SULTAN Box Office / Reviews - Page 44

Stardom is a strange thing.

A 50-year-old superstar gets to play a wrestler who ages from 30 to 38 during the course of a film, and gets trained in his quest to become a world champion by a younger, fitter actor. In an ideal world, the roles would be reversed.

But Salman Khan, of course, is the main attraction in yet another Eid offering, and Randeep Hooda can only but play second fiddle.

Sultan has clearly been devised keeping Khan's persona in mind - a younger actor would have perhaps made the titular character seem more credible, but the film would have then lacked the bite the middle-aged actor brings to the role. Sultan, like all other Khan films, is focused on capitalising the actor's stardom and fan following, both of which ensure blockbuster status for his films even before the verdict is out.

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But here's the good news: 'Sultan' deserves the blockbuster tag as much as it demands it. Last year's 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' surprised audiences - it set itself apart from other Khan films by keeping the focus on story and characters intact. Sultan goes a step ahead, continuing the upswing in the quality of Khan's filmography, which will hopefully have fewer Prem Ratan Dhan Payos in future.

The film's writer and director Ali Abbas Zafar ensures the drama rests on a watertight plot - sans lazy shortcuts or rushed storytelling - and keeps the film's emotional core solid throughout. You end up with a 170-minute film - a potentially exhausting runtime. But Zafar uses the length to his advantage, squeezing out every element allowed within the framework of his film. In that sense, it's like watching Rocky I, II and III in one film, yet at no point does it seem like an overkill.

Now this is surprising, because Zafar's earlier two films, 'Mere Brother Ki Dulhan' and 'Gunday', were atrocious. In Sultan, Zafar displays a rare understanding of what makes a Bollywood potboiler work, combining smart manipulation with straightforward storytelling. 'Sultan' isn't a film that does things differently. Instead, it does everything you expect, but inventively, subverting some cliches along the way.

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In a press conference to announce his return to professional wrestling after an eight-year hiatus, for instance, Sultan Ali Khan is asked the most obvious, inane question: How does he feel about his estranged wife (Anushka Sharma) not being by his side? You expect a lengthy monologue or a wisdom-heavy comeback, but Sultan Ali only smiles and replies, "Have you never fought with your spouse?" The tension is immediately diffused and the scene's agenda shifts. It's one of several moments where just when you see the cliche coming, it's smartly averted.

Of course, the film is replete with moments you expect, nay want, from a film about a down-and-out wrestler reclaiming lost glory. A throwback to a signature move at an opportune moment that leaves you with an adrenaline rush; a training montage, even though seen umpteen times before, made enjoyable by the banter between wrestler and coach (Hooda is excellent in a cameo). Vishal-Shekhar's music is smartly amped up and toned down for effect, and Arthur Zurawski's work behind the camera furthers the drama.

But all this works only because Zafar manages to flesh out its characters' emotional journeys well, keeping you invested in their lives both inside and outside the ring (which worked beautifully in a film like 'Warrior', but met with disastrous results in its Hindi remake, 'Brothers').

Anushka Sharma provides a formidable base for Khan to take off from. Her role of a wrestler is as meaty as that of the male lead (which almost never happens with female actors in Khan's films), and she excels in every scene. In one of the film's most terrific sequences, Sharma shouts words of encouragement at a couple of students she's training, even as Sultan Ali fights an opponent on the television set behind her - one's actions complementing the other's.

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The acting ensemble is perfect (cast by Shanoo Sharma). Amit Sadh plays a rich, ambitious sports enthusiast who brings Sultan Ali back out of retirement, and he does a fine job of it. Kumud Mishra is delightful as always, and Anant Sharma delivers a winning performance as Sultan Ali's sidekick and friend.

Khan shows rare commitment to his role. As seen in the trailer, he doesn't shy away from presenting himself as an overweight slob in parts of the film, only because there are enough "heroic" moments to offset those. His character has a fairly well-rounded arc, and he lends credibility to Sultan Ali's highs and lows. It's probably the script rubbing off on him, but Khan shows - like he did in 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' - that he'll bring more than just stardom and screen presence to the table when the film demands it.

Sultan remains, in essence, a thoroughly mainstream fare that never punches above its weight - songs stem the flow in a couple places, and the Haryanvi accent is only for flavour - but that hardly reduces its appeal. Much like Amitabh Bachchan films from the '70s that remain entertaining even on repeat viewings, Sultan manages to deliver in spite of the limitations it imposes on itself.

Four hundred crores? Why not.