WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
In the heat and pain of betrayal, can anyone truly say they know what actions would emerge in response? When something so dear and close to the heart is unceremoniously stripped away in a stunned haze of confusion and hurt–how does the soul take ownership of it? In 1959, decorated Indian naval officer, Commander Rustom Pavri (Akshay Kumar), leads a blessed and adventurous life of service to his country and unfailing loyalty to his beautiful wife, Cynthia (Ileana D’Cruz). Even when on mission, Rustom’s mind is never far away from his beloved, even as she often struggles with his absence. Taking on a new 6-month tour against her wishes, Rustom still holds fast to his love for her and the promise of his return.
However, the circumstances change unexpectedly and with a harsh reality for Rustom when coming home to surprise Cynthia, only to ultimately discover a broken trust via a now-revealed lover, wealthy businessman Vikram Makhija (Arjan Bajwa). Shocked and angered, his eventual confrontation with Cynthia then leads to an apparent fatal decision which threatens to destroy his own life and any chances of possible reconciliation for his marriage–he kills Vikram. Taken to court for murder at the behest of Vikram’s embittered sister Preeti (Esha Gupta), Rustom pleads innocence to the charge and finds himself embroiled in a case that goes well beyond infidelity, all involving other officers and high officials. As the truths begin to materialize, Rustom’s fate and future hang in the balance.
Next, my Mind:
In only his second outing in the lead director’s chair, Dharmendra Suresh Desai takes on this based-on-true-events effort and successfully presents a decent legal drama which ultimately benefits from some excellent casting and solid pacing to carry the viewer through. Some might find the generally slower pace of the narrative a bit tedious, especially if not familiar with films of this type of theme and execution, but that said, baring with it does pay off in the end. The visual look of the film is also sufficient in portraying the late 50’s timeframe the story takes place within, from period wardrobe, classic vehicles, and home décor. Additionally, the mood and tone of events is enough to keep one’s interest. Some overall aspects of the production didn’t pass the quality test compared to the seriously high standards so many Bollywood efforts have exhibited in recent years, especially 2016, but again, it remains adequate to its task.
A total high point of the film is, of course, the impeccable Akshay Kumar who emotes his way through a performance that has equal parts bravado and understated dramatic edge. Delivering Rustom as a man of passion, dedication, loyalty to country and wife who faces the agonizing pill of heartbreak and subsequent rage-fueled choices, Kumar navigates all of this emotion efficiently as he always does. D’Cruz also finds her inner emotional turmoil and lets it lose as Cynthia, the object of both Rustom’s undying love and resentful distress. Her pleading for forgiveness is sincere, and not overtly melodramatic as can often happen when trying to convey it realistically and convincingly. The two play off each other well and showcase a couple torn apart, but ultimately longing for redemption.
Well enacted supporting roles are supplied by Bajwa as the instigator of Rustom’s conundrum, the arrogant and manipulating Vikram, while Gupta certainly seeps venom as the scheming, calculating Preeti. Additional kudos to Pawan Malhotra for his role as the determined Senior Inspector Vincent Lobo, whose own search for the truth adds some more intensity to events. Round the film out with key turns from Anang Desai, Kumud Mishra, Sachin Khedekar, Parmeet Sethi, Indraneel Bhattacharya, and Kanwaljit Singh, and “Rustom”, buoyed by its two main leads, is worthy ensemble project to take in for a slightly different but still enjoyable film.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
