RANGOON STORY: The film is a war-romance set in pre-independent India. As is known, there were differing strands in the movement. Mahatma Gandhi adopted ahimsa to get freedom; Subhash Chandra Bose was the force behind the Indian National Army that got on the front foot to boot the enemy out. Even as this strife played out, Julia (Kangana), the daredevil actress of the 40’s ruled hearts. Closer home, her married producer Russi Billimoria (Saif) is besotted with her and at the border, Jamadar Nawab Malik (Shahid) loves her to death.

RANGOON STORY: The film is a war-romance set in pre-independent India. As is known, there were differing strands in the movement. Mahatma Gandhi adopted ahimsa to get freedom; Subhash Chandra Bose was the force behind the Indian National Army that got on the front foot to boot the enemy out. Even as this strife played out, Julia (Kangana), the daredevil actress of the 40’s ruled hearts. Closer home, her married producer Russi Billimoria (Saif) is besotted with her and at the border, Jamadar Nawab Malik (Shahid) loves her to death.

Saif gives his movie-entrepreneur act a razor-sharp quality. And, Shahid is outstanding. Kangana of course is the piece de resistance. You can believe that two men would cross swords for her. While she is a child-woman or “kiddo” to the sophisticated Rusi, who treats her like an expensive buy, she becomes the heartbeat of the patriotic Nawab, who loves her spirited side. However, as pointed out earlier on, though the love scenes are written well and aesthetically shot, they lack passion. The multiple lip-locks between Shahid and Kangana don’t ignite flames.

There’s a dialogue in the film where Saif tells a British officer, “We’re actors, we know how to convince people.” That isn’t entirely true here. Borrowing Julia’s oft-repeated phrase, “Bloody hell’, one wishes these three had truly dropped their guard. It would’ve certainly added more rang to this movie extravaganza.

  kangna ranawat, movie review, Rangoon, sahid kapoor, sauf ali khan