Dabangg for your buck

 

 

Getting into the skin of Chulbul Pandey would have been perhaps the easiest thing for Salman Khan, given that he was pretty much playing himself – someone with a mischievous attitude combined with a heart of gold. Salman seems to be enjoying every bit of the antics he gets to do on screen (from implausible looking stunts to delivering punch lines specially crafted for the seeti-taali set) and it shows. “Dabangg”, with its plot stitched together from shreds of clichéd story line fabric, seems to revel in celebrating the irreverent (check out the comic book fight scenes and you’ll know) and Salman is the face of that celebration. Sonakshi Sinha also gives a good account of herself and proves an able foil for Salman.

The story is that of Chulbul Pandey, a cop who calls himself Robin Hood Pandey and acts pretty much the same way. Local goon Chhedi Singh (Sonu Sood, trying the hardest he ever has to ape Amitabh Bachchan) doesn’t quite see eye to eye with Chulbul’s methods and decides to manipulate Chulbul’s brother Makhan (Arbaaz Khan, quite average) into acting against him. There are some other subplots that do enough to present one entertaining sequence after the other.

The timing of the film and its over the top execution works wonders to deliver a thoroughly enjoyable ride, one where you’ll keep pointing out mistakes yet get mysteriously enamoured by the silliness of it all. Even the songs have a fun factor about them. And you will have Sallu to thank for that. If you’re going, one suggestion – learn how to whistle!