Shootout at Lokhandwala-All Reviews Here - Page 2

Khalid Mohammed's funny review of Shootout at Lokhandwala

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Vivek Oberoi, Amrita Singh
Direction: Apoorva Lakhia
Rating: **

This one is about 10,000 bullets, 20,000 knives, 50,000 split-screens, 80,000 bleach-outs, 1,00,000 Unsteadicam shots and a singularly disjointed, out-as-Oliver-Stone narrative style. And since it's a Sanjay Gupta production, it's also about men who walk like cowboys straight into the camera. Come to think of it, there's helluva lot of walking going on here.

So, Shootout at Lokhandwala, directed by Apoorva Lakhia, is said to be inspired by the massacre of the Maya Dolas gang by a police task force, circa 1991. Okay, so the police 'heroes' -- Sanjay Dutt believable, Suniel Shetty absolutely unbelievable wearing a stubble-beard which cops don't and Arbaaz Khan in a fluttering moustache – are doing their job by walking, smoking, glaring, staring.

The ubiquitous Mr Bachchan is listening to their story – and you're not sure whether he likes them or not. Can't blame him.

And there are the baddies Maya Dolas (Vivek Oberoi), Tusshar Kapoor (hopelessly miscast) and some severe unwashed types who look like the adopted children of Ram Gopal Varma. Now, the M Company walks all over Bombay, killing, smoking, dancing, dancing, dancing (there are three items, all of them with one Aartiji), saying bad bad mc-bc words. And only Maya's mum (Amrita Singh) cooks fish for them.. and doesn't believe that the fish's mum will cry in the sea. Bangda fry all this.

Anyway, the Good and Bad Walkers have this showdown which is duly reported by Dia Mirza as TV journo Nuttu Mattu (who's that?). The opening two reels are engaging, the climax has its thrilling flashes but tends to go yawn till you want to run into a bullet yourself.

Finally, after making gangsters exotic – Mr D is inevitably seen with underfed blondes in bikinis – Lakhia glorifies the mass police encounter. Simple yaar.. make both the parties feel good, no jhagdampatti.

The best-etched roles and performances, in any case, come from the Dolas bunch. Vivek Oberoi is outstanding, ably supported by the steel strong Amrita Singh. The other women are as decorative as Chinese lanterns.

Clearly, here's a case of wanting to have one's cashew cake and eat it to. Come on, let's get real Lakhia/ Gupta and Co. Even if it's just entertainment, let's look at an incident of human bloodshed with some amount of objective film reportage. There's really no point in relying on rumours, true or untrue.

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Shootout At Lokhandwala Shootout At Lokhandwala: Worth a look

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.

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.

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?

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

cinemaa.indya.com

Shootout At Lokhandwala

Stepping down!

RATING - Hmmm nice

Starring: Sanjay Dutt, Vivek Oberoi, Tusshar Kapoor, Arbaaz Khan, Suniel Shetty etc.

Director: Apoorva Lakhia

Bole To: More like fist fights at Lokhandwala!

STORY: It's based on the shootout at Lokhandwala (duhhhhh!!!) during the early 90s in which dreaded gangster Maya Dolas was killed. The film chronicles the events in the life of the Anti-Terrorist Squad and the gang members involved in the shootout. Plus it has two dance-bar songs and some really corny scenes between Arbaaz Khan and Suniel Shetty.

REVIEW: This utterly filmi account of a true story doesn't offer anythig new.. the same old gangster and cop story. There are the usual family vs. job talks, maa ka pyaar and a love angle involving Aarti Chhabria. Amrita Singh plays Vivek's mother and in one unintentionally funny scene takes offence on being called an 'aunty'. The final climax in which the cops take out the gangsters is nicely filmed. But it has some cheesy parts like when both run out of bullets and fight with their fists - Bollywood at it's cheesiest but still the film makes for a tolerable viewing.

WARNING: SAL contains two item numbers and a tapori song. The tapori song set, supposedly set in early 90s apparently mentions Bipasha Basu. A very cleavage-happy Rakhi Sawant makes a 1-minute MMF type appearance (not in a song though).

