Based on the heist English-talking movie from Philippines (Blind Rage - 1978) or not, this is a new experience for the Indian cinema. But unfortunately old habits die hard!
There are many problems that ruined the good material. First, it is the bore. Some scenes could have been shorter. And the songs did interrupt the pace. But aside from being part of the original formula in their movie-making, it's in the Indian blood to sing!
Secondly, the second half. All of it is nearly a long joke. Since the start of the heist, things ranged between being a heist movie and a ridiculous comedy. How many times (Amitabh Bachchan) got into the operation; that was enough to suspect him. Look at the incredibly hideous make-up of the blind thieves; it's like "We're masked thieves, come and get us"!! Confessing everything, with the names and the places of the robbers, in front of the driver they chose--was beyond dumb. And the changing of the boards that tell the place and time of every single scene; was at first thrilling, then turned into something unnecessary, and pure annoying!
Then, we come to the terrible matter of the last 15 minutes. The end of the drunken blind man; here's melodrama that fits a pretty usual Indian movie. The girl kills herself while she doesn't know the place of her brother; this is the "blind" Indian tragedy at its best! Let alone things like: the gang is having all of their fights, screams, gunshots while the door of the villa, where the training center is, is WIDE OPEN (so the neighbors are deaf!), the situation of "switch the light off, so we're equal now" gave the worst remake ever for (Wait Until Dark - 1967) since the lights were on everywhere, and the faces of the actors were so clear, the police officer believes that the 2 living members of the gang are blind so fast, and last but not the least the too much dialogue at the end when (Bachchan) is trying to prove the very members guilty--gave me a real headache!
Thirdly, the acting. Surely with that atmosphere, the matters must grow bad. I don't think that the 3 actors who acted the blind men got any time to watch and observe actual blind men. Their performance was fake; without the small details that a role of that kind demands. In a word, they were actors who act as blind. The big B takes on a fine role, being an evil man for a rare, very rare, time which says a lot about an actor in him who wants to take chances. And although he was great in his silent scenes as angry wounded man and wily mastermind, but in his talking scenes, he raised his voice a lot, and gone theatrical. Now I think this is the appropriate time to blame the director of this movie!
So, songs, melodrama, naive points, too much dialogue; it's the same old Indian cinema all over again, and in its so weak shape as well. The ambition to be different was tangible, but it isn't enough alone. Obviously, nature beats nurture.. and this movie too!
There are many problems that ruined the good material. First, it is the bore. Some scenes could have been shorter. And the songs did interrupt the pace. But aside from being part of the original formula in their movie-making, it's in the Indian blood to sing!
Secondly, the second half. All of it is nearly a long joke. Since the start of the heist, things ranged between being a heist movie and a ridiculous comedy. How many times (Amitabh Bachchan) got into the operation; that was enough to suspect him. Look at the incredibly hideous make-up of the blind thieves; it's like "We're masked thieves, come and get us"!! Confessing everything, with the names and the places of the robbers, in front of the driver they chose--was beyond dumb. And the changing of the boards that tell the place and time of every single scene; was at first thrilling, then turned into something unnecessary, and pure annoying!
Then, we come to the terrible matter of the last 15 minutes. The end of the drunken blind man; here's melodrama that fits a pretty usual Indian movie. The girl kills herself while she doesn't know the place of her brother; this is the "blind" Indian tragedy at its best! Let alone things like: the gang is having all of their fights, screams, gunshots while the door of the villa, where the training center is, is WIDE OPEN (so the neighbors are deaf!), the situation of "switch the light off, so we're equal now" gave the worst remake ever for (Wait Until Dark - 1967) since the lights were on everywhere, and the faces of the actors were so clear, the police officer believes that the 2 living members of the gang are blind so fast, and last but not the least the too much dialogue at the end when (Bachchan) is trying to prove the very members guilty--gave me a real headache!
Thirdly, the acting. Surely with that atmosphere, the matters must grow bad. I don't think that the 3 actors who acted the blind men got any time to watch and observe actual blind men. Their performance was fake; without the small details that a role of that kind demands. In a word, they were actors who act as blind. The big B takes on a fine role, being an evil man for a rare, very rare, time which says a lot about an actor in him who wants to take chances. And although he was great in his silent scenes as angry wounded man and wily mastermind, but in his talking scenes, he raised his voice a lot, and gone theatrical. Now I think this is the appropriate time to blame the director of this movie!
So, songs, melodrama, naive points, too much dialogue; it's the same old Indian cinema all over again, and in its so weak shape as well. The ambition to be different was tangible, but it isn't enough alone. Obviously, nature beats nurture.. and this movie too!