'Baazaar' movie review: Bargain of time, entertainment

Baazaar

Rating: 2/5

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Radhika Apte, Rohan Vinod Mehra, Chitrangada Singh

Language: Hindi (U/A)

Director: Gauravv K Chawla

The narrative in Baazaar is a stock that moves steadily at first, then rises and eventually returns to its earlier pitch.

Stockbroker Rizwan Ahmed (Rohan) from "small town" Allahabad (um... Prayagraj), wants to make it big and looks up to Shakun Kothari (Saif), a trading-business shark, as his god.

The humble yet ambitious university topper moves to Mumbai and meets his god, who showers him with more prosperity.

Now the question is: is Rizwan's talents being rewarded, or is the shark using him as a bait?

The movie gives you a peek into the world of stock market and what goes behind its ups and downs.

The movie incorporates real-world issues and events such as the spectrum scam, insider trading, nexus with the bureaucracy and government, role of Sebi, diamond trade, among others.

The twists, turns and double-crosses are interesting but it takes way too long to get to them.

The filmmakers neatly dug a grave and buried the thrills leading up to the twists.

They dig a grave and neatly bury the thrill leading up to the twists.

There is a talented cast but it is Saif's character that turns the wheel of Baazaar.

Radhika owns every moment of her screen time and Rohan fits in neatly as a small town boy. One wishes he could emote better.

Saif pulls off a neat Gujarati accent sometimes, which, at other times, he does not have at all.

Saif has an ample share of enlightening one-liners that is supposed to paint the character as experienced and intelligent. But one wonders: do film still need them or is it just a dated trope resurrected?

A love story and songs are thrown in, that serve no purpose but to prolong the movie.

However, you will strike gold in strange places. The songs, for instance, have some of the best camera work compared to the rest of the movie.

Don't expect a Wolf of Wall Street. It's a good script that is bogged down by things that are the hallmarks of Bollywood.

Do you still want to invest?