BOTTOMLINE: Very filmy but still somehow watchable!

www.mtvindia.com

Shootout at Lokhandwala: All sound & fury. But where's the heart?

Rating (3/5)
By Manisha Vardhan, MovieTalkies.com, 25 May 2007.
Release Date : 25 May 2007

It's been a film that has been much awaited and much hyped. However, at the end of the slightly more than two hour fare, one can't truly say that it lives up to all the hype surrounding it. The Apoorva Lakhia directed Shootout At Lokhandwala is a let down. The film, which is based on a true encounter between the cops and the underworld ganglord Maya Dolas and his men, somehow fails to convey the drama that one would expect such an encounter to have. One may as well have watched a documentary. When one talks of drama, one is not talking about the last sequence, the actual shootout, which sees a galore of bullets, noise, tomato ketchup and dead bodies. Lakhia fails to create moments in his film. It's somewhere in the telling of the story that the film looses its punch. So even though he has managed to assemble a great cast, courtesy Sanjay Gupta, Sanjay Dutt and the Bachchans, he fails to capitalize on it.

The film's story is common knowledge. It dates back to the nineties when Mumbai city was in the grip of the underworld. Real estate was booming and, the biggest mover & shaker of the city's underbelly was controlling all from faraway Dubai. Into this crime infested landscape, arrives the new kid on the block, Maya Dolas. He begins life as one of 'Bhai's' men and then starts harbouring ambitions of making it on his own, and thereby plots his own downfall. The film also sees the rise of the ATS, the special force created by ACP Khan (Sanjay Dutt in the film), which cold bloodedly decimates Maya and his gang.

The film moves in a flashback with the officer and his men – Dutt (ACP Khan), Suniel Shetty (Inspector Kaviraj Patil) and Arbaaz Khan (Constable Javed Shaikh), sitting before a one-man inquiry committee, headed by none other Amitabh Bachchan, playing the retired judge, who successfully fights the case of Khan and his men (the ATS faced legal charges of human rights violations and an inquisition from their own department). The story behind the encounter and its protagonists is then revealed in bits and pieces by the three cops. We are introduced to each of the three cops, among the many handpicked by Khan to form the ATS. The spurring incident is the death of one of Khan's own officers, Abhishek Mhatre (Abhishek Bachchan), at the hands of Khalistani militants in Mumbai. Khan, the man with a mission, forges his unit after decimating the terrorists and even gets live coverage for the event!

On the other side, we are also told about the rise of one Maya Dolas and his gang --- Dilip Buwa (Tusshar Kapoor), Phattu (Rohit Roy), RC (Shabbir Ahluwalia), a closely knit group, which hangs out together and commits extortions and murders for Big Brother. Maya has been brought up by his mother (Amrita Singh), who was a victim of domestic violence. Maya saves her life by killing his father. We have the typical tapori gangsters, getting drunk, dancing in the same bar with the same girls for three songs in the film, and occasionally going on a killing spree. ACP Khan is after their life and in his bid to flush them out from their hideouts, he and his men start applying pressure on the families of these gangsters. Finally, receiving news that they are holed up in Swati Building, flat No 32B, Lokhandwala, the ATS surround the building, and it is war to death from then, for the gangsters, that is.

On the surface level, the story works fine as events follow events. But it is in his bid to add subtext that he fails. The result: his characters do not rise above the stereotype. And the situations are also quite stereotypical. We have ACP Khan plagued by marital problems as his wife (Neha Dhupia) feels he is neglecting her and their daughter. There is the typical birthday party scene (how many times have we seen it before?), where he is forced to report for duty, thus sacrificing his personal life. We have the good, upright secular Muslim cop, (Arbaaz). And finally we have Suniel Shetty, who does not fit the bill for any cop. He plays himself, and that kind of works for him.

