FILM REVIEW: D (2005)

Director: Vishram Sawant
Producer: Ram Gopal Varma
Actors: Randeep Hooda, Goga Kapur, Chunky Pandey, Sushant Singh, Yashpal Sharma, Isha Koppikar and Rukhsar

Radio Sargam Rating: 7/10

‘Ram Gopal Varma’ has changed the face of an Indian Gangster. Remember the yesteryears when gangsters used to wear white suits and shoes to match, puffed in a golden cigar; had funny names and used to live in mansions and dens of their own?

On the contrary a Ramu’s gangster is a common man who has a family and a human side. But he enjoys his profession, loves doing what he is doing. After ‘Satya’, ‘Company’ and to some extent ‘Ab Tak Chappan’ one can say that like ‘Francis Ford Coppola’ no other Bollywood filmmaker has explored the mindset of a Mafia Don like Ram Gopal Verma.

Though Ramu himself doesn’t helm the microphone (film is directed by Vishram Sawant), ‘D’ is a RGV’s film. One can’t help comparing ‘D’ with ‘Company’. Infact we don’t deny the fact that ‘Company’ is supposed to begin where ‘D’ ends. ‘Deshu’ of ‘D’ grows up to become ‘Mallik’ of ‘Company’.

Story:
Deshu (Randeep Hooda) is your average brooding, smoking young man who returns from Dubai to meet his dad a police constable after the death of his mother. His life changes when mafias don, Maangli’s men kill a man in front of him.

Deshu is threatened by both local police inspector to identify the killers while the Bhai warns him against opening his mouth for his own good. Deshu chooses police bashing to the Bhai’s bullet.

He approaches Hashim (Goga Kapur), the rival Bhai, and promises to kill Maangli if he is given a place in Hashim’s gang. He kills Maangli, one of the few hard-to-believe sequences, and wins Hashim’s trust. Raghav (Chunky Pandey) as his trusted deputy.

Slowly, Deshu’s rank in Hashim’s gang rises as the latter starts turning taking Deshu’s advice on every business decision. Hashim’s two sons Mukarram (Sushant Singh) and Shabbir (Yashpal Sharma) start feeling eclipsed by Deshu’s presence in the gang.

As the rift widens Hashim packs Deshu’s bags and sends him to Gujarat. The tension builds up with each passing incident and the Hashim’s two sons decides to settle the scores. Their first target is Raghav and then Deshu’s bar dancer wife (Koppikar). Deshu manages to escape.

What happens when the Gujarat gangster Gangaram (Jeeva) tries to broker piece between the two warring factions is the climax of the movie!

Crtitique:
Why ‘D’ after ‘Company’? ‘D’ doesn’t have anything new to offer to its viewers. The blood and gore is there. The message – those who live by guns die by guns – was omnipresent in ‘Company’. There are not many facets of a Gangster’s life RGV has left untouched. But Vishram Sawant has managed to build a captivating narrative. The movie never looses its steam from the first frame to the last. The steam keeps simmering and post interval the chills and thrills reach on an all time high.

The sequence where Randeep settles scores with Hashim Bhai’s sons is brilliantly executed sequence.

The background score adds to the movie, taking off just when the dialogues totter on the verge of becoming dragging. But the songs are an uncalled for diversion for a fast-paced movie like ‘D’.

Randeep Hooda is another RGV discovery and boy he has star value. His voice and screen presence reminds you of one Mr. Bachchan. He has in him to be the angry young man the film industry seeks today. Chunkey makes a terrific comeback. Sushant Singh, Yashpal Sharma and Ishrat Ali are also good. Goga Kapoor is also terrific.

Among actress both Rukhsaar and Isha Koppikar make their presence felt.

The superb casting is the major plus point of ‘D’. Apart from the leading protagonists, even the realistic cameos by small actors enthrall viewers.

Bottom Line:
Don’t’ look for a moral in ‘D’. It is just good cinema you have been looking forward to this year.

Credit: This review was submitted by Ankit Jain of Footprints.in. They run their own movie Blog at DCECinemas. To submit your own review for posting on radiosargam.com please email.

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