Direction: Ashwni Dhir
Rating: *1/2
Ajay Devgn's Diwali gamble didn't quite pay off this time. A film like 'Son of Sardar' can work on two accounts, either on the merit of star power or on the quantity/quality of amusing gimmicks that the makers can pack in. However, with a flimsy plot and inadequate humour, the story fails to take off.
Simply put, it is a bloody revenge saga where Jassi (Ajay Devgn) and Billu (Sanjay Dutt) belong to the opposite camps. Jassi comes to India to sell off an ancestral property and wants nothing to do with the existing family hostility but the Sandhus are still waiting to settle the score. Predictably he falls in love with Sukh (Sonakshi), the girl from the enemy camp and he must now, not only fight for his life but also his love.
Jassi discovers that the only way to save himself is to remain a guest in the Sandhu household and thus, follows tedious hide-and-seek sequences where the Sardar tries to pull off one daft trick after the other to avoid the talwar. The action sequences and the gags don't pack in enough punch to lift the sagging narrative.
Sanjay Dutt's angry/soft flip-flop and his incomplete love story with Pammi (Juhi Chawla) make for the few moments of genuine laughter. Rest of the humour and the funny one-liners are either oft repeated or annoyingly slapstick. Sonakshi is spot on as the perky Punjabi kudi.
I don't care if the film is a remake or if it's inspired from elsewhere, as long as it is well done. Every once in a while, I love nothing better than a mindless comedy where you can put logic and sensibilities aside and just enjoy the film. However, the film needs to entertain, some good music, witty antics, well-directed action sequences peppered with some Bollywood masala'; sadly 'Son of Sardar' has none of these elements.