The other scene which comes to mind is when the gangsters realize that they are doomed as the cops have surrounded the building. While the scene where Maya's mother rings him from a payphone nearby, kind of works because of its emotional quotient. The one that follows of Buwa ringing up his bar dancer girlfriend (Aarti Chabbria) and professing his undying love for her, followed again by Phattu ringing up his parents and apologizing for all the trouble that he has caused them. The scenes kind of follow one after the other and one wonders at the monotony? Surely, we can reveal the inner life of the man behind the gangster, in many other ways? Without meaning to compare, one can't help but think of Sanjay Gupta's Kaante. It was stylish and caught the other face of the men behind the guns so well. One can even name Ram Gopal Verma's Company for that matter. These films scored with their excellent screenplays, which Shootout lacks.

But where the film does score is in the acting department. Vivek Oberoi as Maya, again emerges from the dead to remind us how talented he is. It's good to see him back with a searing performance. He reminds you of his Company days. Of course that script had more in it for him, but given his brief, he does a very good job. A certain look here, a swagger, he has it all, body language, expressions. He is well supported by Rohit Roy as Phattu. As for Tusshar Kapoor, this is the first for him in such a role. One has to credit him with the effort that he has put in for the role. He tries his best to look menacing and succeeds in a couple of instances. But generally, he is a little hard to accept as a hardened criminal. On the side of the cops, Sanjay Dutt is a presence. And the director has used him well. The Bachchan father and son duo have really nothing much to do in the film. Nothing which merits comment.

The last word has to be reserved for Amrita Singh. A little earlier we spoke of the 'moments' that Lakhia was unable to create. But that was a mistake. This actress snatches the scraps that are left for her and creates magic. In the context of the film, she is all gut-wrenching in her two scenes opposite Sanjay Dutt. The first is where she spurns his offer to inform on her son, and the last, when she pleads with him to spare Maya. Both actors rise above the written word in these scenes.

Apoorva Lakhia has definitely a long way to go before he masters the art of detailing and layering. He misses the so-called smaller things and that mars his massive canvas. So a lot of sound and fury, but no heart.

www.movietalkies.com

Director: Apoorva Lakhia

Music: Anand Raj Anand, Biddu, Mika Singh.

Lyrics: Dev Kohli, Dr. Palash Sen, Mika Singh, Sanjay Gupta

Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Sunil Shetty, Arbaaz Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Rohit Roy, Aditya Lakhia

By Martin D'Souza, Bollywood Trade News Network

After a long time, a movie has created such frenzy that the viewers are waiting to enter the theatre even before the doors are opened. And I'm not talking about a handful of viewers. I'm talking a 90 per cent crowd. It's very, very rare that a crowd as big as this is seen on a Friday afternoon in any multiplex for any release. At least it has not happened in the last one year. There's palpable excitement in the air.

That's round one won for the makers of SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA.

As the lights are dimmed and the movie begins, there is pin-drop silence. Everyone is glued to the screen as what unfolds for the next two hours keeps the viewer frozen to his seat in numb disbelief. Everyone has heard about the famous 'shootout at Lokhandwala'. Everyone knows bits and pieces about what could have or did transpire during the gun battle that followed between gangster Maya Dolas and his boys, and A A Khan and his special squad. But no one knew the truth. This is what has the theatres packed. They have come in search of the truth. But producer Sanjay Gupta has been shrewd; he informs the viewers in advance that this story is based on "true rumours".

Round two again goes to the makers.

It's always tough to make a movie on any real life incident. Getting to the details can be an arduous task, but director Apoorva Lakhia sticks to his guns (no pun intended). There's intricate care taken about every bit of detailing from clothes, to lighting, to camera angles, to sound, to action scenes. The script is airtight, the background score is riveting, which holds the scenes together. Shown in flash back, the film hits target from reel one. And as the story unfolds, you can't but marvel at the ability of the makers who have stuck as close to reality as possible.

Round three again goes to the makers.

