D-Day Movie Review: Is Much Better Than Bollywood Expect From Nikhil Advani?

Director Nikhil Advani’s one-line narrative – ‘To bring back world’s most wanted man to India’ – is given life on the big screen in the most convincing way possible by his stars, Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and Arjun Rampal. No such luck, though we can happily report that Rampal is aging beautifully. Admittedly he spends most of D-Day gritting his jaw and looking like he can’t figure out what’s going on, but then so does the audience.

From its trailer, D-Day appears to be the desi lovechild born out of a threesome made up of Zero Dark Thirty, Munich and James Bond. There is however a different film whose title it could have borrowed: Clueless. The film begins as a thriller, wanders into heartbreak, gets stuck on revenge, takes a sharp wrong turn with an outlandish twist and ends in no man’s land. This is a shame because D-Day begins promisingly and it’s realising a long-cherished Indian dream: to catch Dawood Ibrahim.

As Rajpal Yadav gyrates energetically to “Dama dam mast kalandar” at a wedding in Pakistan, D-Day opens with two men subtly setting a plan in motion. We don’t know what’s going on or why they’re doing what they are, but Advani has the audience’s attention. Swiftly it becomes clear that the target of the stratagem is a don who is believed to be responsible for all the recent terror attacks in India, including 26/11.

Iqbal (Rishi Kapoor) is a terror-monger modelled on Dawood Ibrahim. When we meet him, he’s sitting pretty in Pakistan and getting ready for his son’s wedding to a cricketer’s daughter. When a bomb blast tears through Hyderabad, the patriotic head of India’s Research & Analysis Wing decides he’s going to take a leaf out of the American military playbook and send a covert team to apprehend Iqbal. The project is titled Operation Goldman. The team is made up of two R&AW plants in Pakistan — Wali (Irrfan), who has been pretending to be a barber in Karachi and massaging an ISI agent’s head for 9 years in hope of uncovering intelligence, and Aslam (Aakash Dahiya), an ex-murderer. These two are joined by Zoya (Huma Qureishi), an explosives expert, and Rudra (Arjun Rampal), a rogue Indian soldier who can match camels’ strides and kill people in the messiest possible manner.

In order to stay inconspicuously undercover, Rudra shacks up with a prostitute who has literally been scarred (Shruti Haasan, with a fake scar). While waiting for the big day, he smoulders, smooches and commits a couple of murders in broad daylight in order to establish he is an impressive soldier and a romantic. He brutally beats up an ISI agent in a bus (while Wali is following the bus in an open-air auto, pointing a gun at the grappling duo). Then, in order to win fulfill his lover’s wish, Rudra follows the man who had disfigured the prostitute’s face and (with a witness present) kills him in a way that leaves Rudra drenched in blood.

Did I mention all this is happening in Pakistan and Rudra is undercover?

He’s not the only one breaking the law in the name of patriotism. Zoya also has to prep for the operation by committing one sexual act — sadly, her partner is nowhere near as lovely as Rudra’s — and one murder. Wali and Aslam are the only ones who don’t indulge in random acts of violence at this stage (although they more than make up for it in the latter half of the film).

By and large, the acting in the film is competent. Kapoor, weighed down by a patently fake moustache, hams occasionally but manages to mix bombast and menace to create his take on Dawood Ibrahim. The script doesn’t allow Irrfan’s character the luxury of being logical, so the actor attempts to give his role some emotional heft. The role of his Pakistani wife, Nafisa, is played by the lovely Shriswara. Qureshi is convincing, but barely utilised. It’s better than the scenes of mindless violence that are Hassan’s character’s lot.

However, even if D-Day is ultimately a boys’ bash and Zoya is sidelined, at least Qureshi’s role relies less on the usual clichés that make conventional Bollywood heroines boring. Advani attempts to be balanced in terms of politics and religious sentiments too. Unfortunately, while he gets A for effort, he also gets a F for credibility.

