Film Review: TEZZ

I was surprised that Priyadarshan had moved on from his mindless comedies to make this thriller. More so as it was good! 

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Zayed Khan, Boman Irani, Sameera Reddy, Kangna Ranaut, Mohanlal
Director: Priyadarshan
Editing: T.S. Suresh


I expected a lot of violence on seeing the promos and was not at all keen to see this movie. The two-star rating given by Mumbai Mirror was not very encouraging either. But as Venkat and Vinitha were keen to see the film, I tagged along.

THE STORY

The film begins with the British Court imparting the judgement that Aakash Rana (Ajay Devgn) is to be deported from England. Aakash is an engineer who is married to Nikita (Kangna Ranaut), a UK citizen. His papers are under process and the law insists that his earning his living in England is illegal. The film continues four years later when Aakash returns to England and meets Adil Khan (Zayed Khan) who used to work with him. Adil and his girlfriend Megha (Sameera Reddy) are also illegal immigrants. The three of them plot a scheme to make the British government pay them. They plant a bomb on a train and hold 500 passengers hostage while demanding 10 million Euros. Watch the film to see whether they succeed in their venture.

MY PERCEPTION

I was surprised that Priyadarshan had moved on from his mindless comedies to make this thriller. More so as it was good! The 2-hour film moved fast, the story weaving in and out of the past and the present. Special kudos to T.S. Suresh for his editing skills! That’s what made the film worth watching more than anything else.

Anil Kapoor plays Arjun Khanna who retires from the British Anti Terrorist Force. He is called back on duty the very next day to get to the bottom of the train bombing. While Anil Kapoor has won very few awards, the actor has consistently delivered and has made a conscious effort to reinvent himself at every point. He has one more feather in his cap with this film where he has done a very good job of chasing the crooks. He has a chunky role to boot. More than Ajay Devgn who plays the main character.

Ajay Devgn as Aakash Rana did not have much to do in the way of acting. To begin with, his role was not all that big with so many others taking up screen space. Then again, playing a serious man is not too difficult for the actor as he probably had to just be himself.

Zayed Khan was not too bad in that he has done his best which is not much.

Sameera Reddy has done a good job, her acting skills a bit more challenged than usual as she has very little to talk. Her eyes do quite a bit of speaking while she rides the bike. I have been reading a lot of hype about Sameera Reddy’s bike riding skills. If she has done the stunts herself, then I can only say ‘WOW’!

The first prize goes to Kangna Ranaut. While the actress had but a small role to play and comes in a handful of scenes, she has emoted absolutely beautifully. Considering that she did not know the ‘A’ of acting at the beginning of her career, Kangna Ranaut has come a very long way. Congratulations, Kangna! Way to go!

Boman Irani plays the role of Sanjay Raina, the Railway Control Officer. While it falls upon Sanjay's shoulders to ensure the safety of the train with 500 passengers on it, he is also a tense father who's young daughter is one of those on the train. Boman Irani is a versatile actor who has played many character roles. He has portrayed Sanjay Raina simply beautifully and definitely adds value to the film.

Tezz has not done all that well at the box office while most of the publications have given the film an ‘okay’ review. The trouble is that we all tend to compare actions films – Agent Vinod is another case in point – with Hollywood films. We also keep pointing out scenes from foreign films that are maybe similar and how it could have been done much better, etc. I don’t see the sense in that. Watch the film for what it is. It has been made very well and is quite an interesting watch with the actors playing their roles to a ‘T’.

VERDICT: It’s definitely worth a see if you like thrillers!

RATING: ***1/2 Snazzy (almost)

* Silly
** Shaky
*** Smart
**** Snazzy
***** Super