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Thursday, April 25, 2024
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BOLLYWOOD PLAYERS
EDITOR'S PICK
Rating: **1/2
They say birds of the same feather flock together: Charlie Mascarenhas (Abhishek
Bachchan) and Riya (Bipasha Basu) are partners in conning and daredevil robbery.
As a last gift, Charlie`s friend Raj (Aftab Shivdasani) reveals through a CD the
possibility of a heist. Ten thousand crore rupees worth of gold would be
transported from Russia to Romania.
Raj warns Charlie that this heist, an improbable feat, is not a one man job. He
would need a team to execute it and the only person who can help him put up the
team is ace thief Victor Braganza (Vinod Khanna).
Victor assembles the players - Riya, an expert machinist, Bilal Bashir (Sikander
Kher), an explosive expert who likes foreign cars, Ronny (Bobby Deol), a
magician, and Sunny Mehra (Omi Vaidya), a make-up artist. Naturally, the captain
of this team is Charlie Mascarenhas and their goal - The Gold.
In today`s age, with the complexity of the internet, the team lacked a hacker.
Victor`s daughter Naina (Sonam Kapoor) unsuspectingly offers help by suggesting
ace hacker, Spider (Nitin Neil Mukesh), to the team.
In the show of one-upmanship, what follows the heist is a game of con and deceit
at every moment of the film. For humour, there is MC (Johnny Lever) and his
family.
Sleekly made with fine action, crisp razor sharp edits, speeding cars and
exciting photography giving you glimpses of scenic Siberia, Amsterdam and New
Zealand, the film reminds you of a Bond film.
The leggy babes with leotard and boots, the guys with stubble and leather
jackets, the palatial villas, the elongated limousines, the long car chases, the
heist on the train - everything looks glossy and out of this world.
The racy background score by Sandeep Shirodkar and the soundtrack by Pritam
creates the adrenaline required for a thriller but unfortunately the
well-intended choreographed numbers breaks the momentum.
Ravi Yadav`s cinematography and Husain Burmawala`s editing are worth a mention.
Technically, Abbas Mastan have churned out a very fine movie.
Unfortunately, the film delivers without any emotions. It is evident that the
actors have not put their soul to the characters; they have just walked through
their roles. And it shows. The glycerine and the pancake take the applause.
Sikander Kher seems to have some promise. In certain scenes, Sonam reminds of
Simi Garewal. Vinod Khanna, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Abhishek`s performances lack
energy. Omi and Johnny Lever are stereotyped with their comic dialogue delivery.
Bipasha has nothing new to offer and Bobby Deol is wasted in the minuscule role.
Touted as the desi version of Hollywood film The Italian Job, the
script sticks to the basic plot but is unable to get into the recesses of its
characters.
Players is a synthetically made formula thriller. It does not touch
you emotionally. But a good watch nonetheless.
Veteran Bollywood actor Vinod Khanna, who was hospitalised earlier this month, died on Thursday morning after a prolonged illness, informed sources said. He was 70.Read More
Boys were boys on 'Players' setsBoys will be boys - and that's something Abhishek Bachchan, Sikander Kher and Neil Nitin Mukesh proved Read More
It`s time to steady yourselves for the biggest action extravaganza that Bollywood has to offer! The dynamic director duo Abbas-Mustan are back to enthrall the audiences one again with the lean and mean heist flick `Players`. The movie is the official remake of the 2003 Hollywood blockbuster, `The Italian Job` and promises to be just as much of a thrilling ride!
With a stellar cast of Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Bipasha Basu, Bobby Deol, Sikander Kher and Omi Vaidya, this remake promises to pack one heck of a punch. Players is scheduled to set the screen ablaze in January, 2012.
With high speed chase sequences and state-of-the-art special effects set against the backdrop of gorgeous locales in New Zealand and Goa, Players will redefine Bollywood action movies as we know them.
And hang on to your seats, because this ride has just begun.
