Movie Review "Wazir"

Watching the slick trailers of “Wazir” last year & noting its ensemble cast – both in front & behind the camera - many were tempted to tick it  as a “must watch” in 2016; alas, the hopes are belied for  the “thriller” part is overstated.

Wazir is a story of two men – battling personal tragedies & guilt thereof – brought together not by providence but by the game of chess & revenge wrecked with one of them playing the master Grandmaster. Vishy Anand would have been proud of the moves the protagonist makes. It is a metaphor of life too with a difference: While a move made on the 64 squares can be reversed, life offers no such luxury.

Farhan (Daanish Ali) is an ATS officer  whose patriotic jest in engaging militants – after spotting them accidentally, while out with his family - results in the loss of his daughter, in a shootout that follows leading to his forced separation from his otherwise doting wife Aditi Rao Hydari (Ruhana). While the ATS is executing a raid to capture the militants alive, Danish’s indiscretion - fuelled by a desire for retribution - botches the operation, leading to his suspension, despite protests by his superior played by Murli Sharma.

Chess master Amitabh Bachchan (Omkar Nath Dhar) aka Panditji – a paralysed wheelchair bound widower – who lost his wife & his legs together in an accident - courtesy his own indiscretion at rash driving - & his daughter after apparently falling off the stairs – at a politician Manav Kaul (Izaad Qureshi) house where she went to teach chess to his daughter - is nursing his wounds; he disputes the cause of his daughter’s death shown otherwise as an accident.  Snatching justice through personal sacrifice & a carefully planned chess moves forms the remaining part of this interesting movie.

The story had the potential to emerge into a great thriller but for the fact that none of the characters except for Farhan & Amitabh are properly etched. Neil Nitin Mukesh (Wazir) excels in his brief blink & miss role; either that portion of the story could have been informed vide a background narrative or Neil given a greater role. Is it not paradoxical that the movie named “Wazir” has no role for the character “Wazir”? Same holds true for John Abraham (SP) whose short burst is a meaningless addition. Murli Sharma – a fine actor – is not properly utilized; post his outstanding performances in “Main Hoon Na” “Baby” et al he deserved a longer role.  Manav Kaul - who plays a Kashmiri Politician – impresses with his glaring looks & menacing triceps, but his character remains unexplained; why did he indulge in the inhuman act of massacre? Perhaps, the director did not want to delve into the Kashmir cauldron covered as it was in great detail by Vishal Bharadwaj in “Haidar”; that however proves to be the movie’s undoing. Lest the similarity of the political party that Manav represents sounding similar to a local party in the valley, inviting defamation charges, the director covers himself with a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie.

The editing is taut restricting the movie is about 100 min & the script by Vidhu VInod Chopra & Abhijat Joshi – of the Munnabhai fame - is good for it is different from the usual fare; only regret is that it could have been handled better. A slightly romantic addition between Farhan & Aditi at the beginning of the movie would have helped the music directors to add variety to the otherwise soulful yet melancholy scores; likewise delving deeper into Manav’s character, in the 2nd half of the movie,  would have helped untangle his sinister game plans and given the audience a perspective on Kashmir.  Amitabh excels as always with his effortless grace & Aditi is outstanding, allowing her eyes to emote & do all the talking as a grieving mother & an angry wife.  Farhan has a one-dimensional look – a brooding one - throughout the movie but looks his role as an ATS officer; perhaps his physical build up for "Bhag Milkha Bhag" helped. He smiles only twice in the movie – once at the beginning of the movie -  during his marriage - & the other at the end of the movie when the suspense is revealed.

Overall a movie high on promise & short on delivery; expected Bijoy Nambiar to do a better job.