Singham

Singham is an old-fashioned but rousing Hindi commercial film that pretty much restores one's faith in this often-maligned brand of cinema. It has super-duper hit written all over it. No matter how dismissive you might be of films that have no space for shades of grey, chances are that Singham will disarm you, if only for a bit.

Singham isn't all retro stuff, since scam-tainted India finds a voice and a vision in this mainstream kitsch.

'Singham' isn't an unwatchable film, but how many times can you watch bad guys being whipped with a belt? Or heads being pummeled by a bare fist? There is such a thing as overkill, after all. I suspect it's going to make a load of money; I only wish it was a better film. Ajay Devgn fans won't be disappointed.

'Singham' works in bits and pieces, only when Devgn gets fully into his stride, squaring up to Raj as he hits the high notes. The rest is just stitched-up scenery.

All I can personally say about this trend of remaking one-note Southern hits as a viewer is that it's an exhausting one. It is in the tiny victories that we must seek refuge after a film like this: I'm just glad the hero, so eager to peel off his uniform, left his pants on.

On the whole, SINGHAM is a full-on masala film that works big time for varied reasons: The energetic drama, the terrific confrontations, the raw stunts and of course, for the three 'heroes' -- Ajay Devgn, Prakash Raj and director Rohit Shetty. It's a complete package of entertainment for the masses and devoted fans of masala movies. This one is sure to roar at the box-office. It has Blockbuster written all over it!