Shootout at Lokhandwala-All Reviews Here - Page 3

By Taran Adarsh, May 26, 2007 - 08:08 IST

B.O. update: 'Shootout' Opens big

Director Apoorva Lakhia can heave a sigh of relief. His new release, SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA, opened to a fabulous response across the nation, registering 90% + collections on its opening day. Initially, there was apprehension that the film wouldn't open big at multiplexes [violence-laden films generally meet with a thanda response at movieplexes], but the packed response proved the soothsayers wrong. Looking at the terrific start, the first weekend billing is expected to be superb.

http://indiafm.com/trade/boxoffice_update/index.html

Shootout At Lokhandwala Shootout At Lokhandwala: Worth a look

indya.com rating: 3 out of 5*

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Vivek Oberoi, Tusshar Kapoor,Suneil Shetty, Arbaaz Khan and Amitabh Bachchan
Director: Apoorva Lakhia

Synopsis: Top cop S.S. Khan (Dutt) along with his team mates, Kaviraj Patil (Shetty) and Javed Sheikh (Arbaaz Khan) are facing judicial enquiry and a suspension order for allegedly killing gangster, Maya Dolas (Vivek), and his cronies in a residential complex. As they narrate to their lawyer, Dhingra (Amitabh) the events that lead to the bloodiest and longest running encounter in Mumbai Police history, we are introduced to how Maya and his gang came into existence and what made them so fearless and menacing to society. We are shown how Khan formed the ATS squad which went on an encounter spree. And finally, what exactly happened during the encounter that took place in Mumbai's densest residential area at noon in November, 1991.

Acting: Sanjay Dutt is efficient. Vivek Oberoi delivers an award worthy performance. His constant dazed look coupled with a sadistic smile whenever he commits his crimes is terrific. His phone conversation sequences with his boss and later with his mother in midst of the encounter reassure us of how good an actor he is. Tusshar is ex-pressionless throughout but makes good towards the end. Arbaaz's poker faced humour provides comic relief. Shetty puts on a stylized act. Bachchan hams throughout the film but packs in a punch during the court sequence in the end. Abhishek gets to mouth 3 lines in Marathi and has 2 minutes screen time before getting bumped off. Amrita Singh, as Maya's mom, is the most impressive amongst the females. Dia gets limited scope, while the rest of the gals are relegated to the background. Real top cop A.A.Khan, on whom Dutt's character is based, acts naturally in a cameo role of the Police Commissioner.

indya.com rating: 3.5 out of 5

Direction: Apoorva Lakhia just falls short of making a brilliant film. With a subject like this and various possibilities to explore, he starts off well but then loses focus mid way by concentrating on item numbers and monotonous shootout sequences. However, he redeems himself in the last 30 minutes. His take on the entire climax, the shootout sequence, can be a reference to Bollywood filmmakers on how to shoot a technically classy action piece.

indya.com rating: 3 out of 5

Script: The film remains true in recreating the events that led to the infamous shootout, taking cinematic liberties in between- some pardonable and some not. To its credit, the film presents both sides of the event leaving the audience to decide who they think is right. The first half is gruesome with murder sequences being show one after another and a little restrain here could have helped. It shows Maya as a child who killed his father and during the climax Maya is shown killed on a hand to hand combat by Khan in amidst the shootout- both these are untrue. But the film picks up a valid question at the end when Dhingra, in defense of Khan and his team, questions the judge as to who we would like standing outside our house with a gun, an encounter specialist cop or a dreaded gangster?

indya.com rating: 2.5 out of 5

Music: Anand Raaj Anand, Strings, Mika, Biddu and Euphoria come together to provide the musical score. Two repetitive sounding and looking songs, Mera Yaar and Unke Nashe mein, shot as bar dance sequences are played back to back and appear as road blocks to the pacy narrative. The tapori number, Ganpat also looks forced. The best song of the film has to be Aakhri Alvida with its good philosophical undertones- the number keeps glued, watching it with the end titles rolling.

indya.com rating: 2 out of 5

Shootout At Lokhandwala New Takes the best start for a hindi film for 2007 of 85%. Reports are mixed but initial should ensure safety.

http://boxofficeindia.com/

26th May 2007 06.00 IST
By Nikhil Kumar

Apoorva Lakhia has a fascination for making stylistic films. His latest flick Shootout At Lokhandwala is a gritty recreation of the real-life shooting encounter between cops and gangsters in Mumbai in 1991.

