Terrorists, bombs n bullets, anti-terrorist squads… Haven't we seen all this and more before? Post 9/11, film-makers across the globe have tried to depict mass-killings and atrocities by terrorist groups and how anti-terrorist squads put up a fight to diffuse the crisis.
After attempting love stories in the past [TUM BIN, AAPKO PEHLE BHI KAHIN DEKHA HAI], Anubhav Sinha's third outing DUS ventures on a different path altogether. DUS is different from films of its ilk because the story takes place in a span of ten days, with the conspiracy being hatched in faraway Canada. The key conspirator plans to wreck havoc when the Indian Prime Minister undertakes a goodwill visit to Canada…
An interesting idea without doubt, but interesting ideas don't necessarily translate into interesting, gripping, riveting, spellbinding 2-hour films.
What could've been an exhilarating thriller, with pulse-pounding moments, ends up being a run of the mill saga, courtesy a half-baked screenplay. Terrorism is a global issue and since DUS goes beyond the shores of India, the writers could've used their imagination and packed the film with moments that would've made your jaws fall on your knees.
The problem here is, every person talks about the much-dreaded terrorist [who is holed up in Canada], the terror associated with his name, his vast syndicate, his evil intentions, his nefarious activities… but when a lone member of the anti-terrorist squad corners the kingpin in the end, he comes across as a ordinary gangster, with no empire, no henchmen, no support-system to back him. So, what was this hullabaloo all about?
Director Anubhav Sinha tries to camouflage the defect [lackluster screenplay] with stylish execution, great music, hair-raising stunts, eye-filling visuals, but let's not forget that the moviegoer wants to listen to a captivating story at the end of the day. Everything else is secondary!
Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Zayed Khan and Shilpa Shetty work for the anti-terrorist cell. They get to understand that a dreaded terrorist in Canada [of Indian origin] is set to wreak havoc when the Indian Prime Minister is supposed to visit Canada, killing thousands of innocent civilians in the process.
Sanju instructs Abhishek and Zayed to reach Canada and thwart the mission. On their arrival, they meet Esha Deol, who is entrusted the responsibility of helping them accomplish this arduous task. Suniel Shetty, the local cop, follows them since they're driving rashly. But they're confronted by gunmen at this point and Suniel gets injured.
Meanwhile, they kidnap Pankaj Kapoor, one of the henchmen of the terrorist, and try to extract information from him. And the search for the terrorist begins...
DUS is modeled on the lines of a Hollywood flick. You realize you're all set to watch a slick flick at the very outset [the film begins with the stylish and snazzy 'Dus Bahane']. The sequence thereafter -- the squad diffusing a bomb placed in a vehicle -- is expertly executed. In the following sequence, the squad reveals the conspiracy when they meet the Home Minister. So far, so good!
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