Sanjay Dutt as ACP Aftab Ahmad Khan, the man in charge of the operation to flush out the gangsters who are holed in a flat in Lokhandwala is first rate. He is deadly as can be. If ever there was a sobriquet that stands out, it's 'Deadly Dutt'. No pulling punches, just delivering them. When it comes to pumping bullets, he doesn't bat an eyelid. He holds the police force together with his magnetic persona and devil-may-care attitude. And no, he has no regrets for what he has done, whatever the Human Rights organization may think.

Suniel Shetty and Arbaaz Khan as tough cops, who form the core team with Dutt, again are first rate. As men on a mission, they complement each other. The dialogues between them are witty and their action-packed performance brilliant. They bring to light the woes faced by most Mumbai police. You can't but salute them for their sense of duty and feel pity for them for the pittance they have to survive on.

Now for Viveik Oberoi. As Maya Dolas, he is outstanding. His body language, dialogue delivery and menacing persona all gel well to create that air of fear. Precisely what is needed for this film to do well. Tusshar Kapoor, too, is brilliant. After two duds in KYA LOVE STORY HAI and GOOD BOY BAD BOY, he shines as Bhuwa, Maya's aide. Rohit Roy, Shabbir Ahluwalia and Aditya Lakhia who complete the gang provide excellent support to the cast. All actors picked to play gangsters give that extra zing to the role, which in turn lifts the movie to another level. And when the gangsters know their time is up and when they phone their near and dear ones, you can't help but feel sorry for them. Of course, this might not have happened. But the picturisation of these scenes capturing their human moments is to be complimented. Every actor plays his part.

That's round four to the makers.

As for the girls Aarti Chhabria, Neha Dhupia and Dia Mirza, there's not much in it for them, with the exception of Aarti, who has some meat in her role, as the fianc of Bhuwa. Amrita Singh as Maya's mother shows a streak of madness in her performance that could have been passed on to the gangster. Amitabh Bachchan for once has been overpowered by Dutt and Oberoi. But his role as a defense lawyer did not offer him much scope to outdo the rest. There's also the man himself, who was behind the shootout at Lokhandwala, Aftab Ahmad Khan, who plays Commissioner of Police S. Ramamurthy. A nice way to salute the bravery of the tough ATS chief.

Finally, there is never a moment when the audiences interrupt with their witty one-liners as is common in multiplexes today. That's because the action is so fast paced that they are immersed in the proceedings on screen.

That's round five, too, to the makers.

All in all, an engrossing fare. SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA leaves you breathless as the credits roll. A thriller to the core.

A final warning: There are lots of gunfire and dead bodies. Not for the faint-hearted!

Ratings: 5/5

http://glamsham.com/movies/reviews/shootout_at_lokhandwala.a sp

Shootout at Lokhandwala Movie Review

By Aditi Oberoi - BollySpice.com
25 May 2007

Starring: Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Arbaaz Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Tusshar Kapoor, Rohit Roy, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Aditya Lakhia, Amrita Singh, Dia Mirza, Aarti Chhabria and Neha Dhupia
Director: Apoorva Lakhia

In the recent past, we have seen several Bollywood films based on the underworld such as Company, Kaante, Musafir and Plan but none of these, as far as we know, have been based on true life incidents. Thats the first thing that sets apart Shootout at Lokhandwala from the above mentioned films, since it is based on a real life encounter between cops and gangsters that took place in Mumbai 16 years ago.

Apoorva Lakhias previous projects Mumbai se aaya mera dost and Ek Ajnabee have not really created waves at the box office even though the latter was technically quite sound, but with Shootout, Lakhia has shown tremendous growth as a director and it is apparent in the film. This multi-starrer is gripping, chilling, real, violent and gruesome.

Shootout at Lokhandwala is a story based on a high profile shocking incident which took place in a residential locality of Mumbai in November 1991 when a team of police officers led by ACP S.S.Khan (Sanjay Dutt) chased and gunned down five members of dreaded underworld don Maya Dolas (Vivek Oberoi) gang.

ACP S.S Khan along with his aides, Inspector Kaviraj Patil (Suniel Shetty) and Inspector Javed Shaikh (Arbaaz Khan) dared to take on the gangsters on a calm summer day and suddenly turned the busy Lokhandwala complex into a battlefield when 1755 bullets were shot in just six hours in the history of all encounters.

