Thugs Of Hindostan Movie Review: A Sinking Ship…

It’s 1795 and the British East India Company is strengthening its foothold in India trying colonize Indian kingdoms by hook or by crook and this sets the premise of the year’s biggest film Thugs of Hindostan but this movie is a classic case of oonchi dukaan, feekey pakwaan.

Thugs Of Hindostan

British officer Clive, is a tyrant and he wants to capture Mirza Sikander Beig’s Raunakpur. He kills him and his family however, his young daughter Zafira escapes death as Mirza’s loyalist, Khudabaksh whisks away the little princess.

11 years pass by and we meet the thug of all thugs, Firangi Malla, a mercenary, who betrays anyone and everyone just to make a few extra bucks. Meanwhile, Khudabaksh and Zafira have formed a strong army and have started the idea of Azad.

Thugs Of Hindostan

British Army takes Firangi’s help to know Khudabaksh and his army’s whereabouts and what happens then forms the rest of the plot. The story is very predictable and clichéd and it’s not hard to guess the course that the film would take.

That Aamir Khan is a superb performer is a fact that we all are aware of and while he does liven up the dreary film with his delightful appearance and roguish charm, it only makes this senseless film a little bearable. Firangi is not a memorable character either and we wonder what made the perfectionist give his nod of approval to this lame script.

Thugs Of Hindostan

The film has another heavyweight in the form of Amitabh Bachchan and while Big B is an outstanding actor, his Khudabaksh looks overburdened by the weight of his armour and his sword. Khudabaksh is a hardened soldier, a man of principles and his character is a complete contrast to that of Aamir’s. Bachchan Senior adds a lot to his character with his baritone and intense gaze.

Katrina Kaif is looking stunning as Suraiyya but sadly that’s all we can say about her as the makers have only focused on her physical beauty. Her role is an extended cameo as she has just one or two scenes along with two dance numbers. But boy she can dance!

Thugs Of Hindostan

Fatima Sana Shaikh is playing Zafira, a skilled archer trained by Khudabaksh himself. Fatima has one expression throughout the film and though she has a meatier role than Kat, she fails to impress.

The screenplay is too loose, senseless and all over the place. The only thug in the film is Firangi, Khudabaksh and his army are rebels, who want Azadi from the British and thus, the title ‘Thugs Of Hindostan’ is not justified.

Vijay Krishna Acharya has written and directed the film and therefore he is solely to be blamed for this massive mess. He has neither written a strong script nor has he executed it well. The film has been mounted on a grand scale but even then, it’s not visually appealing thanks to bad direction and poor visual effects.

Thugs Of Hindostan

TOH is not even a well-researched movie and it’s difficult to sit through this disaster of a film. The costumes and the props however are good but we were left a tad bit disappointed by the action scenes. The film neither thrills nor gives you an adrenaline rush.

Thugs Of Hindostan

The dialogues are mediocre and while the songs are good, the background score is too overpowering at times. The trite film defies all logic and you often wonder why the characters are doing what they are doing. The makers have left scope for a sequel but I strongly suggest that they shouldn’t even think about it.

Watch this movie if you have nothing better to do. If you are an Aamir Khan fan you should definitely give this movie a miss.