t's Independence Day and John Abraham, after Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran, is all set to infuse in you a strong feeling of patriotism with his Satyameva Jayate, amid a migraine-inducing background score.
The film is the latest in Bollywood's slew of nationalism-inducing films. It's another film where the flag waves dramatically, there are dishonest cops (that's become a permanent trope in films now), and people spew Sanskrit verses as if they were born with a Sanskrit textbook pressed in their hands.
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Let's cut to the chase. John Abraham plays hooded vigilante Veer, who is on a ritualistic spree of weeding out corrupt cops by burning them on a stack of wood and reciting some bad poetry while he does so. It heightens the torture for the one being burnt and the audience. Veer is a merciless killer - but only the "bad" people are his targets. He doles out justice to the innocent people like it's his birthright.
That's at night, though. During the day he is your average Joe, who cleans beaches (approving nod at Swach Bharat Abhiyan), saves injured puppies and spends time with his lover, played by entirely forgettable newbie Aisha Sharma, who is just there to spout patriotic dialogues about soldiers and the Indian flag. She has a sad back-story that is somehow squeezed in at the end of the film.
Shivansh Rathod played by Manoj Bajpayee is the honest officer, something we're reminded every 10 seconds. He is on a mission to find Veer and is rather unsuccessful for the most part, even when there seems to be CCTV footage available. But let's not try to discover the crater-like loopholes in the film, because there isn't enough time in the world.
Understandably, Shivansh and Veer are in a cat-and-mouse chase.
There is a plot twist right before the intermission, but you're so wearied and nauseated by inept filmmaking and an overdose of patriotism by then, that you can just about widen your eyes in mere surprise. The second half tries to inject some reason behind Veer's doings, but fails miserably. There's more blood, gore and dramatic matchsticks flicked in the direction of the kerosene.
There are hardly any greys in the film of course (unless you want to count Veer). Apparently, corrupt policeman go around bleating that they're corrupt. We hope the corrupt ones listen to you, Milap Milan Zaveri.
It's understandable why John Abraham did this film. It is to stay true to his action avatar, which is his comfort zone. He beats up people left, right and centre, and never misses a chance to show his bulging biceps. You can always expect him to do a role that involves him breaking out of a tyre or jumping off dangerously high ledges.
But what is a gifted actor like Manoj Bajpayee doing in this travesty of a film?
It's hard to grasp exactly what the film's message is. Is killing corrupt policeman like mosquitoes in the name of nationalism something to be proud of? In this tug-of-war between high-sounding morals and propagators of justice, it's decent cinema that is sacrificed on a burning stack of wood, while director Milap Milan Zaveri spouts his brand of poetry.
You know what to expect from Satyameva Jayate. Nothing. Watch the film if you swear by John Abraham. If not, catch the other Independence Day release Gold.