Movie: Shivaay (U/A)

Rating : 4.5/5

The last time an Ajay Devgn film released on Diwali was SON OF SARDAAR, a complete family entertainer. This time, Ajay Devgn is back after a gap of 4 yrs (in terms of Diwali release) and presents his magnum opus SHIVAAY. I had to struggle a lot to watch it. I got to watch it on first day of its release, the best thing above all. I enjoyed the film thoroughly and I can assure that Ajay Devgn has a winner this time.

SHIVAAY is an action packed emotional thriller that has an engaging drama too. Directed by Ajay Devgn himself, this film has every single element present in a perfect Diwali entertainer. High on thrilling action and production values, SHIVAAY is the perfect film to watch on Diwali, with family.

Ajay Devgn rules the screen with his powerful performance. His entry sequence is one of the best sequences of the film. Abigail Eames as his daughter does a good job. Actresses Sayyesha and Erika do their respective parts well, along with the other cast too which leaves a good impact.

The story and screenplay are both excellent, and the VFX will leave you stunned forever. SHIVAAY got the National Award for Best VFX, and it rightly deserves it. The action sequences are just amazing and like never seen before. All the action scenes are well choreographed and shot, and are the highlight of the film. The cinematography is another major positive point. the music of the film is good. Some sequences are just excellent, like the opening scene and the interval blockade - it was really amongst the best ones ever seen.

Overall, SHIVAAY is an excellent action entertainer that is likely to win hearts all over. Given the fact that it has impressive action, visual effects, story and a well-written screenplay with some memorable dialogues, there's no doubt that this is Ajay Devgn's best and biggest film till date. A perfect treat to be enjoyed with family and kids!

he falls , he flies, he is shot by a gun, he is hit hard on his head but he still survives n wins over those deadly goons..Ohh come on

Festivals like Diwali, Eid etc, are eagerly awaited by Bollywood hoping to cash in on the extended weekends. Due to this, film makers announce their releases usually a year in advance in order to avoid a tussle at the box-office. Even then at times, mud slinging has occurred between rival camps when both of them vie for the same dates. This year, Ajay Devgn had "Shivaay" hit the screens on the same day as "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" & it had stirred a controversy prior to release when the "attention seeker" Kamaal Khan claimed that he was offered money by one camp to bad mouth the other (only God knows, whether anyone would seek this idiot's help). Anywaz this wasn't the first time that Ajay was involved in a controversy coz in 2012 as well, he claimed his "Son of Sardar" was denied screens in favour of "Jab Tak Hai Jaan". Well his movie came in second at that time, but will there be a shift in momentum this time around???

Shivaay (Ajay Devgn) was a Himalayan mountaineer who made a living arranging trekking expeditions. During one of the treks, he saves a Bulgarian female named Olga (Erika Kaar) from an avalanche which provides fodder for a romantic relation to develop between the two. Their relation leads to her being pregnant much to her dismay but she decides to bear the child for Shivaay. However, after the birth of their daughter, Gaura; she leaves her in the care of Shivaay & returns to Bulgaria. Gaura (Abigail Eames) was made to believe that her mother had passed away but she gets to know the truth & coax Shivaay into taking her to Bulgaria to meet her mother. Will she get to meet her after all they had no clue about her whereabouts???

This is the second directorial venture of Ajay after "U, Me Aur Hum" which was pretty average & failed to impress the audience. Scripted by himself, the basic thread is definitely inspired from Liam Neeson's "Taken" & he has tried to showcase the emotional connect between the father & daughter in addition to the high octane stunt sequences. He is basically a one man army who vanquishes the enemies with his brawn while there doesnt seem to be any specific planning as everything seemed to work like clockwork. On the positive side, most of the stunts are well choreographed & gives the movie a racy feel in some portions. Aseem Bajaj has done an impressive job with the cinematography but the editing by Dharmendra Sharma was pathetic as it's damn long with numerous scenes that could have been easily chopped off. With regard to the music, Mithoon has done a decent job with the BGM.

The director in Ajay, seemed like he couldnt get enough of himself & ended up being present in almost all the scenes. He has done an earnest job as the protagonist & as always rocked in the action sequences. Abigail Eames might have been mute, but even then she performed reasonably. As for the rest, Sayesha Saigal & Erika Kaar was average while Girish Karnad was wasted.

Verdict: The box-office collection will be dependent on the single screens as the mutiplexes are likely to favour ADHM. The stunt sequences are the USP of the movie while the emotional drama wedged into the movie fails to connect with the audience. With everything at his disposal as he was both the director & producer, Ajay ought to have paid more attention to the story as it did have the potential to be a winner in all centres. In short, watch it for the action or else forget it!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben