Just Back from Commando

I had said before I will watch the film for Vidyut Jamwal and now i can safely say he alone is worth the money. If there is a star today who reminds us of the Akshay of 90s , then its Vidyut. At many points in the film, he gives the Khiladi nostalgia. Back in the 90s, in his films like KKK and Mohra, Akshay showed that Indian heroes can do the spinning back kicks and use the Nunchaku with as much ease as the Van Dammes . Vidyut takes that legacy forward and proves what Tony Jaa and Scott Adkins can do, he can do as well.

The introduction of Vidyut is nothing less than a celebration of his histrionics. This commando can do handstand pushups, one leg squats, spartan push ups with as much ease as walking in the garden. His intro fight is easily the best choreographed action sequence in Bollywood for a long time and matches the global standards of martial arts action. The ease with which he carries out his back flips, corkscrew kick, jumping through a car window and over it, vidyut makes all so-called action heroes Salman and Ajay look like school-going kids. People run on road, Vidyut runs on people!

But not everything is good about Commando. Pooja Chopra’s role is quite irritating at points and she tries her best to ruin the film and is successful to some extent. But the Villian Jaideep Ahlawat makes up for her OTT acting. He is a supercool villian though personally i would have preferred a more evenly matched opponent for someone like Vidyut. The dialgues between them are good to okayish. As I always say, a good action film is one which keeps everything else simple but the action. Commando tries to take itself too seriously in the second half with some attempt at social messages which doesn’t help the cause. There is an item song too and some typical filmy scenes added purely to make it look like a South Masala and that doesn’t help. There are enough fight scenes for a normal movie goer but for an action lover, I believe there were less fight sequences. At least two more sequences could have been added in the second half instead of the nonsense of Pooja Chopra and the boring atrocities to her family.

I remember Aamir claiming Ghajini to push the envelope of action in Bollywood. It regressed us by 20 years and we had to face the wrath of a rather unhealthy trend of nonsensical South Masala remakes like SOS and Himmatwala. Commando is not entirely satisfying but its is a film that genuinely pushes the envelope of action in Hindi cinema. For this alone, the film deserves to be a success. My wish now is to see both Vidyut and Akshay in the same frame.

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84 Comments
  1. Suprabh 11 years ago

    Good write up Baba… Looks like we finally have a good action movie after a long time …

    Great use of the pics and I would love it if it has that eye popping action as KKK had (at least that time)

    “I remember aamir claiming ghajini to push the envelope of action in bw. It regressed us by 20 years and we had to face the wrath of a rather unhealthy trend of nonsensical south masala remakes”

    Very well said..

    • Baba 11 years ago

      thanks suprabh 🙂 yes it has some really eye popping action. Vidyut is a competent action star. also has a good voice. the film is marred by some bollywood banality though.

    • hithere 11 years ago

      Baba – Don’t agree on Ghajini. Fight scenes were never like Shingham, RR or even Dabangg. Go watch it again 🙂

      • Baba 11 years ago

        you are trying to say this was not OTT? gimme a break. ofc the issue is not about it being OTT. it is about aamir claiming such rubbish to be pushing the envelope of action.

        • hithere 11 years ago

          I prefer this one to fights than a hero beating x number of people in one go. Even here for most part Aamir character is not fighting 3-4 guys but getting away from them in a melee.
          I am not suggestong one is better than one. I prefer one to one fights which IMO are little more realistic than a guy doing all kind of moves. You cannot beat inertial mass with moves.

          • Baba 11 years ago

            sputnik has pointed out the OTTness of ghajini fight scene quite well. so I will add a technical perspective to it.

            “I prefer one to one fights which IMO are little more realistic than a guy doing all kind of moves.” and ” You cannot beat inertial mass with moves.”

            the above two lines contradict each other.Firstly one-to-one fight doesnt happen in practical world. It is always one-to-many or many-to-many. One-to-one fights you will find in only hindi films where the hero is busy beating up one of the gang members and others look at the hero admiring his strength, while they stay still.If you like those fight scenes,good for you but they are not realistic. 🙂

            Secondly, one-to-many fight cannot be won by staying in the middle. The person needs to scatter the gang so that only 2-3 ppl can attack him at a time. The only means of scattering such a crowd is by employing parkour along with the fight skills.There is no other way a single guy can confuse a gang.
            This technique of scattering a gang is not just confined to martial arts. It is used in Army training in many countries, particularly in Israel where the army ppl are trained in Krav Maga – its a brutal fighting style designed to fight(even kill) multiple opponents.it is banned in many countries.

            I had given you the link in my earlier comment (warehouse fight scene) where there is one such choreographed scene. even that scene is not 100% realistic but it is closest to what can be achieved practically.A part of that sequence was copied/inspired in Commando.

    • hithere 11 years ago

      The picture you posted above shows the unrealistic nature of fight (one against 4). You may say that it is action but to me you can not fight like this until you are fighting some amateurs or school kids(not professional Goondas).
      ps – I do agree most of the actions movies are unrealistic to begin with. It is just what you want to believe in.

      • Baba 11 years ago

        hithere – who told you one against 4 is an unrealistic fight? ever heard of the 100 man kumite?

