Entertaining, but low on passion

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DABANGG IS a cheeky, flashy, happy chadhava (offering) at the altar of the magical, and certainly mental, Salman Khan Genre of Films. The genre of Salman Khan, mind you, is not to be confused with the soulless flexing of Sallu bhai’s super stardom, as in Veer, Yuvvraj etc. No. I’m talking of the evolving genre of Salman Khan films, as in Wanted, and Tere Naam to some extent. This genre’s dhishum-dhishum, pace and adaa are south-inspired (especially Rajni-sir), but its spirit and substance, and tears and triumphs, are all from the Bollywood of Seventies (and, of course, from Sunny paaji). There’s ma, baap, izzat, pyaar and, at the end, dead bad people.

With Dabangg, first-time director Abhinav Kashyap tries to add mythical proportions to this genre. And, to a decent extent, he succeeds. Dabangg is entertaining, funny, psychedelic, crazy and action-packed, but it’s a little low on passion and EQ.

In Laalgunj, Uttar Pradesh, lives the Pandey parivaar -- father Prajapati Pandey (Vinod Khanna), mother (Dimple Kapadia), mother’s son from first marriage Chulbul, and mother’s son from Pandeyji, Makhi. Pandeyji doesn’t care for Chulbul -- perhaps because his own son Makhi is mandh-buddhi (dimwit), or because Chulbul is sautela. Whatever. But stepdad treats Chulbul as a liability. Chulbul resents Makhi, taunts Pandeyji.

Once family discord is established, we take a 21-year leap and land in a bank dacoity. Accompanied to an R.D.-inspired spaghetti western score, Inspector Chulbul Pandey (Salman Pandey) crashes the goonda party, crunches bones, shoots, dances to a ringtone and walks off with the loot. Say hello, he says, to Robinhood Pandey -- Dil se bulbul, dimag se dibang. Chulbul is a little corrupt, but nothing that bothers him, us, or his moustachioed loyal men in khaki.

One yuva neta Cheddi Singh (Sonu Sood) arrives with his tribe of small-time goons and a midget photographer to discuss with Chulbul the money he pocketed and future arrangements. Chulbul insults and dismisses him.

Back in his crumbling house, Chulbul gives all the cash to his mother to keep under lock and key, and resumes snapping at his father and kicking his brother Makhi (Arbaaz Khan).
One day, en route to chasing goondas, Chulbul sees a pretty girl knotting up her blouse. He lowers his gaze, asks about her family, her marriage plans. Rajo (Sonakshi Sinha), a potter, is the local It girl, but her father is a drunkard and her brother appears only to deliver the do-boond message. Chulbul tries hard to patao Rajo, but she rejects his marriage proposal. Chulbul returns home a bit diminished, only to find his mother dead. Pandeyji asks Chulbul to leave his home. Chulbul hides tears behind his shades.
Makhi, too, is in love, with Nirmala (Mahie Gill). But Pandeyji needs dowry money to clear a bank loan. Makhi steals Chulbul’s money and is set to marry Nirmala. Chulbul announces that he will attend Makhi’s wedding with his patni. He does, but at the expense of Makhi’s shaadi.

While Chulbul and Rajo honeymoon in the Emirates and get cosy in bed, Chulbul’s relationship with his brother and father gets worse. Cheedi Singh conspires with Makhi and a cop, Kasturi Lal (Om Puri), and gets a suspension order issued against Chulbul. Chulbul teams up with Cheedi’s boss, state home minister Dayal Babu (Anupam Kher), and frames Cheedi in a hooch case. And so this goes on till Makhi finds himself an unwilling accomplice in a murder.

Dabangg’s climax involves a secret that demands retribution and Cheedi showing off his larger, better-chiselled abs to Chulbul. This is the point where Chulbul’s shirt feels insulted and reacts – it tears itself up and flies off his torso. Rousing drumbeats.

Director Abhinav Kashyap has described Dabangg as a buffet meal which has something for everyone. It is, but, like all buffets, it looks better than it tastes. This is not to say that the film disappoints, but it doesn’t send you off with a grin either.

Though Dabangg’s story is fairly old and it plods through very familiar territory -- pausing at predictable turns, throwing kickass kicks and dancing to a raunchy number at the right time -- Kashyap’s direction is interesting, often quirky. Shot on-location, in several scenes we hear the ambient noise of a tier-three city, and a lot of care has been taken to fill old scenes with interesting new characters and details.

Dabangg opens with a lot of promise. It seems that Kashyap is up to something different, that he will take Salman Khan one step further, that Chulbul will have some real issues, real heartache, complexes even. But Kashyap soon falls back on the same-old and keeps Salman in his comfort zone. Given the unprecedented buzz around the film’s release, Dabangg cruises below expectation.

Yet, the journey is interesting because we are following a gang of boys led by Salman Khan. Chulbul Pandey arrives onscreen to an Omkara-type incantation by Sukhvinder Singh and happy whistles from the audience. Chulbul’s connect with the audience is instant.
Salman’s Chulbul often mumbles to himself what audiences are thinking at that exact juncture – it’s a nice little trick. Chulbul may be a hero out of the Seventies, but he makes fun of clichés even as they play out. Few have the daring to do it, and fewer still the ability to carry it. Salman’s candour is hugely entertaining and his timing is perfect.

Chulbul has an endearing manner of speaking and his dialogues are funny one-liners and must-use insults. He is a killing machine one second and an adorable boy-in-love in the next. With his idiotic antics, swagger and style, Salman makes Chulbul an adorable Salman archetype.
Sonu Sood’s Cheedi Singh, who lives in an akhara and is Hanumanji ka bhakt, has rippling muscles and personality. He’s quite good. Most other stars, however, flit in and out of character, especially Om Puri and Dimple Kapadia. The ensemble of the supporting cast is a talented lot.

Sonakshi Sinha is a big, dusky girl, but she’s stunning and has oomph. There’s a dewy freshness about her and her radiance dissolves some of Salman’s years and lines. Her Rajo’s reserve and namak ruffle Chulbul’s flamboyance and we like that.
Dabangg has some really funny dialogues and it scores high on music, lyrics, item number and art direction. There are several action sequences and most are slick. The computer-generated dying men were awful, though.
For full mazaa and masti of Dabangg, watch it in a single-screen theatre. That’s the world that gets the genre of Salman Khan, and their love for it is infectious.