Expectations from the action genre have traditionally been rudimentary. “Hey director, do what you want, but get to the ‘pow-wow’, ‘boom’ and ‘bang’ quickly.” However, the evolution of cinema has led to audiences becoming increasingly aware and demanding more from filmmakers. A hare-brained movie with mind-blowing action will simply not work anymore. But, why not?
The construct of movies in this genre is usually outlandish, adhering to escapism on the viewer’s part. Take for instance the plot of Sanak. How often does an MMA trainer, embroiled in a hostage siege situation, single-handedly attempt to take on a team of armed and highly trained mercenaries? Why then, is there excessive clamour surrounding movies of this genre with invisible placards necessitating logic?
Anyway, moving back to Sanak. Director Kanishk Varma attempts to inject a shred of believability into the incredulous plot by giving the protagonist a natural handicap, which is sadly underutilized in the film. From the onset, the antagonists are presented as deadly, fierce and most importantly, able. The ‘hero’, Vidyut Jammwal, enters the fray impeded by the aforementioned vulnerability and a boring propensity to live a normal life. He isn’t a sword-swinging ninja. On the contrary, he is an ordinary man and a doting husband. As fate would have it, he finds himself in an impossible situation and decides to save his damsel in distress through excellently choreographed combat sequences. Some of these episodic fight scenes would give Hollywood a run for their money. No kidding.
Unlike a typical action film, Vidyut isn’t ploughing through villains in Sanak. He bleeds, faints, is shot at and often comes perilously close to getting offed. Antagonising him is a deliciously devilish Chandan Roy Sanyal, dripping with menace, glee and steely confidence. A demented psychopath, ‘Saju’ isn’t someone you’d want to be alone around. Alas, the character is criminally underwritten.
Sanak could’ve been a tasty and taut action thriller, but the makers dilute the intensity by peppering the film with comedy. I know, I know, I’m pun-ing too much today. Sorry!
So, the comedy takes the shape of do-gooder ‘Riyaz Ahmed’, played by Chandan Roy (of Panchayat fame, not to be confused with the primary antagonist). The hand-to-hand combat scenes are filled with quirks intended for comedic effect, which comes across as an odd creative choice given the tone of the film. Vidyut invokes his inner Jackie Chan, using his surroundings as props. Exercise bands, medicine balls, walkers, MRI machines and the likes – the ingenuity on display is genuinely applause-worthy.
At nearly two hours in run-time, Sanak overstays its welcome. A tighter edit may have vastly improved the viewing experience. Watch Sanak for Vidyut; regarded as one of the best action stars in the world, he packs a solid punch here, as presumed. Sometimes, predictability is a good thing.
Rating: 3/5
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