Son Of Sardaar Movie Review by Anupama Chopra

Direction: Ashwni Dhir
Actors: Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt
Rating: **

In 1923, Buster Keaton directed a delightful comedy titled Our Hospitality, about a multi-generational family feud. The last descendent of one family returns to his native village after many years. The rival family wants to kill him but they have a rule about not harming houseguests, so as long as he is in their house, he’s safe.

Now, 89 years later, the story arrives in Bollywood via Telugu cinema (SS Rajamouli first made it here, as Maryada Ramanna). In the hands of director and co-writer Ashwni Dhir, it has become one of those high-decibel, low-IQ masala movies that hit the screen every few months.

These aren’t so much films as series of running gags, interspersed with action sequences, instantly forgettable songs and nonsensical dialogue. The idea, I think, is to be entertained without straining your brain. I’m all for it, as long as there is significant entertainment.

There was none here.

Son of Sardaar is exhausting, painfully loud and way too long, with too few laughs.

Ajay Devgn as the buffoonish and burly Jassi has some moments of genuine comedy, but Sanjay Dutt, playing the ferocious Billu Paaji, is just large and lumbering. The one bright spot here is Juhi Chawla as Billu Paaji’s mooh-boli biwi – she sparkles in every scene she has.

Son of Sardaar made me miss Rohit Shetty, the reigning king of this type of cinema. That says it all.

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