'D-Day' is a brilliant call to Ram Gopal Varma- a reminder to him that his craft in interesting gangster dramas is strong, a call to him to avoid making terrible Mumbaiya flicks and let the audience relish the taste of a heishy, meaty thriller.
D-Day a riveting and exciting in equal parts gangster drama which has the best cinematography capturing the real Mumbai, and interesting performances by Arjun Rampal and Irrfan Khan leaves you thinking. But I am still pondering of the significance this name- the name of Rishi Kapoor in the film- Goldmine, carries. It's funny, but the movie isn't funny business. Anything reminding you of Satya isn't funny.

Dawood Ibrahim, the most wanted terrorist of India has been fiercely pursued by our Government for years to no avail. So much so, his life has been fascinated to the extent that myths & folklores were being crafted. In recent years, Bollywood has been so fixated by him that movies inspired by his life has been churned out with surprising regularity be it "Company", "D Company" or "Once Upon a Time in Mumbai" The latest to join this bandwagon is Nikhil Advani's "D Day", whose promos & Rishi Kapoor's uncanny similarity to the Don has been the talk of the town.

Iqbal Seth aka Goldman (Rishi Kapoor), the most wanted terrorist of India is on his way to a 5 star hotel in Karachi to attend the wedding of his son. Inspite of foolproof security arrangements by the Pakistani authorities, the Indian undercover agents manages to wreck havoc at the venue but falls short of their plans. Their mission code named "Operation Goldman", the brainchild of RAW Chief Aswini Rao (Nassar) was to kidnap Iqbal Seth & bring him to justice in India. Considering the sensitive nature of the Indo-Pak relationship, the Indian authorities vehemently denies any covert activities in Karachi. In short, the Indian authorities washed their hands off their undercover agents. Without any support, can the team ever make it back to India with or without completion of their mission???

Nikhil Advani is always known to make safe movies with huge stars has taken a detour this time around, with a slicky action flick & sort the help of a set of talented yet uncommon mix of actors. Along with Ritesh Shah & Suresh Nair, he has come with a captivating script which draws inspiration from real life events as well. Equally impressive were the action sequences choreographed by Tom Struthers & Tushar Ray's visuals. Shankar Ehsaan Loy has done a praise worthy job with "Alvida" being the pick among the lot. Though the film has its own share of melodrama & predictable climax, there is no denying that it still makes for an enjoyable watch.

Frankly speaking, I am absolutely floored by Rishi Kapoor's performance. With each passing film he seems to be rediscovering himself & I am damn sure no one else could have done the role of the dreaded terorist with as much ease & flair. Irffan Khan's work doesnt need much description as he was equally fantastic playing the role of the family man & agent imparting a sense of vulnerability & grittiness at the same time. Arjun Rampal has come up with one of his best performances to date while Huma Qureshi inspite of a small role shows she is here to stay and Shruti Hasan impresses for once.

Verdict: The gritty nature of the film & Ramzan season might not make it an overwhelming favourite at the box office. But the film is definitely bound to garner positive word of mouth which should do good for the film in multiplexes. In short, watch it for the fantastic performances!!!

Rating: 3.25/5

Regards...Ben

But Should Have Been Better

D-Day. A political thriller based on a secret mission by India to capture one of the most wanted criminal hiding in Pakistan. This one is best work of Nikhil Advani after cult Kal Ho Naa Ho. There is some gripping screenplay, nicely sketched characters, a purpose and above all solid acting by three male actors; Always reliable Irrfan Khan, evolving Arjun Rampal and champion of his second innings Rishi Kapoor. Huma and Shruti also do good in their small but important parts. The sub-plots of Arjun- Shruti and Irrfan's family are handled with care and lot of emotion. Although movie fails to end on a high note but you still feel satisfied because there is lot to enjoy and care in this two and half hours long mission. It deserves a watch!!