Rustom review: Engaging thriller that could have been more

Film: Rustom (U/A)
Rating: 3/5

Mainstream Hindi cinema has this habit of adding commercial elements to real-life crime stories. Nothing wrong there if one has only taken the basic idea and made a fictional account that is engaging and satisfying. Director Tinu Suresh Desai’s Rustom also takes this liberty in a tale inspired by the infamous Nanavati case. The result is an engaging courtroom thriller. However, the film comes with some major negative points that cannot be overlooked.

Rustom is based in 1959 Mumbai (then Bombay). Naval officer Rustom Pavri (Akshay Kumar) is sincere towards his job and the nation. His duty compels him to be away from wife Cynthia (Ileana D’Cruz), whom he loves dearly. On one occasion, he returns from an assignment earlier than expected and decides to give her a surprise. Instead, he becomes the recipient of a surprise, an unpleasant one at that.

Rustom realises his wife is having an affair with his friend, Vikram (Arjan Bajwa). Angry and shattered, he storms to his friend-turned-foe's home with a gun. Moments later, Vikram is found murdered with three bullets in his chest. Rustom straightaway surrenders to the police and confesses to killing Vikram. It appears an open-and-shut case. But is Rustom guilty?

Rustom keeps you engaged and guessing throughout. This is one reason why it is worth watching at least once. The runtime of 151 minutes passes as if in a jiffy due to the fast screenplay and smart linking of scenes by the editor. A few characters appear to have been added only to induce humour. But as they are connected with the main plot and genuinely succeed in making you laugh, you don’t mind that.

But for a whodunit to work in totality it is vital for the finale to be convincing and this is where Rustom struggles. The conclusion is too complicated and convenient. Some flaws don’t help either. Of these, one is just too big to be ignored, but it cannot be disclosed here as that would also ruin the suspense. People holding placards with messages like ‘Marry me Rustom’ also deserve mention for the unintentional hilarity.

The production design team has done a convincing job for the most part in recreating the era of 1959. But the same cannot be said for the make-up and costumes departments. The songs are situational and decent to hear. ‘Tere Sang Yara’ and the title song remain the best of the lot. 

The film relies totally on Akshay Kumar as far as performances are concerned. He comes up with a sincere effort. But there is no challenge for him here because he has to remain straight-faced during the courtroom scenes. The director seems to have gone a bit too far in making him speak through expressions. Ileana D’Cruz’s act only rises to an average level. 

Esha Gupta struggles with her role, which becomes another reason for unintentional laughter. Sachin Khedekar is convincing, but his character suffers from being a stereotypical corrupt lawyer. Kumud Mishra, Arjan Bajwa and Parmeet Sethi provide above average performances. But Pavan Malhotra turns out to be the surprise package with an impressive act. In a brief role, Usha Nadkarni leaves a mark. 

Overall, Rustom is entertaining fare that could have been much more. Some good amount of hype and Akshay Kumar’s popularity will ensure decent returns for the film at the box office. 

Director: Tinu Suresh Desai
Producers: A Friday Filmworks, Kriarj Entertainment, Essel Vision and Cape of Good Films
Writers: Vipul K Raval
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Ileana D’Cruz, Esha Gupta, Sachin Khedekar, Pavan Malhotra, Arjan Bajwa
Music: Ankit Tiwari, Jeet Ganguly, Arko and Raghav Sachar
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 151 minutes