Director: Girish Malik
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Nargis Fakhri and Rahul Dev
Rating: 1.5/5
Actor Sanjay Dutt's latest movie Torbaaz, which was released on Netflix on Friday, is a mediocre attempt at storytelling that fails to make an impact. The film, which is set in war-torn Afghanistan revolves around what happens when an Army doctor tries to transform the lives of children through cricket.
The film's story fails to reach its potential as the execution is not up to the mark. The screenplay relies on 'telling' rather than 'showing', making it difficult for the viewers to connect with the reel action. It spreads itself thin, a cardinal sin for a film.
Though Torbaaz opens on a gripping note, it quickly flatlines. The narrative moves at an excruciatingly slow pace with almost each and every scene overstaying its welcome.
The scenes depicting the sociopolitical dynamics of Afghanistan fail to strike a chord as they come across as rushed and half-baked. The sequences revolving around the antagonist lack the organic intensity needed to make an impact.
The final stretch of the Torbaaz, featuring around cricket match, is a bit better than expected and might click with a section of the audience. A key sequence involving 'Baba' and Rahul Dev works to a certain extent. A twist towards the end, however, falls flat as it is as predictable as anything can be.
'Sanju' is the heart and soul of Torbaaz and tries to salvage the film with his sincere performance. He deserved a better film and a more engaging role. Nargis Fakhri gets limited scope to showcase her abilities,
Rahul Dev fails to meet expectations as he is burdened with a one-dimensional character. The supporting cast is strictly okay.
The songs are better than expected and gel with the narrative. The background score is generic and does not add much to the narrative. The editing, as alluded to earlier, is quite lackluster. The other technical aspects are okayish.