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100-man_kumite

        I have fought a 3 man kumite in my sparring sessions. I was a white belt and i had to defend myself against 3 brown belts all of whom attack at once.I had suffered a painful injury in my calf after the session.and I was still not doing kumite.The real kumite is far more brutal ,its freestyle and you can hit anywhere.It involves lot of bloods and bone breaking.and i am talking about professional fighters here,not the gali ka goondas or “professional” gundas as you called,who wont be able to survive a single kick of a professional fighter in real life.Their bodies, unlike professional fighters, are not conditioned to sustain such blows.Watch the fight science study by National geographic.i had given its link once on some thread on tq. Experts analysed the practical relevance of Martial Arts. You will be surprised with the results they got.

        rest you can read my views on the realism of fight scenes in movies.ofc its a movie at the end of the day and you cant get 100% realism but involving martial arts is the best bet to achieve a sequence which is close to practical life and follows the laws of physics 😉

        Tony Jaa’s Warehouse Scene from Tom Yum Goong

    • phoenix 11 years ago

      Ghajini IMO wasn’t that much of a typical south remake. The actual movie that started the trend was Wanted. Every aspect of South masala – punchlines, comedy, action scene, scene with heroiene, villain, go to back to puncline … repeat started with Wanted….

  2. Bored 11 years ago

    Aamir was laughable in Ghajini – those gnarling and snarling was so silly.

    • Baba 11 years ago

      yes his acting was OTT . and the action was cartoonish – fast forwarded motion 😀

  3. Baba 11 years ago

    I liked how the makers of commando made it a point to flash the fact that Vidyut didnt use harness/cables to do any of his stunts.Its important because these cables have inculcated a false sense of belief in most useless of the stars that they can carry action roles. Kuch nahi aata to kya hua, cables hai na. They use cables to jump from even 3 feet height with the body language of a kid attempting bungee trampoline

  4. sputnik 11 years ago

    hmm so the action scenes and Vidyut are good and the movie is not that good with masala and love story/songs added as expected.

    You should watch Force if you have not seen that. Vidyut was good in a negative role in that and had good action scenes in that one too.

    • Baba 11 years ago

      with a talent like vidyut, sky was the limit for this genre. i have seen few action scenes from force. really liked it.

      • sputnik 11 years ago

        Yes Baba but for that he needs a top director.

        Commando is directed by Dilip Ghosh and this is his debut movie. Vipul Shah needs to be commended for at least putting his money on a movie with Vidyut in the lead role.

  5. yakuza 11 years ago

    Baba .. Have you seen James ? If not .. I would recommend this movie to you.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ppfSlBsO7E

    This was first raw action movie of last decade, RGV was bit advance bringing this stuff .. otherwise it was better than many masala movies released in past 2-3 years and definitely better than commando. RGV tried to bring back masala quite bit early at time when it was not in fashion .. and now when masala action is flavor of season, RGV is doing his regular hard hitting bit ..

    Anyways .. watch it if you have not before.

    • Baba 11 years ago

      Thanks for the recco but i remember the promos of james. dont remember the action scenes in it making any particular impact. it was run-of-the-mill stuff but i wont comment more before seeing the film.Commando story could be inspired from it and let me tell you,the story of commando is among its negatives 😉

  6. yakuza 11 years ago

    Watch from 00:46 .. first action sequence .. and it continued till end .. even plot of movie is similar to commando to large extent.

  7. yakuza 11 years ago

    Ohh MAN .. I started seeing James again .. four points I wanted to say :

    1. Its story line and some sequences are so much similar to Commando.
    2 Its execution, direction and production values are much-much better than not only commando but most action movies released in last 3 years.
    3. Mohit Ahlawat is much better than vidyut in performance and looks (though in action sequences both are at par).
    3. And finally see double standards of Taran Adarsh .. He gave 2 stars to James and 3.5 to Commando because 2005 was not season of Masala ….. loll

    https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/54524

    Baba … I want you to see this movie again(even if seen before) .. and draw parallels to recent action movies including commando.

  8. Bored 11 years ago

    I thot the action in Ghajini was ok, but Aamir’s facial expressions were damn ridiculous – calling it OTT is understating it.

  9. Suprabh 11 years ago

    hithere,

    Keeping this debate (of whether Ghajini is south Masala or not) I found Ghajini’s action really boring and Over the top.. It could also be because of the fact that Aamir was Jumping (camera moving absurdly fast –what WAS that? ) making weird expressions and trying to fight in a rather uneasy manner..Not the fighting is very easy for common people anyways,.but still he gave really constipated expressions and the first words the came out of my mouth seeing those scenes were– ye kya cartoonish fight scenes hain.

    • hithere 11 years ago

      Expressions were hyper in Ghajini; but expression and perception of realistic fight are different things. My point above was there is a difference in fight between Ghajini and Masala clone hits of today. The fight in Ghajini is more real and brutal. I don’t know how a person whose memory is fleeting, to show rage..was it correct or not or should have been icy cool like Steven Seagal’s expression or Van Damme like woodenness in fight scenes..I don’t know.

      ps – We have to understand that people are different. Actors job is to make things believable in director’s vision. I sometime laugh when music directors say when judging a show that pronounciation was not correct as if actor who is playing a character has correct pronunciation.

      • Suprabh 11 years ago

        Well.. Looks like you found them believable …I actually didn’t.. the fight scenes in Ghajini put me off..In fact the flashback portions between Asin and Aamir is the only thing worth watching for me in Ghajini.

        Btw,…The only guy whose expression I find absolutely dead on..while fighting are Sunny deols …He is exceptional in portraying what happens when a Jatt/Sardar goes crazy with anger,

        • Baba 11 years ago

          agreed suprabh.I didnt like the action of ghajini nor aamirs acting in those scenes. I think he compensates by making those faces for the lack of screen presence/aura needed in such scenes.
          But I liked aamir scene in climax on the bench, the emotion was just right in it.Kaise mujhe tum song is used well. picturisation is good

  10. sputnik 11 years ago

    Ghajini did have south styled action and it was horrible. Hero just walking and beating up all villains is that not south styled action? He is punching guys twice his size they rotate and fall down. Movie had a heroine who was trying to be all cute by her over talkativeness – this is typical south movie. Yeah the memory loss thing was novel about it but then it was from Memento.

