Thugs Of Hindostan trailer: Kranti meets Pirates Of The Carribean in this Aamir-Amitabh clash

Freedom, deception, and a manic Aamir Khan seem to be the magic elements of the explosive Thugs Of Hindostan trailer. Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, the film is a grand scale period-epic set in the 18th century about a group of pirates taking on the might of the East India Company. 

The film has recently been in the news for its comparison with the Disney franchise Pirates Of The Carribean, and the trailer seems to give a hint as to why. Set in the seas, it tells the story of the East India Company's constant run-ins with the sea pirate, Khudabaksh (Amitabh Bachchan) aka Azaad who refuses to submit to them. Among his crew is the feisty and ferocious archer and fighter, Zafira (Fatima Sana Shaikh). 

Realising that a head-on battle with Azad on the seas is nigh impossible, the English recruit Firangi Malla (Aamir Khan), a wacky, nefarious cheat to infiltrate the Thugs and break them from within. Crafty and deceptive, Malla is the joker of the pack, and from what the trailer implies, the ace as well. 

The naval battles and stylised action set the tone for Acharya's film. Bachchan's entry and appearance is a return to the actor's early days as the vigilante.

While there were stories of the film being an adaptation of the 19th-century novel Confessions Of A Thug, the trailer is more in line with the Manoj Kumar epic, Kranti (1981).

Khan's transformation as the playful, mischievous Firangi Malla is a nice change. The actor sheds his serious image to take on the deceptive, not to mention Jack Sparrowish weirdness. 

Shaikh looks serious as the ferocious Zafira, while there is a hint as to her childhood past and training. Kaif makes an appearance as the seductive Suraiyya. While she is beautiful, the trailer hints at her having a more active role in the running of the Thugs than was implied. 

The only flaw perhaps is the VFX, which shows through the trailer. However, the scale of the fights and the production design seem to be aimed at overawing the audience. 

While the trailer does have its moments, it still seems to belie the hype around the film. The comparisons with The Pirates Of The Caribbean are inevitable with the battle on the seas. It remains to be seen if the film will manage to sting with Aamir Khan's deceptive turn. 

Thugs of Hindostan is set to release on 8 November 2018. 

Watch the trailer below: