Tevar

Director – Amit Ravidernath Sharma

Cast – Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Manoj Bajpayee, Raj Babbar, and Shruti Haasan.

            Funky dialogues, action sequences and item songs. The film has it all. But that doesn’t add up to make Tevar a watchable film. Spread over two and a half hours of relentless torture the remake of the 2003 Telugu hit ‘Okkadu’ has little in store for the intellectuals.

Pintoo Shukla (Arjun Kapoor), a kabaddi player and a self proclaimed superhero, loves to rescue damsels in distress. This habit lands him in the bad books of a typical UP goon Gajendra Singh (Bajpayee), a ‘Raanjhana’ in pursuit of Radhika (Sonakshi). What follows is a predictable lineup of a masala entertainer made for jobless, intoxicated ‘Slumdogs’ who yell and whistle at the sight of (almost) anything that goes on screen. 

It is a risk to remake South films whether commercial or non commercial. And it takes someone like Salman with his antics to make it entertaining. Else the responsibility falls completely on the director. Here, Amit Sharma tries to force feed you with stale food. The film has nothing new to offer. Even the action sequences are orchestrated to the extent of boredom. 

Continuous loud background music in every scene betters the record set by Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Department’. Sajid-Wajid were probably paid less. Else they are known to give ‘acceptable’ music in their films. Editor hasn’t been able to completely fade the Marathi signboards which indicate that some portions were shot in Maharashtra. 

Arjun Kapoor probably wanted to help his producer uncle Sanjay Kapoor who goes into oblivion every now and then. The Ishaqzaade star fails to reprise that role. Sonakshi Sinha is wasted. She had a better scope in even in the miserable ‘R Rajkumar’. You feel that she hasn’t taken a shower for ages (a standing ovation to her hairstylist).  

Raj Babbar was jobless after Congress lost power at the centre. Shruti Haasan looks too sophisticated to be an item girl. The expected ‘jhatkas’ are missing.  Manoj Bajpayee has become a typecast as the antagonist. The worst is when his character Gajendra decides to roam on innerwear till his ladylove is found. That’s an insult to an actor of his stature.  

Words are insufficient to describe how bad the film actually is. But things go wrong every now and then. I’m going with a generous half star out of five for Amit Sharma’s ‘Tevar’. Don’t waste your money.