    As far as doing intense masala action Aamir has always been horrible with his gnarling and snarling whether it is Parampara, Raja Hindustani, Mela or Ghajini. Memory fleeting to show rage has nothing to do with it.

    And as far as one to many fights almost all movie fights have the guy fighting either one guy or 3-4 guys at max at one time except for some notable exceptions like The Matrix.

    As far as Dabangg is concerned the railway fight scene was good where Salman is running not walking and at any one time he is hitting only one or two guys that too with some object. Climax fight scene was bad but the other fight scenes – there is some badly done Parkour but then the movie does not take the fight scenes seriously. There is a fun vibe with the dialogues and dancing on ringtone.

    • Baba 11 years ago

      ” the movie does not take the fight scenes seriously. There is a fun vibe with the dialogues and dancing on ringtone.”

      a fight scene that i love purely for the entertainment and fun vibe is from don. I literally get tears in eyes laughing at amitabhs antics. He is having a ball in this scene.His running commenary throughout the scene is hilarious especially “arrey, HUM gir gaye?” :rofl:

  11. Anjanpur685Miles 11 years ago

    Looking forward to see Commando – on DTH.
    Vidyut looks smooth in action – like Akshay.

    • Serenzy 11 years ago

      Good to see a fellow DTH Movie watcher 🙂

      .

      You think Akshay & Vidyut shud do an Action Movie together? 😛

  12. Anjanpur685Miles 11 years ago

    Definitely – it sounds interesting on the first thought. But I am not very adamant only on that. Many many other aspects contribute to film-making and the end product being good. Akshay and him coming together may look cheap and kind of gimmick if the product is promoted only as to ‘make money’ – well atleast to me.

  13. Bored 11 years ago

    Agree completely with Sputnik that Ghajini was quite typical southie junk in many ways (Damn its Murugadoss, what else can one expect??).

    But it was also ‘a bit’ toned compared to the worst of southie stuff that later motivated the likes of Akshay/Salman/Ajay – it was Wanted that took it to that ‘ridiculous’ level. But still, i strongly feel Prabhudeva was inspired by Aamir’s facial expressions and the BO of ghajini to bring his crap to bollywood.

    Only southern directors that Bollywood should invite is Shankar and Rajamouli – they are worth their salt; and have enough self respect to work on their own terms.
    (Leaving out Mani as he is terribly uncomfortable in making Hindi films – makes his worsts in Hindi.)

    • Baba 11 years ago

      shankar also has a habit of going OTT at times but given the right actor, he makes a good film. Hindustani was a good script and the action in it was awesome. Rajamouli is very innovative in his approach too.Prabhudeva is a copy paste director who doesnt have a brain of his own.

  14. Bored 11 years ago

    Yeah both Shankar and Rajamouli goes OTT at times, but they bring so much more in terms of innovative VFX at low costs. Bollywood could do with that.
    Here, when one concentrates on RaOne VFX the entire team forgets about all other aspects of filmmaking.

  15. sneha 11 years ago

    @Baba- Not yet watched Commondo but it really looks good actionwise….
    I really dont know wer from this Ghajini comparision poped up…. ghajini by far has the least OTT action from the movies that followed ghajini ( South Remakes ) If Ghajini took cinema 20 years back then the others took them to Stone Age

  16. Baba 11 years ago

    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Vidyut-Pooja-gear-up-for-Commando-sequel/articleshow/19629633.cms

    good achievement for vidyut. started as villian. got noticed and offered lead role in a film that he had to carry entirely on his skills and he did it. now got a sequel to his debut film as a solo.

  17. Baba 11 years ago

    There’s something about Vidyut Jammwal. The actor who made a debut as a villain was able to overshadow the lead actor (John Abraham) in Force. And now he has managed to deliver a hit of sorts with his second film (Commando). His USP undoubtedly is his smoking hot body and his action.

    The action hero says, “For me it isn’t about playing a hero or a villain. What matters is bringing the kind of action on screen that the audience has never seen before.” Vidyut in an exclusive tete-a-tete, talks about his love for martial arts, coming from a non-film family and why he loves taking risks. Read on…

    You must be thrilled with the response Commando is garnering…
    I was hoping that the audience would take notice of the film, especially the action. But it has surpassed my expectations. Many people said that they have enrolled into a gym after watching the film. That my film can inspire anyone like this is the biggest compliment for me.

    Without any filmi background you have managed to make a mark on the Bollywood map. What do you attribute that to?
    People respect talent here. If you have something to offer, they will give you your due. In my case I came with nothing except my martial arts. It’s what I offered and it’s what I’m being acknowledged for.

    Why is it that a Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan become stars overnight and someone like you has to go that extra mile to prove himself?
    I don’t know what they have gone through or haven’t, that’s their journey. But I don’t resent walking that extra mile or pushing myself that much harder to prove myself. Teer ko jitna peechhe kheenchoge, woh utna aagey jaaega.

    Besides, it wasn’t just about how people perceive me, but also how they look at the action genre here. Commando has raised the bar and now whoever makes a film in the genre will have to do better in terms of the action sequences. That’s what matters and that’s what makes the ‘going the extra mile’ worthwhile for me.

