SHOOL Cast: Raveena Tandon, Manoj Bajpai, Sayaji Shinde, Shri Vallabh Vyas, Baby Avi and Shilpa Shetty Director: E. Nivas Music: Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy Rating: * * * |
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Ram Gopal Verma's Satya focused on the criminal's life whereas his
assistant E.Nivas's Shool focuses on the life of an honest cop in the midst of
corrupt officers and criminals. The film has shades of Arth Satya. The story is of Samar Pratap Singh who is posted in Mothihari district of Bihar. The district is ruled by Bachchu Yadav (Sayaji Shinde), a local MLA since 15 years mainly on the power of violence. No one challenges him inspite of many murders committed by him. The local police officers dread Yadav's dominating power and with regular flow of money from him chose to ignore all his crimes. However, when the honest Samar Pratap Singh is posted here, he refuses to adjust and accept all this. Singh has a difficult dual battle to lead, firstly with the minister-cum hardened criminal and secondly against his own corrupt colleagues. In this fight he loses his job and his family is at the receiving end of the criminals. Finally, out of desperation Singh takes the law in his own hands. The end is a little unconvincing and the scripting could have been more crisper. However the film shows realism and it is the performances which make the film watchable. Sayaji Shinde (after Darmiyaan) has given a powerful performance as a psychopath MLA. He has done full justice to the role and an actor with substance can add value to the film industry. Raveena Tandon in a deglamorised role draws attention and has given a good performance. However, finally the film belongs to Manoj Bajpayee. He has got into the character of Samar. The language, the pain and emotions are to perfection. He had earlier given an award-winning performance as Bhiku Mhatre in Satya. An actor of his intensity comes close to the angry Amitabh Bachchan. In the total tension environment of Shool, the director has put in a nautanki item -- Mein Aye Hoon UP Bihar Lootne by Shilpa Shetty mainly for the front benchers. E Nivas in his debutant directorial venture has shown good potential of delivering good films. |
