‘Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3’, with an ‘A’ certification, seems more an exercise in titillation than an attempt at recounting a twisted tale about complex characters. The latest edition is no match for the intrigue and the craft that was at display when Dhulia directed the prequels. Without any FOMO, you can give this a wide berth.

That statement could well be directed at the makers of Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3. The title has a resonance thanks to the impact that the film’s two predecessors had made. Frittering it away on a flimsy Russian roulette-style effort isn’t a good idea. So when the team decides to come up with another follow-up – the final moments of this film suggest that the fourth may not be far away – it will have to go all guns blazing. Or not at all.

The weakest of the trilogy, this story takes exceedingly long to set up the key players and their motivations. Dhulia does end part three neatly poised for a follow up. That might work too, as long as Gill and Sheirgill are at the epicentre and the gangster is not required to dance and sing romantic songs amidst sand dunes.

The first two Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster films were gratifying action-and-vengeance-packed rides. This one is just okay.

aheb Biwi Aur Gangster follow a template. The films are based in the hinterlands and infused with local flavours and nuances.

The Saheb Biwi aur Gangster movies have thrived on the combination of sex, power, lies and backstabbing but this time around Dhulia is low on ideas, humour and most importantly a compelling narrative.

Out of place wit, flimsy motives, clumsily picturised songs, dispensable characters, phony instances of adultery and a parody of a climax ensure there is no hope for Dhulia’s depthless, disappointing, drama.

There’s random sex, flirtation and dropping of the sari pallu — none of which is aesthetically pleasing. The film has no memorable songs either and even fails to move you with a cover of the popular Lata Mangeshkar song, Lag Ja Gale. With a hint of another sequel, either Dhulia takes a hard look at the relevance of this franchise, or convinces Salman Khan for a ‘he is the bhai’ edition and mint money.

Sanjay Dutt’s screen time is too less to feel his presence in the film especially in the first half.

It’s a crowded film, and several characters get short shrift: Soha Ali Khan, as the permanently inebriated ‘second wife’ of Saheb, is blink-and-miss. There’s too much scatter-shot action, with the plot all over the place.

The royals of Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 patronise obscure traditions and look more ancient than a ‘70s film. It offers nothing other than a niggling ache. It’s certainly a question mark on Tigmanshu’s otherwise satisfactory filmography.

If only this series had revolved around some deliciously convoluted method to eliminate real gangsters – imagine Saheb and Biwi’s mind games as a warped brand of social vigilantism. If a criminal can’t be rehabilitated, simply throw him into their clutches. But alas, this country will run out of figurative gangsters before an Indian couple acknowledges divorce as a solution.

It’s a shame then that Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 never hits the higher notes of Dhulia’s earlier films. It’s a good reminder that a bigger budget and bigger scale don’t necessarily make for a better film.

With so many characters there is often a problem of plenty, but with taut writing and an unpredictable narrative, writers Sanjay Chouhan and Tigmanshu Dhulia manage to stay ahead of the curve. Of course, Dhulia falls prey to usual pitfalls of a forgettable item number and a totally avoidable love song, but what redeems him are the crisp punch-packed dialogues, which are less dramatic and more effective. Overall, with a screenplay that surprises and performances to match, SBG3 successfully takes the legacy forward with minor bumps on the way.