do in the film. But at least her track is not forced as Kajal Aggarwal’s plot in Special 26. Sumeet Raghavan(Mukund) also puts his best forward. He is not the typical hero’s sidekick; in fact he plays a significant part and is very impressive! Farhad doesn’t get much to speak and his eyes do most of the talking. In that aspect, he comes out with flying colours. But he needs to work a bit on his dialogue delivery. Zakir Hussain doesn’t get much scope. Govinda has a special appearance and would be loved for sure! Nishank Amar(terrorist in the bus) delivers a superb performance. Cherry Mardia and Apoorva Arora are fine as Virat’s sisters. Others too play their part well. And finally, Rocky the dog deserves a pat in the back!
Pritam’s music is very ordinary. None of the songs, except Shaayrana, impress. In fact, barring Ashq Na Ho, each and every track in the film is forced needlessly. Parag Sashte’s background score enhances the impact, especially in Farhad’s scenes. N Nataraja Subramaniam’s cinematography is exceptional. Greg Powell and Anl Arasu’s action makes for a great watch. Finally, A R Murugadoss rocks as writer-director. Story is brilliant, dialogues are straight out of life and screenplay is damn effective. And the direction is simple yet impactful. The best part of the film is that it doesn’t cheat audiences and doles out unpredictable stuff. Yes, few scenes border on illogic but there would be hardly any complaints. Hats off to Murugadoss and eagerly waiting for his next film!
Some of the best scenes of the film:
Virat in the bus
Virat interrogates the terrorist in the bus
Virat with Mukund in the sports club
Virat plays a ‘serious game’ with his batchmates(outstanding!)
The mastermind meets the groom’s family
Virat rescues the kidnapped girls
The last 20 minutes
On the whole, Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty is undoubtedly one of the finest films of Akshay Kumar and of Bollywood in recent times! The beginning portions are shaky, the romance and songs are forced and few scenes appear far-fetched and convenient. But at the same time, writer-director A R Murugadoss also throws in some intelligent and unpredictable stuff in the film that makes the film an exciting and thrilling experience! Akshay Kumar truly shines as an actor. Don’t miss this film for anything and I genuinely hope that it sustains well in the days to come and turns out to be a commercial blockbuster!
My rating - 4.5/5!