Still, if you don’t look for realism in its ludicrous version of how politics, governments and covert teams work, the first half of D-Day is actually quite fun. Everything seems to be coming together: performance, strategy, stunts, music, cinematography. The script tries to mesh facts with its fiction by referring to actual terror plots and it’s effective in parts. As pulpy drama goes, D-Day is true to genre until interval and without nauseating jingoism.

Then comes the second half, also known as the altar at which logic, causality and common sense are sacrificed. People yell, tyres screech, bullets are fired and a twist is thrown into the mix. (After all, the Indian agents have to do something to entertain themselves while completing Operation Goldman. So, among other things, they stand in the middle of a deserted highway and yell at each other like squabbling, hormonal teenagers in an American road movie.)

The Indian government washes its hands off the patriots in R&AW, disowns the undercover agents, leaving them to die or be captured. Almost no one in Pakistan recognises the Indians even though their mug shots have been published and circulated widely by the Pakistani military and police. Buying stuff like guns and RDX is no big deal either. It is quite staggering how much violence D-Day believes can be explained away with, “It’s happening in Pakistan.”

The real surprises, however, come right at the end. First, the conclusion presents a very alarming vision of “new India” (Rudra’s words, not mine), in which self-respect is a warm gun. Second, thanks to D-Day, there’s finally something against which the ISI and R&AW can, for once, present a united front: Bollywood’s inane depiction of intelligence agencies and their operations. Finally, with the last shot of the film, you realise that if this was how the story had to end, the film could have ended after the first 10 minutes. That means you have to sit through about 143 minutes of D-Day for no good reason. Sometimes, good things don’t come to those who wait.

Rating: 4 Out Of 5

Watch: D-Day - Official Trailer

Dhanush Is My Best Business Friend; Says Shruti Haasan!

This is what Shruti Haasan had to say when asked about her alleged affair with Raanjhanaa star Dhanush

“I know there are 10,000 rumors. For me, it’s a rare connect with someone. Dhanush is an important friend because when nobody thought I could play the part in 3, he stood by me and said I could do it.

For anyone in any job, it’s important that people have faith in you. I owe him so much. Also we get along well. We have so much to talk about. He is also a comprehensive artiste. But I’m not going around justifying to people. I’m not going to tell people to put a microchip in my bum and follow me, so that they can know the truth. He is my best friend in the business. He has always helped me artistically.”

- Shruti Haasan

Nikhil Advani Says; Its Right Time To Make D-Day - Interview!

As Indian cinema celebrates its century, director Nikhil Advani says this is the most exciting time for filmmakers as they are experimenting and getting creative freedom thanks to flexible audiences.

Earlier, filmmakers were apprehensive about trying out new themes because audiences were inflexible, but today's movie buffs are open to new subjects spelling a boom time for creative minds.

"I would not change from where I am for Rs 100 crore (movies). It's the most exciting time for the industry," said the 42-year-old who started as an assistant director in Sudhir Mishra's 'Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin' (1996). 

"I have been in the industry for 20 years and in the 20 years, everyday I used to think there will be a day when people will start understanding what we want to do, and the cinema will change. But we forgot that audiences have always accepted great and different films. The last two and a half years have only proved that."

"The kind of films that have been made only proves that every time you give something different to the audiences, they will accept it with open arms."

The box-office successes of women-centric thriller 'Kahaani', dark comedy 'Peepli Live' and sperm-donation-based comedy 'Vicky Donor' have proved that viewers are accepting change.

"I am very happy that the studios are today going to the directors who they wouldn't even look at in normal circumstances. It's the best time to make films."

"I want to thank the audiences and say that the more you accept it, the more we will give you different stuff, the more we will keep thinking differently and boldly," Advani added.

Advani's first full-fledged film as a director was Shah Rukh Khan-Priety Zinta-Saif Ali Khan-starrer hit 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' (2003). After that he went behind the camera for 'Salaam-e-Ishq', 'Chandni Chowk To China' and 'Patiala House', but they couldn't replicate the success of 'Kal Ho...