    Ever resent the fact that you don’t belong to a film family? For one, things would have been a lot easier…
    Maybe it would have been easier, but I don’t look at easy things anyway.

    You started off playing a baddie in Force. There are very few actors who have successfully done that like SRK (Darr, Baazigaar)…
    When I did Force, I had not looked at my role as negative or positive, I just wanted to take up that chance of doing action onscreen. I have to thank Vipul Shah for noticing that potential in me.

    He believed in me and my convictions of making an authentic action franchisee here, something that even Hollywood directors would want to use as a reference since the moves are all absolutely original. That’s how Commando happened.

    And I’m thrilled because more than an item number, it’s the action sequences in the film that have been most-watched and downloaded on YouTube and Facebook.

    So is a sequel on the cards?
    Yes. It will happen.

    Do you get a feeling that some actors wouldn’t want to be paired with you because of insecurity?
    I don’t know about that. All I know is that anything good will shine. Small role or big, if you are good, you will be noticed and appreciated. I don’t believe it’s necessary to step over someone else’s shoulder to move ahead.

    According to you which actor has done the best action here?
    Akshay (Kumar), Ajay (Devgn) and Suniel (Shetty)… I think all three have done the best to their limits.

    You’ve been training since childhood, so was the martial arts for the movies or simply for the love of it?
    I was born to do martial arts. At a time when people play with toys, I was playing with swords and sticks. It was the most natural thing for me to do. By the age of three, I knew that martial arts was my calling.

    You passed up a lot of offers waiting for Commando. Wasn’t there any insecurity in letting go of projects?
    I was very sure of what I could bring to the table. I had full faith in that. The conviction gave me the courage to bet on this kind of a project. You just have to have that kind of a trust in yourself.

    Risky, no?
    Yes it was risky. But risks have never scared me. If anything, they’ve only tempted me to take them up as challenges. Whether it was playing an out-and-out bad guy, or refusing to do that again even though it worked the first time around. Risks are a staple for me, literally. Every time I do a stunt without the cables, that’s something that most would consider risky too. But that doesn’t stop me.

    You train with a bunch of guys from the slums…
    Yes, some of the guys from my training team come from the slums. We train daily, choreograph new moves. We focus more on agility and Indian forms of martial arts rather than the harness-based stunts and we try to create and perfect new signature moves that have never been seen before.

    Most newbies are busy playing the loverboy. The fact that you are the only guy doing action is a huge advantage, right?
    I didn’t plan it that way. I am okay with doing any genre, as long as it has ‘action’ as the prefix. So, be it anything, action-comedy, action-romance, action-action… I’m up for it.

    https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/1824395/interview-the-new-action-hero-vidyut-jammwal

  18. Baba 11 years ago

    my commando review is now the best rated review on imdb 😀

    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2658126/reviews-8

    an imdb user has shared it on his website

    https://www.movierecycle.com/movie-reviews/commando-indias-answer-tony-jaa-scott-adkins/

    • sputnik 11 years ago

      Congrats Baba. Now you are a celeb reviewer 🙂

  19. Anjanpur685Miles 11 years ago

    Congrats Baba! 🙂

    And who is this girl in ur gravatar.

    • sputnik 11 years ago

      Good scene. The car window jump looked bad and it was there to just show off his skill. The scene needed better background music.

      • Baba 11 years ago

        the car window is jump is superb but bcos it is shot so close to vidyut , the effect is not as good as it could have been. had the scene been taken from a wide angle, it would have shown vidyut didnt have the space to run between the bus and the car & so didnt have the time to close the door of the window.

  20. I.One 11 years ago

    When I saw Vidyut in Force, I realised the sense of agility in his moves, carried good speed and had some very good stunts. I had mentioned in my review of Force that the villain in the movie was the highlight and I am glad that his performance is appreciated in Commando. After Akki I guess he is the one who I felt carried most of the action scenes “non-artificially.” Will try to catch Commando at DTH or wait for a DVD release.

  21. Baba 11 years ago

    Vidyut to perform Kalaripayattu in Texas

    The actor receives an invite to a very well followed international film festival dedicated to sci-fi, action and thriller flicks in the US.

    Vidyut Jammwal seems to have truly made waves internationally thanks to his mind blowing action showcase and high quality stunt design in his recent release Commando. It is believed that Vidyut Jammwal’s high power action flick Commando has been selected and invited to one of the biggest US based sci-fi and action film festival – Fantastic Fest which will be held in Texas from Sept 19 – 26, 2013

    “His action showcase in Commando and the strength of the stunt design for the film managed to stir up a lot of attention amidst the international media around the release of the film. They were all talking about how India has found its Gen Next action hero, whose abilities and vision in action surpasses all of his contemporaries” says a source.

    The source adds, “Vidyut put Kalaripayattu – the mother of all martial arts forms on the global map. Owing to Vidyut and the impact of his superlative action seen in India and internationally, the film fest, in addition to screening the film, have invited Vidyut to perform an entire act focused around him and action where he will represent India with his martial art form Kalaripayattu”.

  22. Baba 11 years ago

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    Texas Premiere
    Director- Navot Papushado & Aharon Keshales, 110 mins
    The directing team behind the 2010 cult smash RABIES return to Fantastic Fest with one of the best genre films of 2013.

    BORGMAN (The Netherlands, 2013)
    North American Premiere
    Director – Alex van Warmerdam, 113 mins
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    COMMANDO – A ONE MAN ARMY (India, 2013)
    US Premiere
    Director- Dilip Ghosh, 120min
    Singing! Dancing! Extreme violence and goofy one-liners from Bollywood’s answer to Tony Jaa and Marko Zaror! If Cannon Films were to relocate to India, COMMANDO would be the result!

