Film: Commando 3

Director: Aditya Datt

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Cast: Vidyut Jammwal, Adah Sharma, Gulshan Devaiah

Vidyut Jammwal represents the epitome of action-heroes. As action keeps getting better with every installment of the Commando franchise, Commando 3 is no exception. Seething with actions of all genres, makers do justice to all kinds – from wrestling to knives play and what not.

Commando 3 is a complete action film that conforms to the narrative arch of the nationalistic cinema that is a trend these days. The Hindu nation, cow lynching and religious conversion are some issues dealt with bravely and add a new arch to the debate around modern terrorism. After John Abraham set an impressive example with Batla House, a chink in the armour of Nationalist Cinema, Vidyut Jammwal’s Commando 3 re-established the godly suave and unquestionable swagger of a ‘bharatwadi’ as he calls himself in the film.

This genre is also safe in the sense that the actor is not required to perform as such on the dramatic scale of acting per se, put perform action sequences that speak for themselves. A poker face Vidyut aces all of those sequences. It’s his strength. While acting may not be his strength, makers shrewdly invested in an anti-hero of the A-game- Gulshan Devaiah.

A nuanced actor who plays the arch enemy, terrorist in the film and plans to write ALLAH on the face of the Indian map to establish Muslim Caliphate in India through terror bombings. Gulshan brings in an element of complexity and gravity to an otherwise simple tale of a white hero who will do anything for the nation. His utter believability in the path chosen for himself, fanaticism around Islam and justifications imposed upon himself and his followers is commendable. The actor shines on-screen and steals the show on various moments.

While Adah Sharma has a small role, she lends the only comic angle to the film and plays her part well.

The pace of the generic film is great and one almost expected the film to get over towards the end of the first half, which it ideally should have but the obsession of a post-interval film and the respect for a ‘paisa-vasool’ audience keeps the makers going onto the second-half which is not as impressive as the former; though the action and one-liners by Vidyut compensate to a certain extent.

Dialogues border between being funny and hyperbole, and the balance between the two is well-handled in most places, though the need to explain everything and tell is tiring. Every scene is explained by why and how. For instance, the opening sequence of the film is only established to show the impressive entry of Vidyut. Each scene is designed for him, by him and through him. Almost, like the makers wrote the screenplay to display the various talents of their male lead. The trajectory in that regard is utterly predictable and leads to boredom.

As the film approaches its much-awaited climax, a tinge of social-realism is sprinkled in a way to make the end look more viable. One appreciates the context and importance of it, and that the message given out is the need-of-the-hour but how that one bit changes the entire tone and mood of the film is incredulous.

I am left wondering what such kind of entertainment does; it gives enough meat to the ‘paisa-vasool’ audience but also educates them, by taking the burden upon itself to encourage a nationalistic solidarity of a kind that crosses all caste, class barriers and makes a new one – the outsider and the Indian.

Rating : 2