The first half of the film moves to and fro between present day and flashbacks and shows us how Maya Dolas rose to power between 1987-1991, joined hands with sharp shooter Dilip Buwa (Tusshar Kapoor) and formed his own gang, going against his mentor Dawood Ibrahim. This was a bit confusing at times as it seemed a bit too much to take everything in all at once. However, the second half more than makes up for it as focus shifts to the actual shootout and keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. The post-interval portions are thrilling and intriguing causing you to wonder what will happen next.

A few scenes that stand out are the flashback which takes you to one of ACP S.S Khans previous operations, the scene just before the interval where we see Khan and Dolas come face to face and the dialogue that unfolds. Also, towards the climax, the sequence when Fatim/Fattu (Rohit Roy), Buwa, and Maya speak to their loved ones for the final time on the phone makes you extremely emotional and you surprisingly feel sorry for these cold-hearted gangsters.

Cinematography and editing of the film are first-rate. The action scenes have been brilliantly executed and send chills down your spine. It surely looks like our director knows his craft very well!

On the downside, although the three songs (Unke Nashe Mein, Mere Yaar and Ganpat&#146 are excellent and are choreographed and picturized very well, they dont seem to fit in and almost randomly pop out of nowhere. Another factor that may be a barrier to watching this film is the raw violence. Some scenes are quite terrible to watch so it really depends from individual to individual. Im sure todays audience is intelligent to know that the violence shown is integral to the plot and hence, is fully justified. I mean, with a word like Shootout as part of its main title, you cant really expect candy-floss entertainment can you?

The strongest part of this film are the performances. The entire star cast, no matter what the length of their role, has delivered power-packed performances and that alone, makes it worth your ticket.

Lets start with the cops i.e. Sanjay Dutt and company.

Sanjay Dutt is phenomenal! After playing the funny and lovable Munnabhai in Munnabhai M.B.B.S and Lage Raho Munnabhai, he now plays the role of a serious policeman who is determined to attain his goal of wiping out the gangsters. He most definitely leaves an impact on us.

Suniel Shetty and Arbaaz Khan are both wonderful and provide a little comic relief to this otherwise intense movie. That doesnt mean that they play funny characters, its just that they have a few light dialogues.

Amitabh Bachchan, who plays Advocate Dingra, is splendid and leaves you asking for more of his powerful performance. His dialogue delivery is fantastic. Watch out for him in the last court scene when he asks the judge just one question.

Abhishek Bachchan, despite of having only a seven and a half minute role, is sufficient. However, his presence wasnt really necessary.

An appearance by A.A.Khan (who led the actual shootout in 1991) just adds to the realism of Shootout at Lokhandwala and he plays the part of Commissioner of Police S.Ramamurthy nicely. Akhilendra Mishra is quite good.

Moving onto the people on the wrong side of the law - Vivek Oberoi and gang.

Vivek Oberoi is back in form and gives a solid performance! His depiction of stone-hearted Maya Dolas who is fearless and kills without thinking twice is exceptional. Oberoi manages to set that fear in you and show you that Maya uses fear as a tool to leverage. His death sequence is brutally fabulous. His body language and expressions are amazing and you can tell that hes done a lot of research on his character. To sum it up, Viveks delivered an out and out knockout performance!

Tusshar Kapoor is very impressive and surprises you with his brilliant portrayal of Buwa. So does Rohit Roy as Fattu, even though he is not as impactful as Tusshar.

Shabbir Ahluwalia and Aditya Lakhia (Apoorva Lakhias brother) are alright although they hardly have a role especially the latter.

Coming to the girls, Dia Mirza is effective, playing a young opinionated reporter. Aarti Chhabria and Neha Dhupia are just about okay. Amrita Singh, who plays Viveks mother in the film, is the best of the lot.

