Shootout At Lokhandwala Movie Reviews

Shoot Out at Lokhandwala - A perfect blend of realistic and commercial cinema
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.

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.