The film has a very raw and rugged look. At times it gets surreally dark and very violent. And after a while all the bloodshed and gore begin to get to you.

The film is not just about the shootout incident on the fateful summer day in Lokhandwala in 1991. It goes deep into the lives and minds of gangsters Maya Dolas, his sidekick Dilip Buwa and their three colleagues. It also focuses on the way cops function to nab the dreaded criminals, putting their own lives on the line.

One good thing about 'Shootout' is that it doesn't take sides. It attempts to objectively present the facts of the incident, along with the events leading to it, from both the perspectives of cops and gangsters.

On the side of the cops, the central figure is ACP Aftab Ahmed Khan ( Sanjay Dutt ), the officer-in-charge of the entire operation to flush out the gangsters from a Lokhandwala flat. Supporting Khan in this mission are two brave cops: Kaviraj Patil ( Sunil Shetty ) and Javed Shaikh ( Arbaaz Khan ).

On the side of the gangsters, the central figure is Maya Dolas ( Vivek Oberoi ), a fearless, trigger-happy gangster who rose in the underworld through the sheer dint of his grit. Maya's sidekick Dilip Buwa ( Tusshar Kapoor ) is dreadful but also humane.

The movie's story, allegedly based on "true rumours", establishes that the shootout in Lokhandwala wasn't a random, isolated incident but was the culmination of a build-up of a series of incidents. The movie also shows how tough the job of cops is when they have to leash the trigger-happy gangsters within the powers given to them by law.

Sanjay Dutt is competent in playing the role of ACP A A Khan. Amitabh Bachchan , playing a lawyer, gets shadowed in the film's huge cast ensemble but still leaves an impact in the last few reels. Sunil Shetty manages not to ham. Arbaaz Khan is strictly okay while Abhishek Bachchan has a very miniscule role.

On the flip side, Vivek Oberoi is convincing enough playing the role that is in parts similar to his debut performance as Chandu in 'Company'. However, Vivek's Maya is sinister, ruthless, fearless and tempestuous.

Tusshar Kapoor is convincing, while other actors like Rohit Roy , Shabbir Ahluwalia and Aditya Lakhia stay on the sidelines.

Director Apoorva Lakhia pays attention to the details but misses out on certain points. The cops are shown without bulletproof jackets while encountering the gunmen. The gangsters' phone lines aren't jammed till the dying moments of the long encounter. Also the movie has some unnecessary songs that slacken the story's pace.

The female actors have very little scope in this film but Amrita Singh stands out with her intense performance. Dia Mirza hardly sounds and acts like a journalist. Neha Dhupia is just about okay. Aarti Chabria gets a moment to show her acting (besides her dancing) in the second half.

'Shootout At Lokhandwala' has too much violence, bloodshed and gore. It is clear that the film's makers want the movie to hit hard at the audience. Lakhia joins the pieces of the film's story through a series of flashbacks. There are some emotional moments to lend a raw sentimentality to the flick.

All in all, 'Shootout' is not bad for watching once.

Rating: **1/2

Film Review: Shootout at Lokhandwala

By Sanjay Ram
24 May 2007, 03:25 PM

Director: Apoorva Lakhia

Producers: Sanjay Gupta, Shobhaa Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor

Ratings: 2/5

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Vivek Oberoi, Sunil Shetty, Arbaaz Khan, Tusshar Kapoor, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Rohit Roy, Aditya Lakhia, Neha Dhupia, Dia Mirza, Aarti Chhabria, Amrita Singh, Ravi Gosai, Aftab Ahmad Khan and Abhishek Bachchan.