Overall, Shootout at Lokhandwala is engrossing and will have mass appeal. The violence maybe a hindrance for a certain section of society, and to people who are not used to watching such raw action, but nevertheless, the movie should get a fantastic start thanks to the large star cast and it is certainly worth watching for its mindblowing performances and well-executed action sequences.

Rating: ****

http://www.bollyspice.com/movie-reviews.php/shootout-at-lokh andwala-movie-review.html

Oh shoot!

FILM: Shootout At Lokhandwala
DIRECTOR: Apurva Lakhia
ACTORS: Sanjay Dutt, Vivek Oberoi
MIRROR RATING: *

Everybody our age knows where they were on November 11 that year (1991)," this film's director says in an interview I read. The said incident was a cross-fire between a Bombay Police team and some of Dubai don Dawood Ibrahim's men at a residential building in Lokhandwala, Andheri (West), Mumbai. No one in the world but the neighbours in the area are likely to know where they were on the day. In fact, for the lack of widespread television news in 1993, most outside Mumbai are unlikely to remember where they were on March 12.

More bombs go off in an average action blockbuster than did in the Bombay bomb blasts. Yet, Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday worked for the scope of available research on the conspiracy.

This film starts off inspired by the aforementioned docu-drama (if I'm not mistaken, even Dawood's the same). It details the 80's Punjab militancy problem, and its influence on Bombay's crime scene; religiously trails incidences with a timeline and coordinates of moffusil locations. Since there aren't actually enough plots and dynamics to speak of thereafter, the history descends quickly into a derivatively degenerate, run-of-the-factory cop, bhai, item-number, beer-song pic any of Ram Gopal Varma's former protgs would be happy to re-film.

The allusion to Varma isn't for the subject alone. The patented jarring sound (Amar Mohile) is pretty much the same; so is the gruffly look of the movie, and its principal, shady characters, their manners, dialogues and delivery.

So, there is a villain with the puffed-up traits of a hero here, Maya Dolas (Vivek Oberoi). Each time he enters the screen, he wants to score the Filmfare black-lady; absolutely no subtlety to this steal, no pizzazz to his posture. Never will he shock you more than when he breaks an open jaw against a concrete slab. You won't be shocked still if you've already sampled the scene from Tony Kaye's American History X (1998).

There is then Maya's antagonist, or actually the hero with almost a non-existent trace of villainy, cop Khan (Dutt; mildly crackling). Never the twain shall meet but for a bit at a coffee shop if you've watched Michael Mann's Heat (1995); or at a restaurant, if you watch this.

Over a while, the fake, acquired atmospherics will lead you to the obvious query: Why would anybody repetitively make this film? It's the reason all blindly violent B-grade 'actioners' are made: a few dance-bar songs, thumping fisticuff, quick chases, accelerated shoot-outs; the one at Lokhandwala, styled as if real, is as much an excuse for a plot, as every protagonist and their back-stories, terrible excuses for a character.

In journalism, stories, if confirmed, are true; if not, they stay rumours. This movie-fantasy, according to its poster, belongs to a vague genre called "true rumours". Whatever that means to films, the case of bad journalism is evident in the conclusion.

Friendly to the source, the film, having glorified the Mafia thus far, verbally argues for encounters as a way to deal with deadly criminals. You know the juvenile world-view then. And by now, you know the rumour part was actually the hype around this flick.

www.mumbaimirror.com

Sharp shooter

By: Sarita Tanwar
May 26, 2007

ShootOut At Lokhandwala

Director: Apoorva Lakhia
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Vivek Oberoi, Tusshar Kapoor and Amrita Singh

Rating: ***

WHAT'S IT ABOUT: The Mumbai underworld is not longer Ram Gopal Varma's domain. Apoorva Lakhia's edge-of-the-seat bloodbath Shootout At Lokhandwala analyses every aspect of the cops-n-gangsters syndrome in a racy, semi-commercial and completely engrossing manner.

The story, based in the early 90s, focusses around the rebellious Maya Dolas (Oberoi) who was Dawood Ibrahim's lead man in Mumbai. An extortion expert, Maya and his gang (Tusshar Kapoor, Rohit Roy, Shabbir Ahluwalia and Aditya Lakhia) become a terror team in the city.