    EEGA (India, 2012)
    Austin Premiere
    Director – SriSaila Sri Rajamouli, 107 mins
    A murdered man reincarnates as a fly to wreak vengeance on the villain who took his life and his lover. EEGA is an inventive, insane take on a revenge story unlike anything you’ve seen before.

    HALLEY (Mexico/The Netherlands, 2013)
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    KID’S POLICE (Japan, 2013)
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    When evil criminal organization Red Venus strikes, there’s only one team of highly specialized cops who can help. Unfortunately, they’ve been dosed with anti-aging gas that has turned them all into children.

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    World Premiere
    Director – Antonio Tublen, 94 mins
    A solitary man discovers audio frequencies that open the human mind wide to hypnotic suggestion and, ultimately, his total control in this slyly deadpan dark comedy from Sweden.

    MAN OF TAI CHI (United States, 2013)
    US Premiere
    Director – Keanu Reeves, 105 mins
    Keanu Reeves stars in and directs this epic tale about a young martial artist who must compete in an underground fight club to protect his way of life. As the fights intensify so does his will to survive.

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    Texas Premiere
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    Regional Premiere
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    A teen hoodlum in Copenhagen becomes entangled in the criminal underworld

    NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN (Germany, 2013)
    North American Premiere
    Director – Katrin Gebbe, 110 mins
    Tore, a member of the counter-culture Christian movement Jesus Freaks, is befriended and taken in by a family who play an increasingly cruel, violent game and push his capacity to love to its limits.

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    US Premiere
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    North American Premiere
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    US Premiere
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  23. Baba 11 years ago

    ” Bollywood’s answer to Tony Jaa ” they copied line from my imdb review :3

  24. Baba 11 years ago

    “Jamwal appears to have developed a unique fighting style that combines elements of kung-fu and jujitsu, with Indian martial art kalaripayattu, dance and acrobatics. The outcome is a fantastically agile combination of jumps, spins, kicks and grappling moves that prove incredibly cinematic”

    https://twitchfilm.com/2013/09/fantastic-fest-2013-review-commando—a-one-man-army.html

    • sputnik 11 years ago

      You should have also quoted this from the same review.

      “On the basis of Commando – A One Man Army, Vidyut Jamwal clearly has the chops to make it on the international circuit as a screen fighter, to be uttered in the same breath as the likes of Marko Zaror, Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais. It remains to be seen if martial arts aficionados are willing to embrace an action hero who sings and dances as willingly and competently as he fights, but there can be no denying the man’s talents in any of these departments. He ain’t ugly either.”

      • Baba 11 years ago

        yes. i posted that excerpt for ank16 who foolishly argued in suprabhs thread that vidyut is doing only kalaripayattu in commando. i first said that it has kung fu , brazilian jui-jitsu, capoeira and many dance moves too as action moves.vidyut incorporated moves from other disciplines. original kalari has no punches. you can only use palms.

  25. sputnik 11 years ago

    According to this interview Vidyut has only a cameo in Bullet Raja and he is playing a sharpshooter and doing his own action choreography. He is also talking about doing Rajkumar Santoshi movie.

    • Baba 11 years ago

      most martial artist-actors choreograph their own action .they all invent some unique moves wiht thier experience while practising for years.same is true for a professional dancer. many are able to choreograph their song

  26. Bored 11 years ago

    Like this Vidyut guy, cool customer.

  27. Bored 11 years ago

    Choreographing some small action sequence in a cameo is not a big deal.

    • Baba 11 years ago

      he , his group of friends that he trains with,has choreographed some of the moves in force and commando too even though he was not the official choreographer there. and you should check the stills released of bullet raja action cameo of 5 mins. it is a big deal compared to what wannabe jokers do in bw.

  28. hithere 10 years ago

  29. Baba 10 years ago

    An Open Letter To Vidyut Jamwal
    December 4, 2013 11:51:14 AM IST
    By Martin D’Souza, Glamsham Editorial
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    Dear Vidyut Jamwal

    It’s rare for an established actor to be overshadowed completely after being on screen for the better part of 90 minutes. One would think that the case of who the hero is was settled. Right?

    Wrong!

    Saif Ali Khan must be wondering what he might have done wrong to be relegated to the sidelines in spite of director Tigmanshu Dhulia doctoring a fight sequence for him. He tried his best to keep Saif’s heroic sheen intact, but in vain.

    You came and changed the equation, not intentionally, but with your sincerity! Up until then, Dhulia was firing blanks.

    For a relative newcomer to light up the screen in a manner like you did is nothing short of genius. For me, the bullets started firing with your entry. Suddenly, the movie seemed bearable.

    Your FORCE as Vishnu two years ago was mind blowing. A terrific performance! This is what I had written then: ”His performance leaves you zapped. Never has a villain been portrayed so fearlessly, so evil and so high on raw exuberance. This guy is deadly. He leaves a chill down your spine with his flawless performance as someone out to wipe the Narcotics team. Gabbar, you’ve got competition brother!”

    COMMANDO was a one man show but BULLETT RAJA was something else. It proved that you are a talent to reckon with.

    It won’t be over-the-top to say that you are to Bollywood what Bruce Lee was to Hollywood. You have that same determination and dedication; the eyes too exude that similar innocence. As far as action goes, you are in a league of your own. And that has come through sheer hard work, a dedicated routine and a desire to excel.

    I only hope that you are given your due, because I know how hard it is for the girls to make it big. Every day you hear the same story. Most girls say that for the first four films, no one looks at talent! ”It is only after you make it big that talent does matter,” say most of them, rather disillusioned.

