Spy Games
Film: Baby
Cast: Akshay
Kumar, Danny Denzongpa, Kay Kay Menon
Directed by:
Neeraj Pandey
Duration: 2
hrs 40 mins
Rating: * *
1 / 2
Neeraj
Pandey’s Baby belongs to that rare genre of espionage thrillers although
now-a-days there isn’t much of differentiation between those films and ones
that tackle the issue of terrorism. Baby offers a mixed bag, by and large it
remains predictable for most parts but the redeeming factor is the finale that
is reminiscent of Argo, but keeps you
engrossed all the same. That may not be the only film that Baby reminds you of,
there is also a bit of Nikhil Advani’s D-Day
in the storyline.
Akshay Kumar
plays Ajay, an elite member of an intelligence unit called Baby which is formed
to foil and counter terror attacks in the country. It opens with an action
sequence in the heart of Istanbul which is nicely shot but has little meaning
in the context of the film. The scene then shifts to India where a dreaded
terrorist Bilaal (Kay Kay Menon) manages to escape from the police in broad day
light. Meanwhile the intelligence unit learns that some attacks are being
planned by the Lashkar group with a Mullah (Rasheed Naz) being the mastermind.
The trail
leads first to Nepal and from there to the climax in the middle-east where Ajay
and his team (Rana Dagubatti, Anupam Kher) manage to catch the big fish.
The problem
with the screenplay is that it takes too long, almost the whole of first half
to establish itself. The politics of the films and the portrayal of Muslims is
also way too simplistic. Instead of seriously addressing the issue, Pandey
brushes it with very broad strokes – he was better off leaving them alone
rather than delving on them in this fashion.
The action
is quite well choreographed, whether in Nepal, Turkey, India or the climax it
ranks right up there. Particularly enjoyable is a fight scene between a lady
agent (Tapsee Pannu) and the rogue dealer (Sushant Singh) in a hotel room. Since our hero is so invincible, we know
exactly how it is going to end but to Pandey’s credit, the climax though
predictable, is riveting.
Of the cast,
the ever reliable Danny Denzongpa adds a lot of credibility to his character as
Intelligence chief. The supporting actors, Anupam Kher, Rana Dagubatti and Kay
Kay Menon are aptly cast. It is so refreshing to see Akshay Kumar play a role
that he pulls off so well rather than those mundane comedy films that he does
so often.
Published in The Navhind Times on 25th January 2015
