'Dhaakad' review: Kangana Ranaut is captivating in hardcore action extravaganza
What's the story
Dhaakad, starring Kangana Ranaut as Special Agent Agni, orchestrates a blood-filled action movie with some twisted villains. Ever since the trailer was dropped, the film created a buzz thanks to Ranaut's multiple avatars, which left fans guessing about the actor's role. After a long delay, Dhaakad finally hit theaters on Friday. How was watching Ranaut in action? Here's our detailed review.
Plot
Ranaut's mission is to take down criminal mastermind
Agni is perhaps defined most correctly when she says, "Jism se ruh alag karna business hai mera [My business is to separate the body from the soul]." The agent is on a mission to gather intel and eventually eliminate her target, Rudraveer (Arjun Rampal), who runs a global trafficking ring and a coal business. In her pursuit, Agni discovers a connection to the criminal.
Performances
Be it Agni or Rohini, female actors steal the show
Agni is a spy who is tough to kill (literally). To counter her good, the film introduces Rohini (Divya Dutta), who is shown as Rudraveer's ruthless partner. Rohini and Rudraveer share a Bonnie and Clyde-like story as two criminal masterminds who are slippery to catch. Dutta leaves no stone unturned in proving her mettle through her performance. Both the female actors ace their roles.
Action
Film scores well on action, Tetsuo Nagata's camerawork deserves mention
Dhaakad absolutely doesn't fall short on action. With exceptional combat skills and a couldn't-care-less-about-rules attitude, Agni is an unstoppable fighter determined on her mission. Throughout the film, Agni is shooting bullets and wielding her knife to carve bad guys. She even takes on Rudraveer in an epic faceoff. The fight sequences along with ace cinematographer Tetsuo Nagata's camerawork results in a brilliant visual treat.
Cons
Ranaut's avatars are awkward, Rampal tries little too hard
While the film has many plus points, it does have a few drawbacks, too. For starters, you feel the drag in the runtime during the second half. Although Rampal nails his portrayal as the inhuman, blood-thirsty Rudraveer, his husky, bad guy voice sounds forced at times. Agni's various avatars, one of the key attractions of the movie, are all different definitions of cringe.
Conclusion
'Dhaakad' shows great potential, give it a watch
Overlooking the minor cons, Dhaakad shows great potential to be considered among other famous female-led action films like Salt and Resident Evil. In addition to the aforementioned actors, Saswata Chatterjee and Sharib Hashmi, among others, play pivotal roles. If you wish to watch a film that packs a punch and more, Razneesh Ghai's Dhaakad might just be for you. Verdict: 3/5 stars.