Director Neeraj Pandey’s thriller, Aiyaary which releases today is set against the backdrop of the Indian armed forces. The film is about a young officer who turns rogue after he finds out about a scam in which the Indian military is involved.
Jai Bakshi (Siddharth Malhotra) is an honest army officer until he finds out about the murk that goes on in the Indian military, he turns against the system and absconds to London, along with his girlfriend Sonia (Rakul Preet Singh) who is an expert at hacking. He takes with him some hard discs that have valuable information. Jai’s mentor Colonel Abhay Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) leads covert operations with a select team of officers and is on a mission to track Jai down.
Like most of Neeraj Pandey’s movies, Aiyaary too is a thriller but a tad bit confusing one. It is difficult to understand whether Jai is trying to save the country or join hands with the culprits! Siddharth as Jai the absconding soldier looks dapper. He also looks convincing as the calm and clever officer who follows his mentor’s style of operating and is always one step ahead of his mentor!
Manoj Bajpayee was in total command as the officer on the chase. He has some witty dialogues which he mouths with ease but at times one feels that he has gone a bit overboard. Also, the makers could have done away with the grey streak on his hair which was probably given to make him look older and wiser but looks very artificial.
It was surprising that in a Neeraj Pandey film, which is known for his strong characters, most of the other actors in Aiyaary are insignificant, South actress Rakul Preet as Jai’s girlfriend is introduced as a woman who is smart and knows her way around with computers but as the film progresses she just ends up being the hero’s love interest. Her performance is weak and she especially needs a lot of practice when it comes to scenes where she has to emote, especially cry!
Former Miss India, Pooja Chopra as an army officer looks smart but has very little to do in the film. The very talented Naseeruddin Shah looks almost like the character he played in Neeraj’s previous film, A Wednesday. His character which is introduced towards the climax of the film seems like a forced twist to the film. Similarly, Anupam Kher as Tariq Ali had no purpose, even if it was a cameo, it was as if the director made sure he was in the film just because he is one of his favorite actors!
The film only manages to keep you engaged in the chase scenes. The director seems to have wanted to add too many things into one film leaving the audience feeling confused. Some of the dialogues are lengthy and the scenes lose pace. The film could have been edited better and made to look crisper in sync with the plot.
The director also ends the film in such a way that one comes out of the theater wondering if he is hinting at making Aiyaary part two! If at all that happens, I hope he does a better ‘tayaari’ for the second Aiyaary!
Watch the film if you too love the very handsome Siddharth Malhotra!
Read Also: All You Need To Know About Aiyaary’s Songs
