With films like A Wednesday, Special Chabbis and Baby, Neeraj Pandey has established himself as Bollywood’s go-to director for stories of men in uniform. He has a genuine love and flair for making these worlds come alive.

But Aiyaary is a misstep.

In short, Aiyaary wasn’t just required in Neeraj Pandey’s filmography.

Even though the movie puts together an impressive ensemble cast comprising some of our best actors, it takes a lot of time to establish their characters. A veteran in Neeraj Pandey’s movies, Manoj Bajpayee carries the film on his shoulders.

Aiyaary, which means the act of espionage, is designed as a race between two gifted people who understand the nuances of the country’s defence programmes. Here’s our movie review.

Aiyya-re aiyya! Ye kya kiya re?…Pretty boy Sidharth Malhotra is good in family dramas, but terrible in other films.

For a film like ‘Aiyaary’, there is no scope for any music because of its plot but the film could have been better paced, all thanks to the under-cooked narrative. Aiyaary is a throw away effort from director Neeraj Pandey, where the only saving grace is Manoj’s act.

It’s a bloated, prolonged mess of misplaced purpose that digresses from military misdeeds to animal cruelty.

Aiyaary wants to be a daring thriller that calls out smarmy politicians and arms dealers. But it only fires blanks. It begins with a disclaimer that its storyline is strictly fictional and that it has the utmost respect for the political class and the military establishment. The film lives up to its word. At the end of all the sound and fury, the purported targets are left unscathed. Only one poor cornered ex-soldier puts a bullet through his throat.

As Aiyaary trudges to the finish line, Pandey belatedly throws a housing society scam, clearly inspired by Adarsh. It’s the only part that resonates thanks to Shah in fine form and adorable strays in the frame. Lest it seem that the repute of Indian army is being questioned and its work being discredited Aiyaary hastily celebrates its valour and loyalty. But the film makes the mysterious world of military intelligence a big bore.

This Thriller About A Smart Secret Service Agent Cutting Himself Loose (Gone Rogue) In Itself Is So Loosely Cut (At 160 Minutes) That You Can’t Help But Come Up With Conspiracy Theories On How The Filmmakers Could’ve So Horribly Lost The Plot

Aiyaary’s first hour is engaging because it gives us reason to assume that great twists and turns will unfold at any moment. That promise is unfulfilled in the remaining 100 minutes of the film. Pace and bluster cannot compensate for lack of substance. This wannabe James Bond flick is nothing but a blast of hot air.

Aiyaary is a toothless thriller about a clutch of morally-complex, dapper men-in-uniform who turn against each other, but the reasons for doing so doesn’t get enough play. Watch this at your own risk.

The one thing I look forward to while watching a Neeraj Pandey film is thrill. However, this one left me sitting at the edge of my seat restlessly waiting to gasp. A classic example of a well-intentioned film that isn’t well executed! Watch this one only for honest performances and Sidharth Malhotra’s jaw-dropping good looks.