Imagine taking characters from real life, adding a bunch of fictionalized ones and throwing in some song and dance. What you get as a result of this mixture is a film that somewhere on lines of being different, has commercial elements packed to the brim and turns out to be a sober ride.

The film traces the rise of a trigger-happy gang and their pursuit to save themselves from maverick lawmen that are out to ensure they no longer exist. Maya Dolas (Vivek Oberoi) and his gang (Tusshar Kapoor, Rohit Roy, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Aditya Lakhia) are non-conformists, they defy their Dubai-based big boss (depicting most wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim), and begin extorting builders and the likes.

With the nuisance they have become, ACP Ahmed Khan (Sanjay Dutt) commissions a team to tackle the problem comprising Kaviraj Patel (Suniel Shetty) and Javed Hyderabadi (Arbaaz Khan). With the team in full form, the chase commences and what follows is a whole lot of 'bang bang' and encounters.

To begin with, the film is weak in its narrative. Every time one tries to connect with the film on some level or the other, it is broken with a conversation. The narrative shuttles between real time and an experience narrated by Dutt, which gets tiring beyond a point.

What could have certainly been a gripping and thrilling rollercoaster ride turns into a tedious merry-go-round. The film while in the first half introduces you to the situation and briefs you on what to expect; fails to convincingly tell the proceedings in the latter half.

Further disappointing are the dialogues that lack the punch. Though they certainly convey the meaning, it is the choice of words and the sentences' length that makes the line seem endless. The film fails to explore the backgrounds of characters or even justify certain actions that may reveal a little more about each character.

On the technical front, the film is incredibly slick. The pace and mood has been created with polished editing. The exploration of various angles and the manner in which each scene has been executed is also commendable. The length and pace is bang on. But then this slickness is all that the film offers in the latter half, where the story begins to move into tangents.

Post the interval one expects the film to pace ahead. However, such is not the case. With the first half building up to the chase, the second half flows to reveal a sane goon hallucinating and his fellow members suddenly waking up to their familial love. What's more… in what could have possibly been a brilliant film, a love interest between a goon and a bar dancer has been forced in.

The biggest crisis with the film is its purpose. The film neither objectively showcases the proceedings, nor does it take a stance. Dia Mirza as a television reporter should have ideally been the binding force for the entire film; however the same has not been utilized. The film questions the authority and the goons alike and then proceeds into a departure where all direction is lost (Every film need not have a point. But the medium is such where the audience walks out with an opinion of what they saw. The film should at least provide usable content to generate an opinion!)

A treat to watch are the performances delivered by each actor. Oberoi does exceedingly well with his role, the constrained and crisp movements, the expressions et al, has you hooked on. Dutt, Khan, Singh, Shetty play their roles to the T. Their body language is has you convinced on the characters they are essaying. Kapoor and Roy fail to set the screen on fire. Dhupia for the few minutes she is on screen is OK. The ones you'd want to see more of in the film are definitely the Bachchan father – son duo.

What's more, with the exclusive expos by underworld don Ejaz Lakdawala (former Dawood Ibrahim henchman) to TV Today Group's television news channel Aaj Tak one day prior to the release of the movie, public interest around Shootout At Lokhandwala is only going to get bigger, thus raking in moolah for the makers. While talking to the television channel, Lakdawala held forth on the Apoorva Lakhia's movie as not depicting the true happenings of the actual 1991 encounter.

According to the don, the police shootout in Mumbai was in fact a fake encounter. He stated that gangster Maya Dolas was killed even when he wanted to surrender. Whatever said and done, this will only set cash registers ringing at the box office.

With already a lot of buzz surrounding the movie coupled with a heavyweight star cast and all the controversies it is embroiled in, Shootout at Lokhandwala will definitely get a very good opening.

http://www.businessofcinema.com/?file=story&id=3621

Shootout At Lokhandwala

RENUKA VYAVAHARE
INDIATIMES MOVIES

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Amitabh Bachchan, Sunil Shetty, Viveik Oberoi, Arbaaz Khan, Tusshar Kapoor, Rohit Roy, Shabbir Ahluvalia, Neha Dhupia, Amrita Singh, Aditya Lakhia, Abhishek Bachchan (special appearance)
Director: Apoorva Lakhia
Producers: Balaji Motion Pictures Ltd/ White Feather Films
Genre: Action
Rating: **

After all the hype and hoopla surrounding this year's highly awaited film, Shootout comes as a disappointment. High on promotion and less on substance.

