Harshdeep Kaur, whose Uff (Bang Bang) is creating a splash, talks about Sufi singing and reviving Punjabi folk
Lakshmi V (BOMBAY TIMES; November 14, 2014)

The final quarter of the year is always exciting as some of the biggest and most exciting films hit screens. And the season of the biggies this year commences with Bang Bang, a film that looked like a must-watch fare from the promos. Thankfully, it fulfills expectations and turns out to be one of the most exhilarating and exciting films in recent times!

The story of the movie: Harleen Sahni (Katrina Kaif) is living a lonely life in Shimla. She has never dated anyone and her quest for having someone in her life leads her to bump into Rajveer (Hrithik Roshan). Harleen finds him immensely desirable and charming and she falls head over heels for him. But soon, she realizes that he’s on a mission and police, criminals..all are desperately searching for him. Circumstances compel Harleen to be with Rajveer. Harleen is unable to figure out whether Rajveer is fighting for something right or he is a criminal, as per the claims of the government authorities.

Bang Bang is grand and highly entertaining from the word ‘Go’. The makers really played it well by not revealing much about the film’s plot and the supporting characters. Hence, from the very start, there would be surprises for viewers as some prominent actors make an appearance and play significant parts in the film. Hrithik and Katrina’s entry scenes are damn exciting but the real fun begins with the action and chase scenes. Each and every such sequence is clapworthy and makes for a great watch! Also, the narrative travels many places – from Shimla-Delhi-Dehradun in India to London-Thailand-Greece-Prague-Abu Dhabi abroad. But what’s really praiseworthy is that each and every location change is as per the story’s requirements. Nothing is added for the heck of it or to up the grandeur of the film. Also, few developments might seem unreal and unconvincing at first but in the end, everything falls into place nicely and makes some complete sense. Yup, few scenes are a bit filmy but then so what? Bang Bang never projected itself as a ‘realistic fare’. It’s larger than life and hence, few cinematic liberties are there and no harm in that. Also, it’s an official remake of Knight & Day which also fell in the same league.



However, Bang Bang has its share of blemishes, minor ones though. The film should have had more humour. Few scenes would have made a better impact if it could have raised few more laughs, as was the case in Knight & Day. Also, the song Uff is nicely shot but comes too soon after Tu Meri and hence, unnecessarily thwarts the narrative.

Performance-wise, both Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif are at their best. Hrithik Roshan is splendid and in my opinion, he never looked so dashing. One can’t help but think how cool and charming Rajeev is, all thanks to the splendid performance of Hrithik. The best part is that he’s enjoying the whole process of essaying Rajveer. And he gets to display his dance moves and killer abs as well! In short, Hrithik is going to win a lot of hearts for sure with Bang Bang! Katrina Kaif too proves her worth. She is totally in her character and looks immensely beautiful and sexy. In fact, many other actresses who got launched after her are being termed as the No 1 desirable actresses and something similar. But personally speaking, Katrina is in a league of her own and in terms of desirability, she has no competition! Hats off and here’s hoping she continues to be on numero uno position!





Danny Denzongpa (Omar Zafar) is fine as the villain but doesn’t quite exude fear. Jaaved Jaaferi (Hamid Gul) gets better scope and does very well. Pawan Malhotra (Zorawar) gives a fine performance. Ankur Vikal (Shoaib) is too good and one wishes he had a lengthier role. In fact, he could easily play a full-fledged villain and he proved it with Slumdog Millionaire. Jimmy Sheirgill (Viren) leaves a very huge mark with his special appearance. Kamlesh Gill (Harleen’s grandmother) seems to have been stuck in her Vicky Donor avatar but it’s fun. Pradeep Kabra (Zorawar’s sidekick) is fine and his look is quite interesting. The actor playing Harleen’s new boss is hilarious. Vikram Gokhale (Secret Services chief), Kanwaljeet and Deepti Naval (Rajveer’s parents) are nice in their small roles.

Vishal-Shekhar’s music is great but one wonders if it’ll have a long shelf life. But the songs are well-placed in the film. Tu Meri is the best followed by Meherbaan. Uff is nicely shot but as said before, it comes at a wrong time. Salim-Sulaiman’s background score increases the excitement. Sunil Patel’s cinematography is breathtaking. All the locales of Indian and abroad are shot with finesse. Thanks to him, the film looks quite international! Parvez Shaikh’s action (in consultation with Andy Armstrong) is the highpoint in the film and adds to the fun and excitement in the film. The chase sequence in Shimla, the car chase in East Delhi (neatly disguised as Himachal Padesh…hats off), the flyboarding stunt and the F1 car scene are very well planned and executed and hats off to the concerned team! Abbas Tyrewala’s dialogues aren’t heavy or too filmy and work well. Sujoy Ghosh and Suresh Nair’s screenplay is just perfect. Director Siddharth Anand doesn’t make a mess of a fine script and enhances the film with his execution. The film’s pace is fine – it never goes too fast or turns dragging. Everything has been neatly incorporated – action, romance, drama, family bonding, songs, sizzle and also patriotism! Siddharth has given some great entertainers like Salaam Namaste, Ta Ra Rum Pum and Bachna Ae Haseeno. But he never got his due, I feel. However Bang Bang will take him to dizzying heights!

Some of the best scenes:
1. Viren in London
2. Rajveer gets chased in Shimla
3. Rajveer meets Harleen for the first time
4.  Rajveer removes the bullet
5. Rajveer-Harleen get chased by cops and goons
6. Raveer-Harleen in Pizza Hut
7. Rajveer-Harleen at a secluded island
8. Rajveer-Harleen in Prague
9. The final 15 minutes

On the whole, Bang Bang is a fabulous entertainer that meets all expectations. Hrithik is immensely charming while Katrina looks quite desirable and performance-wise, both are first-rate. Action is top-class and it’s fun to see the numerous chase and fight sequences. The narrative travels so many places, both in India and abroad, but it’s all done as per the script’s requirements and not just to up the grandeur of the film. At the box office, there’s no stopping this film. It will surely be a huge blockbuster…it’s inevitable!

My rating - **** out of 5!

Garima Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; September 4, 2014)