The first thing that strikes you while watching Thar is that it’s shot in some stunning locations. Several films have been filmed in Rajasthan. However, the makers of Thar have found some virgin locales, never before explored on celluloid. This itself makes the film worth watching. The background score is of world cinema standards while certain scenes and shot taking remind one of the cowboy, western films. A few developments are unexpected. Sadly, the side tracks are needlessly forced into the film and take up screen time. The dilemma of the cop character, too, doesn’t come out well. Certain questions, meanwhile, remind unanswered till the end. The finale is just okay and should have been nail biting. Speaking of performances, Anil Kapoor, as always, is too good and ensures that his character looks different from his earlier cop avatars. Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor does better than his previous films and impresses, despite mouthing minimal dialogues. Fatima Sana Shaikh delivers a praiseworthty performance. Satish Kaushik is dependable. Jitendra Joshi leaves a mark and is apt for the part. Mukti Mohan, Nivedita Bhattacharya and Mandana Karimi are fine in supporting roles. Rahul Singh is poor while Akshay Oberoi is wasted. All in all, Thar works due to the performance and technical aspects and suffers due to the writing and weak climax. Average fare.

My rating - ** ½ out of 5!