Movie Review: BABY

Movie: BABY

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Rana Daggubatti, Tapsee Pannu, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzonga, Mikaal Zulfiqar and Rasheed Naz

Genre: Thriller

Every other day, when some or the other part of the country is burning up in flames in the name of terrorism and communalism, I am overcome by this irresistible itch to smack down atleast one bad guy in my lifetime. Wouldn’t it have been altogether too easy and convenient if all the bad guys were just within arm-reach and if we could bundle them together in a room, and punch them our hearts out? Well, we both know that ain’t happening, and sadly, enough, the Miss. Peace-loving-goody-two-shoes that Iam, I doubt if I will even swat a fly in my lifetime. So for people like me and the others around, Bollywood comes out with patriotic thrillers like BABY, setting our blood surging, heart racing and adrenaline pumping. More than anything else, BABY is a reminder about the many Indian officers who are engaged in risky, life threatening, undercover operations to ensure that we eat, sleep and enjoy our lives in safe confines of our country. Watching BABY just a day before Republic Day, makes me want to salute every single officer who will march down Rajpath tomorrow, with their heads held high and proud to be serving their motherland.

In the backdrop of the post 26/11 Mumbai, a special investigation team is formed and is assigned a top secret mission to hunt down terrorists and rip open the veil over their plans to attack India. Out of the 12 officers who were deployed, only 4 remain. The movie is about the last operation carried out by this team.  

Akshay Kumar is brilliant as an officer heading an undercover operation. He looks like a man who knows his job and has no second thoughts about it. Anupam Kher and Rana Daggubatti deliver very good performances as the other officers in the team. Despite a short role, Tapsee Pannu will floor you in an action packed sequence (trust me I had to forcibly suppress a whistle). Pakistani British actor Mikaal Zulfiqar does a fine job in the movie and veteran Pakistani actor Rasheed Naz is well cast into the role of a most wanted terrorist.

Though on the whole I loved the movie, I do have a few bones to pick with it, so let me lay it down for you. Among the things I loved (the most) are a) the storyline is unwavering from its path. Not even for a second will you be drawn into wondering, irritably, as to where the story is headed; b) there are no songs, well there is one but it barely there takes your focus off the main track; c) all the actors are so well cast that you cannot have had it better and d) the locations are well shot and technical details have been well catered to.

Things I did not like are a) certain scenes which would have been major troublesome circumstances in real life, were portrayed as near about cakewalks; b) some parts were a tad dragged and could have been wound up faster and c) sometimes (just sometimes!) Akshay Kumar’s stoic expressions made him look plastic and lifeless.

A movie for all ages though maybe not kids as in my hall I had atleast 5 little ones loitering around the entire place, so they were clearly bored. Overall, BABY is a fantastic way of getting in touch with your patriotic spirit. So, go for it soldier!

Stars: *** & ½