Shamshera Review: Ranbir Kapoor delivers one of his finest performances

Shamshera Movie Review Rating: 3.5/5

With Shamshera, Ranbir Kapoor returns to cinemas after a long gap of four years. The actor was last seen in superstar Sanjay Dutt’s biopic Sanju (2018), which shattered several records at the box office. Helmed by Rajkumar Hirani, the biographical drama featured Kapoor as Sanjay Dutt while Sonam Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and Vicky Kaushal also played pivotal roles. Since the actor is returning to theatres after a long gap, there is huge excitement around Shamshera. The trailer and songs of the film have received a tremendous response from the audience. It will be interesting to see if they show the same amount of love to the film as well. Our BollywoodMDB reviewer has watched the film and is excited to share with you all his opinion. Keep on reading…

STORY: Shamshera (Ranbir Kapoor), who is the leader of lower-caste tribals known as Khamerans, has only one mission in his life. He wants to free his tribe from the cruelty of merciless police officer Shuddh Singh (Sanjay Dutt) who works in the British army. Shamshera, along with his men, ultimately rises to revolt against Shuddh but, unfortunately, loses his life. After 25 years, Shamshera’s son Baali (Ranbir Kapoor) dreams of becoming an officer himself. He initially hates his late father, but when the truth is revealed, he returns to his tribe and sets out to avenge the death of his father.

HIGHS: It is a delight to see Ranbir Kapoor in a role that is completely different from what he has done before in his 15-year-old career. He plays a dual role in the film – Shamshera and his son Baali – and makes them look entirely different from each other with his versatile performance. The period setting seems to have elevated his performance. The actor is seen in a Hindi film after an excruciatingly long wait of four years and his performance in Shamshera compensates for the wait to some extent. Kapoor has also worked hard on his physique and that is clearly visible on the screen.

Vaani Kapoor is seen as Baali’s love interest. She does not only look glamorous but also has an interesting role. The actress does full justice to her character and emotes really well in some of the scenes.

Sanjay Dutt, as expected, does not disappoint either. The actor plays Daroga Shuddh Singh and has delivered an intense performance. He reteams with Karan Malhotra after Agneepath and the duo manages to create yet another memorable character. He plays his part powerfully and outdoes Kapoor in some of the scenes, thanks to his decades of experience.

The background score, music, and cinematography of the film are great. Director Karan Malhotra has taken the best out of every team member.

LOWS: With a runtime of almost three hours, Shamshera seems a little stretched. There is inconsistency in its pace. Sometimes, the narrative moves really fast. Other times, it feels extremely sluggish. Another issue is with the story, which might seem outdated to a lot of people. The second half could have been far better and crispier.

FINAL VERDICT: No one can deny the fact that Ranbir Kapoor is one of the finest actors to have ever graced the silver screen. When he is on screen, you just want to watch him without blinking your eyes. Shamshera is undoubtedly one of his most refined works as an actor. There has to be nothing stopping you from seeing him in a different, larger-than-life avatar on celluloid. Additionally, the period drama has taught direction and a fantastic screenplay as well to keep you engrossed. I am going with 3.5 stars.

Watch Shamshera trailer:

MOVIE CREDITS

Banner: Yash Raj Films

Director: Karan Malhotra

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vaani Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt

Runtime: 159 Minutes