Shivaaya has some of the best breathtakingly good looking shots throughout the movie, an attempt to up the action sequences where it swings pops up to superhuman level and Ajay Devgan at his best acting levels.
Unfortunately, that’s where all the good things I can talk about the movie ends. Yes, there are numerous emotionally charged scenes which are good but when they are in patches and in a 3-hour long movie, what’s the point? The problem is not only it is long, but it feels really long. As a viewer you can’t help but say, “What was the need of this scene?”. Clearly conflict between the director Ajay and the actor Ajay had troubling in cutting down the movie.
Shivaaya is about a mountaineer with superhuman skills of scaling Himalayan peaks like it was the tree in his backyard. He not only helps the Indian Army but also takes completely untrained people to trek or if it’s your 16th Birthday! Not only this, when he gets stuck in an avalanche with the leading ladies, swinging literally in a cliffhanger, he can make out with the ladies. Superhuman skills. And if all this sounds ridiculous to you, then you’re in for a treat.
Comparison with Liam Neeson’s taken were already being made and it was expected to be a Bollywood-version of Taken with added Drama. And even though you see shades of it here in the action-part and some might say even better, there’s just too much of build-up. The first half, comparatively, sails a little smoother as the story unfolds and gets your attention. However, the second half, especially the last 30-40 minutes are bluntly put, “Torturous”.
The actor Ajay has put immense effort to bring his A-game to the table but cannot say the same for direction. The casting of Ajay’s love interest in Erika Karr and his daughter (played by Abigail Eames) are appropriately essential to the storyline. But everyone else appears to have been stuffed in. In order to bring the concept of father-daughter story to the forefront, Ayesha Saigal (who debuts with this movie) and Girish Karnad have a parallel story running as well. Not just that, a forced induction of Vir Das, seems an addition that could have been not needed.
The movie might have worked better if they had tried not to do way too much in making the story complex. It is an honest attempt and filled with amazing action sequences but one can be easily disappointed, all thanks to the expectations.
Shivaaya is definitely avoidable and even if you are an Ajay Devgan fan, the length of the movie is definitely going to put you off.
I’m going with a 1.5 for Shivaaya. It’s a movie which takes too much time to preach its message and bores you out. A mountain will be easier to climb (as Devgan shows :P) than watching this.
Michael Davis
Girish Karnad?
Wow – that’s a name I haven’t heard in ages (literally).
I saw Girish in his first film role in the 1970 film Samskara. That’s about 46 years ago. Not sure if I saw the film in 1970 or a few years later.
It was screened at The Asia Society in New York. They were doing a series on what was called at that time India’s Parallel Cinema, a movement that began in the 1950’s in West Bengal. It helped to bring Indian Cinema to the world.
It was also during this period that I watched a few films that starred Shabana Azmi and Smita Patel.
If you get a chance (meaning if you can find it) Samskara was about the death of a high ranking Brahmin in a Southern Indian state. According to rules, the final rites must be performed asap. But the dead man was anti-Brahmin. He ate meat, drank liquor, and had married a prostitute.
Another man was charged with resolving the issue because the dead man would ‘contaminate’ any who touched him. The man charged with solving the issue was called Praneshacharya. Girish Karnad had the role.
I am disappointed to read your review of Ajay Devgn’s new film. It didn’t open anywhere near where I live. So instead I saw the new Karan Johar film.
Keep up the good work. Thanks.
farooq
It’s interesting to note you remember Girish Karnad from so long. I haven’t seen the movie you mentioned but have heard great things about it. Hopefully soon I’ll watch it. However, I’ve known Girish through various literature festivals here in the city. It is such a pleasure to listen to the man and his views.
Regarding Shivaaya, even I was disappointed as the trailer looked amazing. However, you can judge it on your own when you watch it.
Thanks for reading.