If only the flaws had been reduced or ironed out, “Bharat” could have been a classic. It just stops short. But a Salman-Eid whopper is back after a two-year holiday.

John Abraham is sincere but is handicapped by his poorly-etched character. Mouni Roy and Alka Amin, as his girlfriend and mother, respectively, have nothing to do. Yadav is alright, and so is Anil George as Afridi. Two actors who act competently but are wasted after a long gap are Suchitra Krishnamoorthy as Rehana Kazmi, an Indian journalist, and Shaadab Amjad Khan as Afridi’s son. Sikandar Kher is just okay, his performance clichéd and on the borderline of hamming. The others just fit the bill.

The film, sadly, does not.

As for the overall film, pardon me for the brief and superficial-looking review. For one, this critique is quite adequate to describe this gigantic disappointment. For another, it is an uphill journey to find words, even more, to sit through the inordinate length of the film!

Taapsee is Magnificent in Decent GenY Spin on Tried-and-Tested Template

“Mulk” is a sensitively told sensitizing film that should strike the right note in people with the right sensibilities. In its own way, it is no less patriotic than a “Pad-Man,” “Raazi,” “Raid” or “Parmanu.”

Irrfan Khan is a delight, and I am blunt enough to state that it is after years that we are watching him BECOME the character he plays and not remain yet another variation of Irrfan, the actor. Dulquer Salmaan is confident and right for his role, making an impressive if low-key debut in Hindi. Mithila is just alright, as is Amala. In their brief cameos, Akash Khurana and Beena shine, as does the veteran actor who plays the airport authority handling the consignments that come in. Kriti Kharbanda is fabulous in her cameo. The others do not have anything to do.

Technically, the film is upbeat, though some of the hallucination sequences look tacky, unlike the neater job in “Kaalakandi.” The background score (Sanjay Wandrekar and Atul Raninga) is minimalistic and thus most welcome. Vikram Gaikwad’s make-up, Clover Wootton’s prosthetics, and Viral Thakkar’s VFX help create the world in which Dutt rules. And we loved the re-created sequences from “Munna Bhai MBBS.”

This is a biopic that cannot be missed.

If you are a hard-boiled Salman Khan fan, watch Tips’ “Race 3.” Or else, if you are looking at good entertainment, let us offer “3” sincere Tips: (1) spare yourself 3D agony (the extra dimension was not needed, and the resultant camerawork is needlessly dark); (2) “Race” to your DVD library and watch “Race” instead; and then (3) revisit “Race 2.”

…when the film ends abruptly, we almost feel that the writing and production team has suddenly decided to finish it all, as if to say, “Enough is enough! Let’s get done with it!”

But by then, the audience is already tortured, its patience worn thinner than the plot!

This is an endearing film despite its flaws. Go watch it and, as Wodehouse would often say, “warm the cockles of your heart.”