Top News
‘Rustom’: Akshay Kumar redeems this crime thriller
Film: “Rustom”; Director: Tinu Suresh Desai; Cast: Akshay Kumar, Ileana D’Cruz and Esha Gupta ,Arjan Bajwa; Rating:***
A picture-perfect Naval officer, highly decorated, principled, patriotic and deeply in love with his wife, comes ashore quicker than expected and catches his wife cheating with his best friend.
Since the husband is played by the remarkably evolved Akshay Kumar, we are mercifully spared the hysterical aftermath of an inherently melodramatic crime of passion that shook and stirred Mumbai’s beau monde in the year 1959.
That was the celebrated K.M. Nanavati case, known to change the way we look at the laws regarding crimes of passion.
“Rustom” plucks the core of the crime, unplugs the theme of infidelity from its original context and plays deviously around with the facts to create a semi-fiction ‘what-if’ scenario where the characters hurl towards what the film’s writers would like to think of as an unexpectedly shocking ending.
It’s like watching a true-life crime story from Shyam Benegal, done in Walt Disney studios. The passion and drama feels real, thanks to a solid sincere central performance. But the manner in which the story unfolds suggests that no harm can come to this world of fragile, blemished but unbreakable Utopia.
The director, who last visited London in the year 1920 in London 1920, takes to Mumbai in 1959 with a ferocious fulsomeness. There is a cardboard voluptuousness about the sets, including the courtroom where most of the drama in the second-half unfolds.
The accents are exaggerated and excitable, and the make-up is lush, accented ripe and crimson, as though to highlight the theme’s deep-rooted affinity to Alfred Hitchcock and Brian de Palma’s film noire .
Desai tackles the tender and powerful moments in the plot with all the skill at his disposal. Many of the potentially powerful moments suffer from the want of respite. The pace is breathy and anxious.
The idea is to grab the restless audiences’ attention without inundating them in periodicity. The plot is therefore pulled forward with an urgent tug where we are led to believe that there is more to this crime against infidelity than meets the eye.
By the time the shock end bounces into the stylised courtroom (more akin to B.R. Chopra’s “Kanoon” than Subhash Kapoor’s “Jolly LLB”), we are not left with much room to absorb the enormity of the ‘revelation’
The makers of “Rustom” were right. This is not the Nanavati case that shook Mumbai in 1959. The 1963 film “Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke” was much closer in spirit to the real crime. And the bewitching Leela Naidu as the unfaithful wife…ummm… killed it.
Ileana D’Cruz as the wife is distressfully apologetic and sniveling. Why must her infidelity be seen as an accidental slip and why she be the hand-wringing lip-biting penitent wife who worships her husband for being such a pillar of strength during times of marital adversity?
If only the script had the guts to say that what we all know — that women with absentee husbands do stray from the marital fold — this film could have been a powerful voice for a spouseless wife’s sexual needs the way Aruna Raje’s “Rihaee” was so many years ago.
Instead in “Rustom”, Ileana is shrill and repentant like Reena Roy in “Bezubaan” after photographer Naseeruddin Shah seduced and blackmailed her.
It is all the randy philanderer Arjan Bajwa’s fault, you see. Why oh why did he seduce the wife?
Some of the supporting roles such Bajwa’s philanderer, Esha Gupta as his vengeful sister, Pavan Malhotra as the investigating police officer and Kumud Mishra as Russy Karanjia-modelled tabloid editor, throw forward interesting possibilities but remain shadowy figures meant to contour the heroic dimensions of the main protagonist.
“Rustom” is unmistakably a vehicle to showcase Akshay Kumar’s power to portray spiritual transparency during times of stressful betrayal and deception. He does so with a sincerity that is at times heartbreaking and at other times reassuring.
After “Airlift”, this is one more performance from Akshay that proves he can hold the camera without making overt attempts to get our attention.
Most of the second-half of “Rustom” is a courtroom drama with Akshay fighting his own case. Indicative of the film’s battle ahead.
Top News
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.