We have heard it all before the film's release. Be it real life don Maya Dolas' mother accusing the film's director for wrongly projecting her late son as 'gangster' and herself as someone who pushed him into it, underworld don Ejaz Lakdawala telling a news channel that the Lokhandwala case was definitely a fake encounter by the police's ATS squad or Maya's reel life mother Amrita Singh expressing her displeasure at playing a mother who uses profanities while she speaks…

The controversies surrounding the film were endless and inevitably gave rise to my expectations from the film that is based on a real life incident. But unfortunately my sky high expectations stayed unfulfilled, as all I got to see in a span of two hours was few filmy banters between the highly glorified Mumbai police and the even more glorified 'wannabe' gangsters.

The film recreates one of the most shocking police encounters Mumbai has ever witnessed. ACP AA Khan of ATS (Anti Terrorist Squad), along with his team of over 200 policemen gunned down five gangsters residing at Swati apartments in Lokhandwala in broad daylight! The ATS unit of Mumbai police was later questioned for this brutal act of theirs and were charged for violation of human rights. Sanjay Dutt plays ACP Khan while Viveik plays extortionist cum killer Maya Dolas, henchman of Dawood in Mumbai.

Tusshar Kapoor, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Rohit Roy and Aditya Lakhia comprise Viveik's gang who lust for power and money and a dream to rule Mumbai some day. Amrita Singh plays Maya's mother who encourages her son's unethical acts and gundagiri. Thus enters ACP Khan and his able team (Sunil Shetty, Arbaaz Khan) who decide to finish Maya's terror in the city by choosing 'encounter' as their weapon.

The film based on this 'shocking' incident should have had the ability to keep you at the edge of your seats, but unfortunately all you do is fidget in your seats and keep waiting for the interval to arrive and post interval, wait for the climax.

The most awaited climax on the other hand, grips you but falls short of sending shudders down your spine, considering the enormous amount of bloodshed that the movie depicts.

Company, Satya, Ab Tak Chappan, D, Black Friday; all the films showed the chor- police drama, more so Company. But when you compare Shootout with the likes of these films, the film fares miserably low, all thanks to its 'over-dramatisation' and some serious 'miscasting' issues.

In the climax, when the gangsters are on their death bed, each of them has plenty of time on their hands to call their respective families and bid a final goodbye! Tusshar Kapoor does not look, nor does he act like a sharp shooter. He looks like a college student acting in a college drama posing as a gangster! Arbaaz Khan is stone faced and looks too mellow to be in the ATS squad. Rohit Roy is his usual self even as a gangster, while Viveik comes across as more of a 'wannabe style bhai ' than a cold blooded killer. Also considering Maya being not much educated you are surprised to see him sing 'shake your @#$%&' in the famous Ganpat song! How come Mattoo, a journalist (Diya Mirza) is allowed to enter the area during the shootout, just because she is from the press?

Sanjay Dutt is the show stealer. His rugged looks, stern personality, aggressive body language and powerful delivery of dialogues impress you to the hilt. Sunil Shetty as inspector Kaviraj Patil renders a fantastic performance too. Amitabh Bachchan has a limited role as an advocate but does well as usual. His 'tongue-in-cheek' conversations with the ATS trio keep you entertained.

Neha Dhupia has no role at all and Aarti Chabria gives her company in that department. Songs are not worthy enough to be mentioned except for the peppy and pukka bhai 'Eh Ganpat' number.

Wish Ram Gopa Verma could have directed this film, considering his expertise in giving a realistic touch to the films based on the underworld.

