Movie: Sultan
Direction: Ali Abbas Zafar
Cast: Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma, Randeep Hooda, Amit Sadh
Music: Vishal-Shekhar
Cinematographer: Artur Zurawski
Editor: Rameshwar S Bhagat
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance, Sports
Rating: ∗∗∗∗
What is it about: This film is about a Romeo, who aspires to be a wrestler just to win love. But the kiddish infatuation takes Sultan in to a new chapter in his life, what happens further forms the crux of the story with interesting turn of events directed by Ali Abbas Zafar.
Why it’s disappointing: I personally didn’t find anything fault, because it was derived well for film of this stature.
What to watch out for: This film by Ali Abbas Zafar has everything you could expect from a blockbuster releasing on EID with Salman Khan playing the lead. The film beautifully goes back and forth between the present and the past, which was narrated well Ali Abbas Zafar. You may definitely argue on the length of the film, which I would say was the best. Because films of these kind need the patience, which will give room for more exploration and to run deep in to the characters.
Another highlight of the film was the characters, everyone character had its importance and was perfectly fit played by respective actors.
Salman Khan, he’s a favourite of millions. But somehow it always felt that he could do more than what he’s capable of and in “Sultan” he fulfilled that wish. He played the character with great dedication and with lot of emotions which clearly reflects on screen. He pans through every phase of the character with no compromise. And the timeline of his look was perfectly maintained by the makers, which made this more interesting and the travel was seamless. You can see a different Sallu Bhai, who emotes, fights, romances and dances to the tunes laid by the screenplay. Sometimes good script brings out the true actor in an artiste and we got to see a Salman which we haven’t seen before. He captures your heart and attention right from the first frame. The scenes involving wrestling and fights were gracefully played out by Salman Khan. I would say one of the best till date.
Anushka Sharma, one may say she didn’t have much of a screen space. That’s definitely wrong because her character is around throughout the film and the whole premise is built around her character “Aarfa”. She played the role with utmost diligence and the chemistry with Salman was great. She brought the grit which Aarfa needed and at the same time it had a soft touch to it. She was a perfect fit to that attire and was a great match for Sultan.
Randeep Hooda, he did a guest appearance but one which will register strong in your head. As Sultan’s coach he was perfect match for the attitude and he made that possible with the gritty performance.
Amit Sadh, who was seen in a right role after “Kai Po Che”. He played the role as if it was tailor made for him. He perfectly filled in the shoes given to him and gave a commendable performance.
Another noteworthy character of the film was Sultan’s best friend Govind played by Anant Sharma, he was a hilarious one and have shown great potential which will be appreciated by many. He breaks the tension with his effortless comedy which makes this one more interesting.
The rest of the cast followed the central cast with great dedication making this a great ensemble.
The film has great cinematography which was perfectly captured by Artur Zurawski, he went to nook and corner of the ring and had a great eye for the landscapes. The cinematography was racy and delectable. The film being quite long doesn’t tire you, one main reason a perfect edit by Rameshwar S. Bhagat, who patched it with great intensity, which keeps you hooked.
The music of the film by Vishal-Shekhar was great and was in sync with the film’s mood. All the songs were enjoyable with perfectly shot videos. The background score Julius Packiam was gripping, he’s one of the best Bollywood has got.
The film is based on a sport which requires good assistance in making it look genuine. And Larnell Stovall was a great find to make this a convincing one. He trained the actors well enough to carry off the wrestling with great diligence. The action choreography was great, and keeps the audience at their toes during the fights. All the performers as wrestlers were professionals and did their part with great dedication.
There are several moments in the film which could be recalled to cherish it later. I don’t want to point out the situation in the film, which might kill the mood. Watch it for yourself and enjoy the film.
Verdict: Ali Abbas Zafar gave a film which enhanced the artiste in Salman Khan. Thus resulted a character and a film which holds strong ground in the ring of box office. I’m not sure if it will break the record, but will definitely go on shelves as a great one by Salman Khan. Definitely worth a watch for solid direction and stellar performances by the entire cast.