Until cop A A Khan (Dutt) decides to go after them. Along with his close aides (Sunil Shetty and Arbaaz Khan) and the entire Anti Terrorist Squad, Khan eventually gunned them down in the most gruesome manner — all in an operation that lasted over six hours.

WHAT'S HOT: It must've been tough to adapt an entire film around a single incident but Lakhia weaves it cleverly by establishing the nuances of each of his characters, without hampering the screenplay.

The last 40 minutes of the film are rivetting. Apoorva captures the vulnerability of the gang and the cold-bloodedness of the cops.

Even when he tells the story from Khan's perspective, Apoorva doesn't flinch when it comes to exposing that the 'elimination' orders for Dolas actually came from the Dubai don.

The sequence where Maya and his pals personally threaten the ATS members and their families is handled with remarkable maturity.

Sanjay Dutt lives his character and plays the cold and calculative Khan to perfection. Shootout marks a huge comeback for Vivek Oberoi, who seems comfortable in a role similar to his debut film Company.

Oberoi's stark performance immortalises Maya Dolas, the man who actually threatened Dawood Ibrahim. Tushar Kapoor, Sunil Shetty and Arbaaz Khan are convincing.

Amitabh Bachchan as Dutt's lawyer has limited scope but his getting taalis in the court will get him all the accolades. Amrita Singh shines as Maya's mother.

WHAT'S NOT: The few jerks that the film faces are in the first half where Lakhia tries to offer a backgrounder on the incident.

The Sikh terrorists angle could've been explained better and Abhishek Bachchan's guest appearance seems rather forced. Also the two dance bar songs somewhat dampen the proceedings.

WHAT to do: Shootout transports you back to the time when Mumbai was ruled by the mob.

Lakhia's film is a perfect tribute to those days of uncertainty. Awfully disturbing but recommended for every Mumbaikar.

http://mid-day.com/hitlist/2007/may/158092.htm

Masand's verdict: Shootout ...

[Rajeev Masand>

GUNNED DOWN: The film tries to be a boy's picture but it lacks both style and substance

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Vivek Oberoi, Tusshar Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan

Direction: Apurva Lakhia

Also at the cinemas this week is director Apurva Lakhia's cops-and-gangsters drama Shootout At Lokhandwala that's more or less based on a true incident that took place in 1991.

The anti-terrorist squad of the Mumbai Police Department led by Inspector A A Khan opened fire on a group of underworld gangsters headed by notorious hitman Maya Dolas in a residential society in Mumbai's Lokhandwala area, putting at risk the lives of hundreds of innocent people living there.

Borrowing this skeletal true story, Lakhia creates the two protagonists of his film -- Sanjay Dutt as Inspector Shamsher Khan, and Vivek Oberoi as Maya Dolas. The rest of Lakhia's film is a sketchy amalgam of fact and fiction, based on recorded statements, media reports and hearsay.

Now there's not very much we don't already know about encounter killings, we've read about so many in the news.

Therefore the only real significance of this particular incident, in my opinion, is the recklessness shown by the cops who chose to put so many innoncent lives in danger by carrying out this operation in a densely populated residential area.

Sadly however, this very important detail is only once touched upon in the film. Lakhia simply doesn't take up this matter and I think I might know why -- because one of the consultants on this film was Inspector A A Khan himself, so can you really expect an objective and honest representation of the facts under these circumstances?

What you get, instead, is another one of those typical Bollywood-ified versions of a true-life story -- think about it, you'll find all the cliches here -- smart-talking bad guys, earnest cops walking in slo-mo, nagging wives of cops who complain their husbands spend no time with the family, the gangster's bar-girl sweetheart, even a gruesome murder scene shamelessly plagarised from the Edward Norton hit American History X.

There's absolutely nothing new about Shootout At Lokhandwala , you've seen it all before and many times over.

Not a patch on such cutting-edge gangster films as Satya, Company or more recently Black Friday, the problem with Apurva Lakhia's Shootout At Lokhandwala is that it doesn't quite know which direction its going in.

