Johnny Gaddaar

Chase Johnny with the pace of your mind

By : Ulhas Shirke

Filmaker Sriram Raghavan made his debut as a director through Ek Hasina thi leaving an impact of his ability to make action packed film. This time he strikes with a suspense filled thriller ;Johnny Gaddar that startles the viewers with every twist that he gives through the screenplay of the film. Five friends of a gang Dharmendra, Zakir Hussain Vinay Pathak, Daya Shetty and Neil Nitin Mukesh( grandson of Late singer Mukesh) come together, after one of them gets an offer from his Bangalore based Police officer friend Kalyan( Govind Namdeo) , to make a fortune in just four days time. And for that they need to contribute their share for the deal. But one of them- Neil goes on to double cross his partners. He is also shown to have an affair with the wife of one of the partners( Rimi Sen) and has other plans cooking up ,with her consent .

It would be unwise to reveal the story of this film, but director Sriram Raghavan has honestly admitted that late filmmaker Vijay Anand and the novels of James Hadley Chase have been his inspiration. This film has nothing to do with the hits like Johnny Mera Naam and Teesri Manzil . In fact, the youngest member of the gang Vikram played by Neil is shown picking up the idea after watching the old Amitabh Bachchan and Navin Nischol starrer suspense film Parwana on television. And, his journey begins. It is at this point, the director takes the clue from a Vijay Anand Leena Chandavarkar starrer film Chor Chor. The only difference is that in the old film, the inspector gets the clue from a torn shirt collar carrying the label of the tailor, whereas in this film, the clue is left below the bonnet of the car with a sticker of a Car repair garage. In Johnny Gaddar he shows you who the killer is, but keeps the other characters guessing. It is only at the end of the film, he gives a final twist to conclude his action packed thriller.

Johnny Gaddar is a start to finish action film that keeps you chasing Johnny ( the name given to Vikram by a Hotel manager), with the pace of your mind. It is a good way of storytelling technique presented by the director on screen and he does it well. Neil, who makes his debut as a hero is almost a look alike of Hrithik Roshan and Dalip Tahil( during his young days) combined together. He perfectly suits in that character of a youngster, willing to do anything for money. Dharmendra is at his best once again, proving that there is still fire left in him. Zakir Hussain ( Sarkar fame) and Daya Shetty ( TV serial CID fame) are at ease in their respective roles and so is Rasika Joshi as Dayas mother. But, it is Vinay Pathak ( as Prakash) and Ashwini kalsekar ( as his wife) steal the show with their wonderful performances. Not to forget Govind Namdeo, who performs with authority.

The film has music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy ; but where are the songs? The director keeps playing his old favourite songs in between few scenes for a change. The camera work is good to match with the action in the film. The film does have few errors but they are minor lapses that may go unnoticed to many in this fast paced film that stretches a bit after interval. An A certificate film Johnny Gaddar makes a good effort to offer something different .

 

Plus Points: It is a good way of storytelling technique presented by the director on screen and he does it well.

 

Minus Points: The film does have few errors but they are minor lapses that may go unnoticed to many in this fast paced film that stretches a bit after interval.