'Dial 100' review: This one isn't worth dialing, gets 2.5/5
What's the story
Manoj Bajpayee and Neena Gupta's much-awaited thriller drama, Dial 100, is now streaming on ZEE5. Directed by Rensil D'Silva, the movie, which also stars TV actress Sakshi Tanwar, fails to impress. Produced by Sony Pictures Films India in collaboration with Siddharth P Malhotra and Sapna Malhotra's Alchemy Films, it dealt with distraught parents making wrong decisions, police corruption and cliché dialogues. Here's our review.
About
Who was the mysterious caller?
Set in the backdrop of a rainy Mumbai, a mysterious call in the police emergency room leaves Senior PI Nikhil Sood disturbed. The caller informs him that she's going to kill someone to avenge her son's death. She is Seema Palav, whose son was killed in a hit-and-run by a rich man's kid, Yash Mehra. Mehra was high on cocaine when the accident happened.
Crux
Money buys the system and destroys family along the way
And, the drug was delivered by Sood's son, Dhruv. Palav kidnaps Sood's wife and takes her to Mehra's party, where she instructs Dhruv to call Mehra outside. That's when Sood tries to calm Palav down. But, will the bereaved mother listen to him? That's the crux. The movie shows how money can buy the system, without considering that it can destroy a family.
Reality
Reality check: Police department is shown in a negative light
Sood's 18-year-old son is a drug dealer and was involved in Paval's son Amar's death. But his name doesn't appear anywhere because of his father's connection. Similarly, Mehra was proved innocent due to his dad's bank balance. Even though this showed the police department negatively, it wasn't far off from reality. As the climax nears, Dial 100 highlights that change always comes from within.
Performances
Bajpayee's performance will remind you of 'The Family Man'
Gupta's performance was good, especially the part where her voice was eerie enough to create that ominous atmosphere. However, toward the end, her acting went a little overboard. Tanwar didn't have much to do other than complaining and crying. There's no doubt in Bajpayee's talent, but Dial 100 was similar to his The Family Man performance. He didn't bring anything new to this character.
Verdict
Even Bajpayee couldn't save the movie, can choose to skip
One thing that made Dial 100 impressive was its engaging background score. It keeps you hooked till the end, however, you know what's about to happen. While Gupta's performance was decent, it didn't help in saving the movie. Surprisingly, Bajpayee couldn't rescue it either. The suspense element fizzles out after a few scenes, so you can choose to skip this flick. Verdict: 2.5 stars.