Before I begin with my review for Shivaay, let us first see what noted critics from all across the internet are saying about the movie
Indian Express says The only thing your eye can rest on is the spectacular scenery. The rest is a bloated star vehicle.
Rediff.com says This Ajay Devgn video game gets more unwatchable with each minute – and there are 173 of them.
The Huffington Post says Watching Ajay Devgn’s brainless actioner is like watching a turd drop. For three hours. In slow-motion.
India today says if you’re determined to watch Shivaay any way whatsoever, a sensible thing to do would be to carry the chillum along, a la Shiva. Take a few puffs and you’re all set. Without the puffs, it is impossible to survive Shivaay.
The rest are no different. From fart to turd to orgasm, Shivaay will probably go down in history as a film with one of the most creative reviews ever. Apart from the Bengali surnames of the reviewers, one striking feature common across all the reviews is that they are overly negative. To earn reviews as creatively negative as these, Shivaay must have been a colossal disaster, a Himalayan blunder as another Shivaay review screeches. We’ll come to why Shivaay is at the receiving end of the review cartel of Bollywood, later on. Let me formally review the movie first.
Shivaay – Plot review:
Shivaay (Ajay Devgn) is a daredevil guide who makes hiking and climbing look extremely easy. He is an orphan who has been raised in the tough Himalayan terrains and is a natural when it comes to climbing (and descending) mountains. A group of trekkers join Shivaay for a mountaineering mission. Olga (Erika Kaar) is a Bulgarian studying at the Delhi University. Olga gets bowled over by Shivaay’s rustic charms, his deep expressive eyes and his sculpted body adorned with 3 Shiva Tattoos (Shiva with matted locks, Coiled Serpent and the majestic trident). They fall in love almost immediately. Olga delivers a baby girl.
The mother and daughter get separated for some reasons and 9 years later, Gaura (Abigail Eames) wants to meet her mother who incidentally is in Bulgaria. All hell breaks loose when the father-daughter enter Bulgaria. Shivaay soon finds himself chased by Bulgarian police and haunted by the Russian Mafia. Does Shivaay have it in him to beat the baddies and ensure a safe return for her daughter?
Shivaay is an extraordinary tale of an extraordinary man caught in extraordinary circumstances. He has superhuman strength and agility, as was amply clear from the teasers and the trailers.
Shivaay Review – The Good Part:
Acting
Ajay Devgn singlehandedly carries the movie on his shoulders. He looks every inch of a superhero sans any superpowers. He is kind and menacing at the same time. He screams a la Singham and is fiercely protective about his family like the protagonist in his much-acclaimed Drishyam. Ajay Devgn delivers a breath taking performance.
Cute little Abigail Eames as Gaura, the lively yet mute girl delivers a powerful performance too. While Rushali Malhotra (Bajrangi Bhaijaanfame) bowled every one with her cute expressions, Abigail actually acts. One of the scenes in which she makes a defiant face at a sneering baddie and signals that his end is near is superb.
Visuals
Shivaay is one of the most gorgeous Bollywood films ever. The mountains, the trenches, the avalanches have been shot at their splendid best. The opening scene where a shirtless Shivaay lies amidst a massive expanse of snow is breathtaking. The interval scene where Shivaay turns into Shiva momentarily is commendable too. Likewise the chase scenes and the car crashes in Bulgaria are brilliantly shot.
Stunt
Action has always been Ajay Devgn’s forte and he outperforms himself with Shivaay. Almost every fight scene in the movie is a treat to watch. He doesn’t beat baddies to pulp in this movie but decimates them swiftly and deftly.
Background Score:
Shivaay sets a new standard for background score. It is riveting. It is powerful. The boom sirens along with ‘Nagendra Haraya’ mantra cast a spell on the audience.
Shivaay Review – The Bad Part:
Characters:
Two legendary actors Saurabh Shukla and Girish Karnad were terribly under-utilized in this movie. Girish Karnad ended up becoming the heaviest baggage of the film. The Urdu speaking Hacker Vir Das turned out to be a terrible bore too. The film could have done without all the three characters.
Music:
Apart from the Title track, there were no good songs in the movie. But the background score more than makes up for it.
Shivaay Review – The Ugly Part:
EDITING EDITING EDITING
This movie could have been slimmer. There are some scenes in this movie which are not required at all. The first half is full of too many light moments and the movie takes a lot of time reaching to the actual plot.
Vir Das’s romance with Sayyesha Saigal seems forced and his hacking cameo is dragged way too much. But the character enacted by Girish Karnad singlehandedly destroys the movie’s pace . Karnad tests audience’s patience with his meaningless monologues and a scene in which his daughter (Sayyesha Saigal) reminisces about a young Girish Karnad and cries is cringe worthy. Ajay, as the director should have selected these frames and pressed shift-delete. Alas! He didn’t. This movie could have been told in a little over 2 hours without compromising on the plot and the flow but it takes almost three hours to finish.
I will give Shivaay a 4 star in the acting department, 4 stars in the direction department, 5 stars in Stunt, a 4 in cinematography, a 5 for background score making the overall rating for it a healthy 4.4 Stars. BUT the editing killed the fun in the second half so I’ll adjust it to 4 stars.
Now, what chillum were these ‘noted’ critics smoking when they reviewed Shivaay? Let me clarify, they weren’t smoking up, it was intentional. Shivaay became a soft target for Bollywood’s critics’ cartel which is controlled by powerful production houses such as Dharma Production headed by Karan Johar.
Bollywood critics, especially the A-Listers belong to the same cabal of narrative-setting cinemawallahs. Often these critics decide the fate of a movie. So a concerted negative review campaign by the influential cinema critics can dampen the response and business of even the most well made movies. I had a hunch even before the release of Shivaay, that the movie might meet a similar negative review campaign. I have highlighted all the reasons in my last article.