Ek Villain

My review: Ek Villain

After the last year's surprise blockbuster "Aashiqui 2" Mohit Suri and his team is back with "Ek Villain" which is a romantic thriller. Whether inspired or not, "Ek villain" is eminently watchable. It is actually amusing to see reviewers googling Korean/Iranian/European movies once they suspect a inspiration after a Indian movie release, hurriedly torrent and watch them, before writing a comparative analysis of the two in the name of their review. When such inspiration do occur it is churlish to expect the makers to just reproduce what is there in the original. How can a movie set in say Korea be reproduced as it is in an Indian milieu without any changes to suit the sense and sensibilities of the country. And when one does it the hue and cry from this self-proclaimed saviours of the art is despicable and down right silly. 

I have not watched any Korean masterpiece, but I liked "Ek Villain". Though it has its own share of cliches and contrivances, most part of the movie is a refreshing departure from the movies if this type. When you expect the movie to travel in a particular vein the writers surprises you by the smart variations in the direction the script veers to. Also the understated emotion that is the strength of the movie leaves you touched. Though there were abundant scope for melodrama and one-your-face-emoting, the director and the actors have beautifully exercised restrain. 

In spite of a poorly written cliched role, Shradda Kapoor with her charm and charisma makes Aisha endearing. Even when she mouths ridiculous of lines her sincerity keeps you going. Sidharth Malhotra is good, better than his previous outing, though he has scope for improvement in showing variation in his emotions. Riteish Deshmuskh steals the show with his best role so far in his career. The evilness that he espouses with his eyes in spite of his naive demeanor is spine-chilling. Aamna Sharif as a nagging wife is terrific. 

As with any Mohit Suri's movie, the music is top notch. It is a power-packed album from Ankit Tiwari and Mithoon. 

On the whole, in spite of its imperfections, "Ek Villian" is an engrossing thriller with power-packed performances and exquisite musical score. 

Bottomline: Neat romantic thriller 

3.5/5