Cut to 2007, Sunny Deol’s long delayed BIG BROTHER finally releases after under-going name changes for almost 6 years and the result is a film which belongs to another era. The intentions at the time the film was being made may have been honest, however in today’s times a film like this just doesn’t, not because Sunny’s star-power is at an all time low, but because BIG BROTHER is a shamelessly violent film with an incoherent storyline, confused direction and lacklustre performances despite Sunny Deol screaming his loudest.
The story revolves Deodhar Gandhi (Sunny Deol) who along with his family consisting of his mum (Farida Jalal), brother (Imran Khan) and sister (Prachi). Deodhar leads a simple, trouble-free life however when a ministers son pours acid over sisters face. Sunny transforms into an avenging messiah of sorts and calls himself “Big Brother”. He not only takes revenge on the culprits who wronged his sister, but becomes an avenger against ANY criminal who do any crimes. The family then leave Delhi and move to Mumbai where they decide to lead a peaceful life, however the past surfaces again and it’s time for the peace-loving Deodhar to become “Big Brother” again and rid the city of crime.
The story by Dhanoa himself is archaic. I don’t have anything against shameless, old-fashioned masala, and thrive off Tamil films like SAAMY, DHOOL, DHILL etc however the formula in Hindi just doesn’t work for a number of reasons. Firstly for a film like this to truly work the central protagonist has to be a “larger-than-life” star. The actor has to be at a point in his career where he can carry off playing a “super-human” messiah of sorts and find audience acceptance. However given Sunny Deol is at an all-time low this just doesn’t happen with BIG BROTHER hence the movie falls flat. Secondly it would be different if the movie actually offered the viewer ANYTHING new, however once again this movie seems utterly pointless and devoid of any logic. Lastly the movie is too stale, and bears a “90’s” stamp throughout. Theres nothing wrong with delayed movie, just look at Sunny Deol’s own GHATAK which released after almost 6 years and was a thumping hit, but unlike GHATAK, BIG BROTHER is a poor product.
The screenplay of the movie has been written with the sole aim of projecting Sunny Deol in a “larger-than-life”, overman get-up. The sequence of events that unfold on-screen is akin to watching a Mithun or Dharmendra film in the 80’s as our central hero turns in to a one-man-army to rid the city of crime and corruption and the treatment is akin to watching paint dry, In-fact the more I watched this utter madness, I was convinced that Guddu Dhanoa was trying to make something bigger---and that BIG BROTHERT is in-fact a super hero movie (no I kid you not). The scene where Sunny Deol goes to see his sister in hospital after acid has been thrown on her face has an almost blurry strobe affect as Sunny enters the room. This seemed strange, and out of place, however it made sense given the sequence that follows. Sunny seeing his sister’s state is taken over by the “Invisible Hulk” and turns in to a super-human fighting machine of sorts. The very next scene features Sunny Deol punching three men together, who then fly 10 metres in to a bus making the windows shatter, he then continues to punch another baddie in to the ground and he sinks 10 metres in to the ground, whoa..this would put KRRISH to shame! Heck there is even a scene where Sunny Deol decides that he will now not leave Mumbai until he’s got rid of the crime. The family’s eating dinner and he tells his mum “Ab hum yeh shehar abhi nahin chodengei” to which his mum subtly smiles and replies “Iss shehar ko sudhar kar chodengei”. Given the movie’s title was earlier SON OF SEETADEVI this leads me to believe that Seetadevi(Farida) knows that her son is “special” and “gifted” and has been born to protect the downtrodden. Or maybe I was just insanely bored?
As a director Guddu Dhanoa amazes me, as he has made the film with complete conviction. Infact you can’t help but admire the amount of conviction and honesty that everyone involved with the movie has put in. Dhanoa forte has always been masala packed action movies from his debut in ELAAN, to GUNDARAJ, TU CHOR MAIN SIPAHI, AFLATOON, SALAAKHEN to BIG BROTHER. However back in the late 90’s these films were enjoyable only because I didn’t know better. In today’s age the film comes across as a stale and hampered film. Given Guddu is the Deol’s cousin he has always been given the biggest Deol projects including the ambitious 23 MARCH 1931: SHAHEED however he has only managed to deliver one true blue blockbuster with ZIDDI, and the rest have been below expectations (his finest film in my view is SALAAKHEN which features an outstanding performance by Anupam Kher). It’s about time for the Deol’s to wish Guddu all the best and move on much like Akshay Kumar has done. His time is clearly up unless he reinvents himself…fast!
However maybe im being too harsh, and getting soft in my old age, in today’s era where homage’s are becoming more and more popular, BIG BROTHER stands as a film that pays an unintentional homage to everything that Sunny Deol’s career in the 90’s has stood for, as well as having unusual bouts of unintended hilarity. Infact there are some scenes in BIG BROTHER that would put Sunny’s other “comedy” JAANI DUSHMAN-EK ANOKHI KAHANI to shame.. Its brings memories of a by gone era and shows how far Indian cinema has really moved on, and it’s about time Dhanoa did the same.
As far as performances go everyone in the movie is functional.
Sunny Deol plays his part with relish. Armed with a wig bad enough to make Patrick Stewart and Anupam Kher jump with joy at their shining heads, and a beard which tries to rekindle memories of GADAR without much success. However Sunny looks tired here, the wig cannot cover up his receding hairline, and the huge sacks under his eyes and sagging skin can’t cover up his age. He shouts, screams, punches and (horrifically) dances his way through the film and he really does try, and it shows. Time to have a SERIOUS think Sunny Paaji. Do some justice to your old fans who still have faith.
Priyanka Chopra stands pays in a weird sort of a way pays a homage(for the worst) to what actresses had to do in the 90’s in a male dominated action film. In-fact Dhanoa makes her act and look like Raveena Tandon did in her films with Sunny, and like her performance in KRRISH, she fails to leave much of a mark, and her chemistry with Sunny is zilch here unlike THE HERO.
Imraan Khan and Prachi are simply terrible. Farida Jalal should gracefully retire.
The army of villains from Shahbaaz Khan, Govind Namdeo, Avtar Gill to Danny Denzgopa(surprised Guddu hasn't utilised the Sunny/Danny face/off properly here) play their roles as expected-complete OTT. Sayaji Shinde is amusing as ever, however I’ve always had a weak spot for his brand of villainy since I saw him in SHOOL, yes loud he is but funny at the same time.
And you know you’re in trouble when Hindi films go back to having separate comedy tracks? Yes, BIG BROTHER has one of the lamest and cringe worthy comedy tracks that I have seen in a long time. I don’t seem to have a huge problem with separate comedy tracks in Tamil films with the likes of Vivek and Vadivelu but it just doesn’t work in Hindi anymore.
Technically the movie comes across as stale; Tinnu Verma’s action scenes have a sense of deja-vu prevalent. And why so much violence? Heck the amount of acid that’s thrown around they could’ve called this TEZAAB 2?
Shandesh Shandilya and Anand Raaj Anand’s music is lame, and the picturisations leave a lot to be desired for as well.
All up BIG BROTHER is one to avoid. Even the most ardent Sunny Deol fans will agree that this is the bottom of the barrel for Sunny Paaji and it’s high time he had a SERIOUS RE-THINK!
Final Rating: *