Shootout at Lokhandwala

Namrata Iyengar
Hindi (A)

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Vivek Oberoi, Tusshar Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Arbaaz Khan, Diya Mirza, Neha Dhupia
Director: Apoorva Lakhia

This is not some cheesy Bollywood story about gun-toting cool dudes who mouth racy dialogues while looking saloon-fresh. Shootout at Lokhandwala is real, hard-hitting and will catch you by surprise. And kudos go to director Apoorva Lakhia for that.

The story is based on the 6-hour-long encounter between 286 policemen of the newly-formed Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) and six gansters working for underworld kingpin Dawood Ibrahim, and weaves in and out of flashbacks and the present day. ACP Shamsher Khan's (Dutt) thirst for terrorist blood leads him to form the ATS, for which he handpicks the trigger-happy Inspector Kaviraj Patil (Shetty) and the demure and knowledgeable Javed Shaikh (Arbaaz).

Meanwhile, Maya Dolas (Oberoi) rises to power in the Mumbai underworld, along with his right-hand man Dilip Buwa (Tusshar). After a few threats exchanged between the cops and the dons, the former decide to take matters into their own hands and begin an encounter at the latter's hideout — Lokhandwala.

Complementing La-khia's expert direction are stellar performances by the cast. Dutt as Shamsher Khan has a one-track mind, will never go soft, but is also unjustly ruthless at the same time. Vivek Oberoi is menacing in this new role, while Suniel Shetty plays the role of the bad-mouthing sleazy cop Kaviraj to perfection. Watch out for a surprisingly powerful performance by Tusshar Kapoor.

The film's soundtrack, by the motley crew of Strings, Biddu, Indian Ocean, Euphoria, Shibani Kashyap and Mika Mehndi, is fantabulous — adding myriad colours to each scene. The ownly downer is the screenplay, written by Apoorva Lakhia and Suresh Nair, which proves to be a puzzle of sorts.

Don't be surprised if you step out of the theatre feeling confused about the country's law and order situation.

Movie Review
Shoot Out at Lokhandwala - A perfect blend of realistic and commercial cinema
Exclusive by Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Saturday, May 26, 2007]

First things first. SHOOT OUT AT LOKHANDWALA is not just a film revolving around the infamous shootout that happened in a residential locality in Mumbai. It is much more than that. While the shootout sequences forms a major part of the film [last 30-40 minutes], it is to the credit of the initial reels that create a base for it to make a hammer strong impact.

In the end what you get is a gritty drama that bridges the distance between realism and the commercial aspect of film making and this is where director Apoorva Lakhia deserves more than just a pat on his back. He walks the thin rope quite well and comes out with flying colors. Yes, the film has it's cops v/s gangster action and drama and credit it to Lakhia that he blends both the commercial and real factors into SOAL.

The film belongs to Sanjay Dutt and the man who challenges him hard for the coveted throne is none other than Vivek Oberoi. The two come face to face only twice in the film and when that happens, it is fireworks all around. The two truly make you forget everything that would have happened before or after their meet and are heads above everything and everyone else happening in the background.

As the numero uno cop and gangster respectively, both have a common agenda - shoot to kill. Unlike a 'chor-police' story that could have taken place on a street, the two balance it out well. The first time they confront at the interval point, there is not a moment when one can look away from the screen. A brilliantly executed sequence, it leaves the two being equally placed as one waits to see who makes the first move. The second time they get into a 1-0-1 battle in the film's climax and its execution is sure to send shivers down the spine.

From the plot point of view, the film is very simple. In fact Amitabh Bachchan, who plays an advocate in the film, summarizes it all by asking a question - "If you see a man with a gun near your house, whom would you prefer - a cop or a gangster?"

This pretty much justifies the horror acts that you see in the penultimate 30 minutes of the film when each of the gangsters [played by Vivek Oberoi, Tusshar Kapoor, Rohit Roy, Aditya Lakhia, Shabbir Ahluwalia] meets with a brutal end, either as a result of cross fire or a clear cut encounter. The men responsible for that? ATC team of Sanjay Dutt, Suneil Shetty, Arbaaz Khan and many more.