Lakhia confuses us completely by telling us too many little stories before he tackles the big one -- like that absolutely pointless story about the police force's best cop Abhishek Bachchan who gets killed by some Khalistani terrorists -- now what was the point of that story?

Also, what is the point of those two item songs, and the constant plot diversions to include the women in the lives of these men? Like Neha Dhupia threatening to divorce her police officer husband because he's hardly ever at home, or Sunil Shetty who keeps giving blank calls to his wife who's filed for divorce, or Tusshar Kapoor's bar-dancer girlfriend?

What is the point behind any of these tracks? What do they lend to the main story? And for that matter, what is the main story? Is it about these fearless gangsters who finally meet with a bloody end, or is it about these honest cops who will do anything to wipe out crime from the city?

Believe me, even after watching this two-hour-plus film, I still don't know what it is meant to be about. And I suspect that director Apurva Lakhia doesn't know either.

There's an upside and a flipside to casting big stars in your film. The upside, of course is that they bring in the crowds.

The flipside is that you often have to compromise on your plot itself to make your actors stand out. And that's another reason why Shootout At Lokhandwala is such an idiotic film.

Amitabh Bachchan's been cast in the film in a small role, as the lawyer defending Inspector Khan and his team in the Lokhandwala shootout case.

Now normally, one would have cast a junior artiste in such a role, but because Bachchan's agreed to do it, you have to pad up the part to justify his presence in it.

But the story itself doesn't need any more of that character. Yet you force it in, by giving Bachchan all these ridiculous lines where he's taunting his clients and virtually attacking them while questioning them. Trust me, Amitabh Bachchan looks embarrassed to be playing such an insignificant part.

Of the central cast, Tushar Kapoor is miscast as Maya's gangster partner, Sunil Shetty still hasn't learnt how to act and Arbaaz Khan overdoes the shudh Hindi.

Vivek Oberoi's performance is nothing to write home about either, but the blame for that must be shared with the film's writers and director for casting him in a storybook villain-like character which amounts to nothing more than a cliche in the end.

It's only Sanjay Dutt who comes out shining, because it's an earnest performance delivered without the usual Hindi-film trappings.

I came out of Shootout At Lokhandwala with a throbbing headache and I'm not sure I can recommend this film to anyone I care even a little about.

It's pointless and it lacks focus, it's meandering and it makes very little sense. So that's one out of five and a thumbs down for Apurva Lakhia's Shootout At Lokhandwala.

It tries to be a boy's picture with guns and gore, but it lacks both style and substance. Because the film has no soul, it leaves you cold and unaffected.

Rating: 1 / 5 (Poor)

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Of stars and styles

Posted On Saturday, May 26, 2007
Mumbai Mirror Bureau

Tabu (left) at the Cheeni Kum premiere. Salman (centre) and Saif (right) at the Shootout at Lokhandwala premiere

The city witnessed two big film premieres - Cheeni Kum and Shootout At Lokhandwala - on Thursday evening. The main attractions were our stars who walked the red carpet strutting their Pradas and Armanis. Amitabh along with son Abhishek, made a blink-and-a-miss appearance at Cheeni Kum's premiere. Tabu and director R Balakrishnan were at the venue for some time.

The Shootout At Lokhandwala premiere had heads turning as Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty and Vivek Oberoi marched in. Dressed in dapper suits, Tusshar Kapoor, Arbaaz Khan and Rohit Roy almost rushed to watch the film. The film's ladies Dia Mirza and Aarti Chabria were almost sidelined. We spotted Saif Ali Khan and Salman Khan who is sporting fringes for a change (that is the look for his forthcoming film).

Talk about awkward moments and here's some dope on the alleged Khan and Oberoi face-off. While Vivek along with his family were out and about at the lounge, Khans including Salman, Sohail, Malaika, Arpita and Alvira were taken to the screen as soon as they arrived. We also spotted Ekta Kapoor, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Lara Dutta and Kelly Dorjee, at the do.

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