    I was shocked, because I thought that with corporatization of the industry, these things would have been passe. But even the newer lot, I believe, are no different sending SMSs in the dead of night to prospective heroines asking them to join in for a ‘private party’.

    The struggle will be tough there may be ample opportunities to compromise. My advice to you would be to bid your time. God has special plans in store for you. Don’t upset His plan by getting anxious, or insecure. What is yours will be yours, but for that you have to have belief in God and in your God-given talent.

    Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

    If He has brought you so far, I am sure He will take you places you will never imagine.

    God Bless You
    Martin D’Souza
    (This weekly column tries to be as honest as honest can be…)

    https://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/13/dec/04-news-an-open-letter-to-vidyut-jamwal-121303.asp

    • Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

      I only saw KRK’s video review of this movie and he dismissed Vidyut performance as 15 mins ki uchhal-kud.

      Do you have an update on Santoshi’s movie with him?

      • Baba 10 years ago

        experts say when the hawker on the street starts talking about investing in share market, never invest in it. so the day when ppl like krk find anything more than “uchal kood” in vidyuts action , it would mean the end of martial arts action!

        • Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

          I fail to understand why that nerd is being given so much importance in media. He is a pure joker.

  30. Baba 10 years ago

    Will Vidyut Jammwal be new Khiladi in ‘Khiladi 2’

    Mumbai: Producer Ratan Jain, who is keen to start `Khiladi 2` shooting, liked Vidyut Jammwal`s work in `Bullett Raja`, but says he hasn`t finalised anyone yet for the title role in the sequel to Akshay Kumar 1992 starrer hit movie.

    “I have seen Vidyut`s work in `Bullett Raja`. He is good. We have not zeroed down upon anyone for the film yet. We just don`t need an action hero, but he should also be fine with music, humour and everything,” said Jain.

    “I have two to three actors in my mind but its too early to discuss about it. He must fit the bill so I can`t say whether he will be part of it or not but lets see,” he added.

    Produced by Ratan`s brother Ganesh Jain and directed by Abbas-Mustan, `Khiladi` success marked a turning point in Akshay`s career.

    Jain said there will be two important characters in the sequel.

    “We will have two characters in the film and we are in search of the right ones,” he said.

  31. sputnik 10 years ago

    Loved this story about a kid who went missing, grew up in a orphanage, became a commando and got reunited with his family.

    Return of the Son
    The commando who was reunited with his family 20 years after he was lost as a little boy, thanks to a tattoo

    It was 4 October 2013 and Ganesh Dhangde was feeling more than a little nervous. He would end every other sentence with ‘na?’ Lean and boyish looking, the 25-year-old anti-terror commando with the Thane Police had a soft voice that hid his marathoner’s lung capacity.

    Riding pillion on Constable Sumit Gandhwale’s black Honda Unicorn, he was in reliable company. The two had been through many a trial in the police together… who better to take along on this mission?

    Ganesh kept looking about as they drove slowly around a shantytown at the foot of Thane’s Hanuman Tekdi hill that rises above Wagle Estate. A bustling shantytown it was, with alleys going every which way. Sumit stopped the motorcycle in a narrow alley for Ganesh to get directions from a passerby:

    “Which way is the Mama Bhacha dargah?”

    It’s the only landmark I know.

    “It’s that way, up the hill.”

    A little farther, Ganesh had his memory jogged by a building, then a municipal school… these were granulated images from his childhood.

    “Sumit,” he said, his voice a notch louder, “the school seems familiar!”

    When they came upon a mosque that went click in Ganesh’s head, he was convinced it was that neighbourhood.

    The one thing of his long-lost family he was sure of was his mother’s name: Manda Raghunath Dhangde. It was tattooed across his right forearm in indelible Marathi. He’d had it for as long as he could remember.

    “Aunty, sir, do you know Manda Raghunath Dhangde?”

    “No.”

    Perhaps she’s left the area.

    They saw an old man across the road and went to him.

    “Manda? There are three women named Manda in this neighbourhood,” he said.

    “Where do they live?”

    The old man directed them farther up the hill.

    +++

    Scars and tattoos, they last as long as your memories. Sometimes longer.

    Like, say, the scarred memory of how you went missing. Say, you were six years old and mischievous, tramping off into the nearby Yeoor jungle for fun. Say, your father, Thane municipal gardener Raghunath, had just died after a month of fever. You lit the pyre. Lonely and forlorn, you acted up, opting to play marbles and fly kites instead of going to school. You stoned your neighbour’s chicken and were tied to a tree by your mother as punishment after her thrashings didn’t work. In reaction, you acted up even more, and on one forgotten date and unforgettable day, you left your reed-and-mud house on top of Hanuman Tekdi hill to visit school with a neighbour’s son your age and met an older friend of his who encouraged you to skip school and go for a walk. Why not, you thought, and another friend of the older boy joined you while he himself disappeared… and then the stranger took you and your friend to a railway station, and you all took a train for fun and got off at an unfamiliar station. You were asked to wait on a bench as the stranger and your friend walked off—never to return. It was minutes and then hours, who knows, before you were gripped by panic. You figured a train going in the other direction would take you home, but you landed up in a hopelessly unfamiliar place. In tears, you asked for Mama Bhacha and got no answer. You wandered around Mumbai, slept the night at a pandal and woke up to realise it wasn’t a nightmare. You broke down, found yourself on a beach… and then a woman took you in. She clothed, fed and turned you into a beggar on trains and a scavenger of metal. She took half your earnings. Six months of this, and you lost hope of ever returning home. It was a grim life.

