Stripped to its bone, Rensil D’silva’s Kurbaan is an edge-of-the-seat thriller that seldom loses its grip on your attention. Credible performances from its leads, and a nail-biting screenplay make up for the plot holes that threaten to eat into this otherwise engaging film.

Kurbaan sure does strike a chord and sets you thinking on stuff that needs to be sorted out before the new world order – a more humanitarian, less violent – sets in. Don’t miss it.

Rensil D’Silva makes a confident debut with his taut grip on the subject and confident direction. Of the few loose ends, Riyaaz’s quest to deal with the terrorists without any help from the cops looks both, needlessly heroic and unpersuasive. Also it seems quite improbable that the terrorists do not learn his identity till the climax though he is a popular television reporter. Though the lovemaking song between Saif and Kareena is sensually shot, it is employed to corny effect.

Kurbaan is bloody smart. In its taut screenplay, stylish photography and good performances by the cast, it keeps you engaged, does not insult your intelligence and avoids getting preachy. And that’s saying a lot for a film by a debutant director.

Many storytellers have, in the past, narrated stories about terrorists and their nefarious and despicable plans. But let me state one thing categorically. You haven’t watched a more profound, a more thought-provoking, a more dramatic story on this subject before KURBAAN. It’s not just the most powerful film to come out of Dharma Productions, it’s the most powerful film to come out of the Hindi film industry this year, thus far.

Neither preachy nor wanting to make a statement, Kurbaan keeps it simple. It’s a thriller that tackles terrorism and the Islamic viewpoint with maturity and depth. Packed with powerful performances, it’s a must- watch for its technical brilliance and captivating storyline.