Vidhu Vinod Chopra hasn’t directed for a while now, his last release was Eklavya (hush hush, lets not talk about Broken Horses here). I haven’t watched Bejoy Nambiar’s ‘David’ though word of mouth was encouraging. Abhijiat Joshi is our ‘3 idiots and PK’ pen master, hence his involvement does invoke restless expectations. To top it, you have Mr Bachhan and the talented Farhan Akhtar ready to be served as the main dish.
Well, what then would you expect? Mere chess squares with pawns, horses and elephants, with some fizz and thrills thrown in? Wait, there’s more.

Wazir is the first biggie of 2016, and with an illustrious cast and tinkering teaser, no wonder it will brings the crowds in though you can ferociously debate that today is just the 2nd day. Yes, it wont set the cash registers ringing when compared to a la Salman Khan puncher or a Rohit Shetty lull. Courageously, thats not something we deem to expect from a team who gave us some powerful films in the past like Parinda and 3 Idiots. Categorically, no social messages or sensitive collage here, but certainly, the start for a year we usually look forward to.

It isn’t without flaws, let me be honest here. The way the suspected baddie was eliminated will throw you in a fit of tantrums as its a full throttle shame to our system and the myriad politics involved in the dust of filthy money and worst, shameful people and leaders. Yes, I agree that this isn’t the first and there have been less organic portrayals of our national calamities in earlier such celebrated ventures but precariously, we are talking about ATS here. Please, don’t tell me our governance is in such shambles. Second, I truly and completely understand that it’s Bollywood film and we are equipped to ignore such fatalities but my statement is – not from Vinod Chopra films do we expect such noble blemishes. But, a fair statement is a passable one.

Seldom do we see films beginning with a wedding, song and romance amidst a newly born. That was differently placed, and I liked the beginning. Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s films are known for their soul and melancholy moments stitched between aura and plot – this one is no different. Passion of ATS, the loss of a father, the anguish of a mother and wife, the distress of an ageing man who has lost his family in google circumstances and the feeling of a stranger becoming a friend. Relationships are always the backbone of such scripts and the moves are carefully juggled here, aptly over a chess board. The first encounter depicted, by the ATS officer as an angry man who has just lost the apple of his eye was gruelling as the SUV comes toppling down. The scene wherein the Wazir imprisons Pandit ji with his evil intentions before escaping while Pandit ji lies on the floor with his broken limbs blatantly exposed was a stunner.

Mr Bachhan, overtly, once again, steals the show with a stellar performance. He ceases to amaze with each of his roles, especially in the last 10 years. Be it the Alzheimer struck veteran in Black, or the 13 year old ‘progeria’ struck child in Paa, he continues to keep our jaws stuck to the floors.
Farhan Akhtar, is ardently, subdued but does a clean act. Rest of the cast is in and out, with John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh delivering cameo acts (though the former could have been easily negated). The background score and the soundtrack sticks to the script, admirably.

Wazir is almost, a chess(t)-full show. Watch it, for a smart move in the year ahead.