    And then a vehicle knocked you out.

    +++

    When Ganesh came to, he was in a place that had men and women in white and smelt of blood and chemicals. His bandaged head hurt and he felt swoony—like, say, the sea. He spent months in that hospital bed. No one of his family turned up to see him, only the beggar woman and her son: what were their names? They’re lost to memory now. Had they admitted him to hospital or had some other kind soul?

    I don’t remember.

    After a while, the beggar woman and her son stopped coming. A doctor said he was okay. “We’re moving you to an orphanage,” he was told.

    +++

    Home, train, beach, beggary, hospital— and now, orphanage. From the age of about seven to 12, Ganesh stayed at Thelma JRD Tata Trust Anand Kendra in Worli. It was run by a family he knew only as the Mehtas. They were strict. All the children had to rise early, brush their teeth and study hard. They were as scary as they were well-meaning. Ganesh couldn’t talk to them. But Shamshuddin, the cook at the orphanage, was friendly.

    “Sit here,” he’d say, and the children would sit in rows as he and his helpers served them food.

    Ganesh learnt that not all his fellow inmates were orphans. Some had been given up because their father had died and mother could not afford to bring them up. Before anti-child labour laws came into being, the Kendra had yarn-spinning machines for the children to work on. For their labour, they earned a few rupees that would be kept safe for them till adulthood.

    The school Ganesh attended was called Love Grove Municipal School—located near a sewage treatment complex. He had to start from class one all over again. He was disconcertingly taller than his classmates, but took it in his stride. He was good at athletics and his teachers egged him on to participate in inter-school tournaments. He would often win. At some point, he decided he’d be a sportsman.

    He spent his after-school hours running in a maidan behind the orphanage.

    In a few years, he’d forgotten about Mama Bhacha. He had lost his family and found a childhood. With other children, he would climb an almond tree in the Kendra’s courtyard; he liked to sit on its highest branch, even above the first-floor terrace. They would walk on the boundary wall. Once, he recalls, a kid fell off and his front teeth fell out.

    This was not Ganesh’s lot in life. He rose. He did so well as an athlete that he got admission to the Maharashtra government’s Krida Prabodhini sports academy.

    At the age of 12, Ganesh bade goodbye to the orphanage; admitted to another school, he got a free hostel room in Thane, a suburb of Mumbai. As a hostel resident, he learnt to look after himself, washing his own clothes, cooking his food and watching out for trouble.

    His family was a distant memory. He didn’t miss them—or so he told himself. When the families of other kids at Krida Prabodhini came visiting, he’d retreat to a shaded spot under a tree in the compound to be with himself awhile.

    Ganesh found a father figure in his athletics coach, Surendra Modi. He was strict, but cared for the earnest boy who had no one at all. Modi Sir offered him a bit of advice: “Forget about your family. It’s no use pining for them. Look ahead—to the future. Focus on your work.”

    Under the coach’s care, Ganesh practised several sports at Krida Prabodhini: 800 m, 5 km running, the long jump, and sometimes even the pole vault. Growing up to be a deceptively small but strong teenager, he won several amateur medals, including a track-and-field gold at the Gujarat amateur tourneys in 2005.

    Ganesh applied for a police job, and graduated in 2010 as a constable from the state’s police training academy in Pune. (It was only later, after he found his mother, that he lerant he’d been fascinated by the force in khaki even as a child; he’d once cried and cried until they got him a play police uniform). On his first posting, he would spend three years at the Thane Police HQ, where he represented the force at amateur sporting events.

    He had seen several Hindi movies featuring commandos and their derring-do. In 2012, he caught sight of some anti-terror commandos strutting about. Impressed by their bearing, he applied for commando training. As an athlete, he was fit for the job. The selection trials put him through a 2.5 km run, 100 m sprint, sit-ups, dips, pull-ups, push-ups and other tests of strength and stamina. He was chosen.

    +++

    In July 2013, Ganesh was among a batch of commandos inducted by the anti-terror cell of the Thane Police. Inspector Shrikant Sonde, the cell’s head, was impressed with the humble youngster’s running times and was pleased to have him join the Quick Response Force. This elite unit, raised after Mumbai’s 26/11 terror attacks, was to be equipped with INSAS assault rifles and imported sub-machine guns. Also, its training module was extremely demanding, both physically and mentally. And that is why Sonde made a point of keeping men of unhappy—or no—families under close watch.

    Soon after the recruitment, Sonde sat the greenhorns down and grilled them on their loved ones.

    “Dhangde, where are you from?”

    “Don’t know, sir.”

    “Where is your family?”

    “I don’t have one, sir, I was lost to them as a child. All I know is my mother’s name, from this tattoo on my right arm.” Ganesh displayed the green ink on his arm.

    Ganesh was put into a routine of 6 am physical training, weapons practice and day-and-night shifts. He gave away no sign of any inner turmoil that might shake his nerve—make him trigger-happy, for instance—as a Quick Response commando.

    Yet, Sonde was unable to restrain his worry—and sympathy. After a few days of training, he called Ganesh into his cabin and said, “We’re going to try and find your family.” And then he added, “The tattoo on your arm, it’s the poor who do that sort of stuff. If you find your folks, don’t be surprised if their circumstances are slight.”

    Sonde urged Ganesh to retrace the steps in his life. It was in September 2013 that Ganesh revisited his old orphanage in Mumbai. Shamshuddin the cook, who was about to retire a month from then, reminded him how he’d talked about Mama-Bhacha as home, whatever that was.