The film deserves a special mention for it's narration as it the three cops narrate the incidents that lead to the shootout, starting from the introduction of Abhishek Bachchan, who plays a cop. As someone who was an officer with Sanjay Dutt, he is lovable in his 15 minutes part as he takes on migrant terrorists from Punjab.

Later the film gets into the personal and professional lives of the group of gangsters and their rise and fall. The D-company angle is handled deftly as well without going overboard even as the sound of bullets resonate throughout the two hour duration of the film.

Any lighter moments in the film? Watch out for the three sequences where Suneil Shetty and Arbaaz Khan get into a conversation with heavy duty English, Urdu and Hindi respectively. Restrained, yet utterly hilarious! Rakhi Sawant has a sole scene in the end where she blends her on-screen and off-screen image perfectly.

What doesn't work in the movie at all are it's songs. The fact is that a film belonging to this genre just didn't warrant any songs. Period. It is not the tune, picturisation or actors that could make or break the song's placement, it is the very concept of keeping songs that go wrong. Belonging to fast forward variety, they are best to be skipped.

Tusshar Kapoor just doesn't suit the part. The way he acts as a gangster is too forced as it doesn't come naturally to him. Aditya Lakhia has zero scope as he hardly has any visibility in frames dominated by the other gangsters though Shabbir makes best use of the limited opportunities provided to him. He shows potential for a better innings ahead.

Rohit Roy is usual to begin with but excels towards the end when he does the news break of cops round the street. Arbaaz Khan is believable in his mature-n-natural act and if one closely observes some of his last released films, he has shown a definite improvement. Suneil Shetty is in good form and mixes the right elements of wit and arrogance.

Around a couple of decades back, Amrita Singh was seen as a leading lady with Sanjay Dutt. In SOAL, she comes face to face with him twice and is remarkable in both the sequences. As a woman who is powerful to begin with and later turns vulnerable, she gets the act just right and justifies her presence in the film.

In the end, the ones who would walk away with maximum accolades are Sanjay Dutt and Vivek Oberoi. The film was rightly been touted as a Dutt v/s Oberoi encounter and that is the case as both show their power in varying capacities. Dutt is simply powerhouse as his mighty build fills the entire screen.

On the other hand Oberoi is mean and cruel [watch out for the sequence where he kills a man on the steps of a temple]. No, it is certainly not COMPANY revisited. While in COMPANY he was confident yet vulnerable, in SOAL he is arrogant and fearless. Even in the face of death, his ego doesn't let him go off his smile which adds on to his character.

Ladies have hardly a part to play in the film with Dia Mirza as the only one female who is visible due to her role of a news reporter. Neha Dhupia is hardly there while Aarti's job is to look pretty in her two dance seqeunces.

If one has to call out the best moments of the film, they are the first and last 40 minutes of the film. Interim sequences do appear a little repetitive/extended but the interval point more than makes up for it. Dialogues are good throughout while the screenplay also deviates from the usual encounter dramas that have been seen on screen before. The chilling daylight murder of Aditya in the hands of Dutt proves that.

The film carries a gray/brown look throughout to give the film a natural touch. For a gritting drama like this, it was imperative that gloss was eliminated from the frames. Editing is good with some usual Sanjay Gupta wizardry in place. Background music is excellent as it keeps the adrenaline drive on to go with the fast pace of the film.

Apoorva Lakhia succeeds in making his two hour film a gripping fare though the brutality at points may leave a few gasping for air. This is certainly not a film for those who are looking for a feel-good outing. But for those who love cop/gangsta movies with a touch of realism added in, SOAL is the one not to be missed.

Rating: ***1/2

Cheers for Viveik at Shootout premiere

30 May Hanumant Bhansali 05:33 am

Last week, during the premiere of Shootout At Lokhandwala, Viveik Oberoi witnessed a section of crowd which cheered and applaused for him. The sight made him excited as he was missing the attention from quite some time.

Viveik went on to entertain his fans when he shook a leg with Mika and Rohit Roy on a humber from the film.

Viveik received maximum cheers and the audience clapped for him continuously. Viveik could hardly stop blushing.

Source: www.radiosargam.com