He however hit the bull's eye with his animation film 'Delhi Safari', which won a National Award.

The filmmaker also feels today's youth "is asking for a difference, whether it's difference in politics, leadership, music, fashion or cinema".

He admits that the demography of people looking for different films is lower than the masses sticking to certain subjects. "That's why you will always have a 'Rowdy Rathore' or 'Bodyguard' or 'Dabangg' still working (at the box office)."

"But the niche audience has grown over the past few years and that's very gratifying and helps filmmakers like us to make something different."

Over the years, the definition of romance has also changed.

"In 2003, when I made 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', the generation then believed that at the end of the day Shah Rukh will give up the love of his life for Saif... but today's generation is not like that, they will simply not accept it."

His next is 'D Day', a film on cross-border terrorism, in which a bunch of RAW agents is assigned to bring a terrorist back to India from Pakistan. The film, starring Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan, Arjun Rampal, Shurti Haasan and Huma Qureshi, is coming out July 19.

"I am making another romantic comedy next year. But it's the kind of romantic film that I think this generation would identify. So it's not going to be in the same space of 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', but it will be a romantic film," he added.

Courtesy: IBN

Rishi Kapoor :The Chocolate Boy Of Bollywood Still!

As a lover boy Rishi Kapoor won millions of hearts, singing and dancing, wearing his characteristic sweaters and romancing the prettiest heroines in filmdom. It seemed impossible for the actor to do away with the tag of ‘eternal romantic hero’. And then came a huge turnaround….

For 30 years Rishi Kapoor played romantic leads in all his films. He sang, he danced, he ran around trees, he romanced some of the most desirable heroines in Hindi cinema. And the younger generation of heroes took over and romance changed. But with his second innings in Bollywood, the chocolate boy of the ’80s has been successful in showcasing his multi-faceted talent. It is easy to charm the audience when you play an affable character, but Rishi Kapoor managed to do it by playing an arch-baddie in Agneepath. And that’s not all! The versatile actor has gone one step further for his new film D-Day, in which he plays infamous underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. For the crime thriller, Kapoor pulled off an action sequence brilliantly, without any training or rehearsals, we hear, impressing Hollywood action directors Tom Struthers and John Street who were there to orchestrate the performance!

There is no doubt that in recent years the veteran actor has reinvented himself and moved far away from his lover boy image to playing strong characters that are out of the ordinary mould. Here are some of Rishi Kapoor’s newer roles that have redefined him as a versatile actor, not just a star….

Kamal Hassan Helps Shruti In Her Career

Kamal Hassan has done wide-variety of roles in his distinguished career. His roles are backed by the realistic looks, which have played major role in his success. Now, the Universal Star, like a doting father, has helped his daughter Shruti Hassan, who is trying hard to make it big in Bollywood, in developing her look for her forthcoming Hindi film. 

The veteran actor, who has experimented with his looks in films like Indian and Hey Ram, gave his inputs on his daughter Shruti's look for the Hindi film D-Day in which she sports a distinct scar. In the film directed by Nikhil Advani, Shruti plays Suraiya, a prostitute. As part of the character's look, the actress required to have a scar on her face, and her father is said to have helped her get it right. According to reports, the story of the scar dates back to Suraiya's past, when she entered the world of sex trade at 16. She was given this scar when her face was cut open by a pimp

She claims, "Even at this time, he does so much hard work and has so much dedication. He has the same enthusiasm that a newcomer has for his work and that has been very inspiring for me."

Kamal Hassan gave his inputs on the look of the scar. The father-daughter duo was very involved in developing her look, which included deciding the right colour of the scar, its depth, how it would look as it ages.

The scar, as seen in the recently launched trailer of the movie, looks as good as real. D-Day also features actors like Rishi Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Irrfan, Aakash Dahiya, Huma Qureshi, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Sree Swara Dubey.