    There was a clue. “Mama Bhacha?” asked Sonde, “You’d been saying it ever since you reached the orphanage?” “That is what they said, sir.”

    “I’ll tell you what. You go make enquiries.

    Your colleagues will help you.”

    With that, Sonde put Ganesh on his own case. He and a few fellow commandos began searching for a dargah by that name. By coincidence, it was right under their nose.

    +++

    Mama Bhacha: Uncle-nephew. A strange name for a burial complex, but it was known among locals of Thane, for it was named after an uncle-nephew duo of Sufi savants who’d lived four centuries ago. Their mazaar (graves) were atop that hill, and a shrine had come up alongside for urs gatherings (to celebrate their ‘union with divinity’ upon death).

    And that is how Ganesh and Sumit picked up the trail again. The old man in the alley told them there were three Manda Raghunath Dhangdes living in these parts. They had driven all the way up Hanuman Tekdi. Near the top, there was a small plateau with a Hindu temple, a Buddha vihar and a large water tank.

    Ganesh turned to a girl of six or seven who was playing with other children, to ask: “Where does Manda Raghunath Dhangde live?”

    “That’s me!” she exclaimed, and led him home.

    The girl would turn out to be his half-sister. A two-minute walk later, after weaving through tenements, Ganesh Dhangde saw a reed-and-mud shanty that brought back memory flashes of a long time ago. Three or four old women sat outside the house, close to the hilltop overlooking Wagle Estate.

    “We’re from the police,” Ganesh said politely. “We’re looking for Manda Raghunath Dhangde.”

    He was ushered into the dark shanty. It had a tumbledown cupboard, a TV and a cot. He laid eyes on a thin woman of dark complexion, slightly over five feet, who seemed middle-aged.

    “Have you lost a son, years ago?”

    Yes, she said.

    What was his name, he asked.

    Ganesh Raghunath Dhangde.

    He showed her the tattoo. She grew agitated, losing control of her emotions. Five women of around his mother’s age entered the shanty. They were his aunts, including his mother’s closest relative, Savitri Bhokre, who’d been his father’s uncle’s daughter. They were all there to observe the shraadh of his father. It was a solemn occasion.

    And now, this. Manda’s lost son.

    He’d returned.

    Overwhelmed, everyone broke down.

    Ganesh was finally home.

    +++

    Ganesh had left a truant child and returned a polite police- and sportsman. A few weeks after the reunion, he moved in with them. It has all worked out well. “Get married soon,” Ganesh’s mother has told him.

    First, he plans to get a BA degree from YB Chavan Open University and take an exam for the job of a police inspector. Then he will have his younger siblings married, before finding a girl for himself. His mother still works as a housemaid. He wants her to retire once he becomes an inspector. The two siblings he left behind are now grown up. His brother Ramesh is around 19, his sister Vanita, 17.

    He did ask his mother whether she searched for him. Yes, she said, they registered a complaint at the Wagle Estate police station, searched at the local morgue, went to Vashi and Bhiwandi; Wadala, too, where gangs would draft missing children for begging. When that didn’t work, she had been to the local temple for mannat.

    After his father’s death, his mother was unable to fend for herself and her children. She married a man who lived nearby, Rampujan Yadav. With him, she has had two children: Hritik, 12, and Vandana, 10.

    Ganesh is still adjusting to this reality. Getting used to family life has not been easy. When he came to live with them, he would wash his own clothes and his mother would yell at him. That has changed since. He has learnt since to rely on others in his family.

    For this festival season, he bought a silver paayal for Vanita, a dress for Vandana and saris for his mother. They plan to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of a local goddess, for the first time, as a family.

    In this reunion with his family, Ganesh has also learnt that he is probably older than the 25 years he has counted. At the orphanage, he had to repeat four or five years of school. That would place him close to 30.

    +++

    On a recent evening, Ganesh and Sunil drove to Mumbai from Thane after their shift ended. They visited Anand Kendra, where Ganesh was felicitated by the management and he addressed the children. He spoke about goals, dedication and determination. A boy who was soon to leave the orphanage asked him how to join the police force. “Be good in your studies and in sports,” Ganesh advised him.

    Ganesh was in the presence of 30 children, some of whom were orphaned and others whom their parents couldn’t support. Many seemed cheerful, but one or two were sullen and quick to take offence. None had gone missing. By an estimate of the NGO Childline, almost 45,000 children go missing every year in India. Few of them ever get back home. Ganesh had defied the odds.

    Link

    • Baba 10 years ago

      thanks for sharing. the events of his life are inspiring. this is a quality film script right there!

      • sputnik 10 years ago

        You are welcome. I was thinking Vidyut should star in a movie based on this script but you said it right. This should have been the script of Commando.

  32. Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

    Thanks for sharing, what a fantastic real life story. I agree this should have been script of Commando.

    • sputnik 10 years ago

      Good one @baba-ji

      Good that Vidyut did this before college kids. Liked his presentation. And it was nice to see his forthright advice about preventing rapes.

  33. AAPtard 10 years ago

    Vidyut Jammwal
    16 mins ·
    A year ago, we created a new benchmark in action. Very proud of it. Thank u so much for your love ‪#‎Commando‬

  34. Baba 10 years ago

    Exclusive : Vidyut Jamwal’s ‘SELF-DEFENSE’ techniques for Women

  35. Baba 10 years ago

    amazing real life street stunt performance

  36. Baba 10 years ago

    excellent parkour moves from a group of kids

  37. Baba 9 years ago

    vidyut jamwals look in tigmanshu dhulia’s yaara

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