Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai is Salman Khan’s new dish with same old ingredients. Directed by Prabhu Deva, the film relies wholly and solely on Salman Khan’s style and staple swagger. Although the film is a remake of South Korean blockbuster The Outlaws, there’s more resemblance of Salman Khan’s previous films such as Dabangg 1 & 2, Wanted and Hero than the South Korean inspiration.

Also read: Radhe Trailer: Salman Khan, Randeep Hooda, Jackie Shroff starring trailer receives 1.1 million views

Basic Plot

Set in modern Mumbai, the film is an out-and-out Salman Khan entertainer and director Prabhu Deva makes sure that for better or for worse, the film doesn’t aspire to be anything more. As seen in the trailer that broke viewing records, the film centers around Radhe played by Salman Khan, an encounter specialist that has 97 encounters under his belt. Like Radhe from wanted and Radhe from Tere Naam, the Radhe from 2021 film also doesn’t hold law and order in regard.

In the film Mumbai is shown to be filled with drug lords that are plaguing the youth of the city. To curb the mafia, Radhe is given the opportunity to take matters in his own hand. Subsequently, the character does what all Salman Khan characters have done in recent past: kick butts, whip out some cheeky dialogues, swirl the lucky bracelet and once in a while & flirt with an age-inappropriate heroine, Disha Patani in this case.

Prabhu Deva fails to strike the right balance

Unlike action thrillers like War, Baby, or even for that matter, Baaghi, Prabhu Deva fails to find the balance between action film stereotypes and offering something new and palatable. Though to Deva’s credit, he does a good job at garnishing the films with several well-choreographed action scenes that keeps the film’s pace moving.

But the film’s screenplay leaves much to be wished for as it goes in the same territory as must Salman Khan films do, being, having a lackluster romantic angle with the female protagonist, bending the rules of physics to take down enemies, and making all the supporting characters deal with dialogues that are exposition heavy.

Arguably some of the best moments from the film comes in the first act when the antagonist, played by an ever-so-charming Randeep Hooda is seen locking horns with another small-time crook. There are a few high-octane scenes between Hooda and Khan in which the film’s action takes the steering wheel and makes it a treat to watch. Although the film has more bloodshed than Salman’s previous outings, it makes sense as the film is released on OTT where the content rules are a little flimsier.

Disha Patani plays the cliche naïve Prabhu Deva heroine

But if you take that away, the film is carried down by the weight of scenes between Disha Patani and Salman Khan. These scenes have little to nothing to do with the actual plot of the film and Disha Patani is obviously used to dazzle the scene. Her character is as naïve as Ayesha Takia’s character Jhanvi from Wanted, only, less charming and more a distraction.

All the urgency that the plot pumped in certain crucial scenes fizzles out due to a random songs and dances. The film’s soundtrack is composed by Sajid-Wajid and the songs are extremely forgettable.

As anticipated, the film is completely carried on the able-yet-weary shoulders of Salman Khan’s stardom. Like Prabhu Deva’s previous films such as Rowdy Rathore or R Rajkumar in which Akshay Kumar and Shahid Kapoor had to squeeze out all their star power to make the scenes work, Radhe also forces Salman to do that.

Randeep Hooda redeems Radhe

The film is redeemed by Randeep Hooda who plays the immovable object standing in the way of Radhe, an unstoppable force. Hooda is slick and appropriately monstrous to make the movie not a complete waste of time. But scenes between Radhe and his senior officer, played by Jackie Shroff are unfunny when they are intended to be funny, and unintentionally funny when they are serious.

So, there we have its folks, as anticipated, Radhe comes with all the ingredients that were once needed to make a massy entertainer. But after similar films one after the other, it can’t be said that Radhe is Salman Khan’s most wanted film.

With that said, we know that Bhai’s fans will remain unaffected to all its criticism and will enjoy Radhe to the core. And due to the grim situation brought by COVID-19, it is not so bad for people to find respite in an arguably mindless action flick.

Radhe film reviews from Twitter