RELEASE DATE: August 14, 2015
STUDIO: FIP
DIRECTOR: Karan Malhotra
MPAA RATING: N/A
SCREENWRITERS: Ekta Pathak Malhotra, Gavin O'Connor, Cliff Dorfman, Anthony Tambakis
STARRING: Akshay Kumar, Sidharth Malhotra, Jackie Shroff, Jacqueline Fernandez
GENRE: Action, Drama
SUMMARY: Gary Fernandes (Jackie Shroff), a former alcoholic and street-fighter, returns home after serving a prison sentence of 10 long years to find that the wounds of the past still haunt his family. His two sons, David (Akshay Kumar) and Monty (Siddharth Malhotra), who had parted ways as kids, are grown men now, but are still bitterly estranged. Gary himself carries the burden of his guilt. His elder son, David is an ex-fighter turned school teacher. He and his wife Jenny work hard to make ends meet and to provide the best they can for their ailing daughter Poo Poo. Troubled financial circumstances drive a desperate David to return to the world of street fighting.
Meanwhile, Monty struggles with his lonely complex existence. An alcoholic, he is active in the world of street fighting, but lacks focus and determination. He strongly yearns for the acceptance, love and respect of his family. As the story unfolds, we see the journey of these three men, as they seek to find redemption and healing. Meanwhile, the arrival of ‘Right to Fight’ is announced in India — the biggest international event in mixed martial arts history. Both brothers, at the crossroads of their lives, end up enlisting to fight in this ‘Winner-takes-all’ event. And it is here after an age of estrangement, unknown to the two siblings, they finally stand to face off with each other and against their personal demons, in the ultimate final battle. It is said, that when a deep injury is done to us, we can never recover until we forgive. With twists and turns, pouring emotions and edge-of-the-seat action, will this final battle between the two brothers repair old wounds?
REVIEWS: Official remake of the 2011 Hollywood drama, WARRIOR , BROTHERS which is helmed by Dharma Productions is the story of two estranged half-siblings who vent out their hatred for each other in the fight arena. David(Akshay Kumar) and Monty(Siddharth Malhotra)come face to face in the ultimate fight in a one-of-its-kind championship.
A businessman, Peter Braganza ( Kiran Kumar, brimming with sartorial elegance)sees tremendous avenue in legalizing street-fighting and proposes to bring the Mixed Martial Art to India, in the form of an IPL-Style competition, R2F(Right to Fight).While the elder brother ,David, who is suspended from his teacher-ship job sees this as an opportunity to earn quick bucks for his ailing daughter, the younger one, Monty, seeks this as a medium to combat his inner demons and boost up his self-esteem. Both the brothers have street-fighting running in their blood, and a sea of pent-up anger and resentment owing to an incident which had turned them against one another. While the prison-returned father, Gary(Jackkie Shroff) who was once a martial- art trainer , stays with Monty, his attempts of reconciliation with the embittered David turn futile.
Weighed down by a clichéd screenplay and an old-school treatment which shadow the excruciatingly slow first-half, Brothers is somewhat salvaged by the skillfully staged ring fights which build the momentum in the second half. The sets are flashy , the duels are gruesome, detailed and boast of international standards. While staying faithful to the original template, Karan Malhotra makes some manipulations to amp up the emotional content which appear heavily superficial and gives us an 80's feel. That's where Brothers go wrong; He misses out in emulating the tumultuous relationships in the dysfunctional family and thereby we don't invest much in their emotional conflicts. Neither do the cheesy running commentary during the fights(Raj Zutshi hams it up) entice us nor the monstrous opponents qualify for an intimidating impact. They however evoke deja vu with names like Luka( Remember Apne?),Gamma and Hammer. Adding on to the exasperation, is the regressive item number by Kareena Kapoor Khan which by no standards match up to Chikni Chameli.
Sincere and genuine performances by Akshay Kumar and Siddharth Malhotra who also look convincing with their beefed-up musculature, adds to film's strengths. Karan also employs the montages of the training and physical regimes to its benefits. Akshay is terrific in his understated self, who beats his opponents in calculative precision. He makes David's grief and anxiety for his suffering daughter palpable.On the other hand, Siddharth is impulsive and spews a volcanic rage in each of the sequences, thereby giving a sharp and vulnerable edge to Monty's character. When one brother punches the other in a fracas, the pain is actually inflicted on the father. This sentiment surfaces naturally with the competent portrayal of Gary by Jackkie Shroff. Initially as the alcoholic husband and then as the repenting father, he is first-rate. But in some of the scenes, he goes over-the-top with the paroxysms of hallucinations of his dead wife.
Blame it on the subject or the script, the female brigade doesn't get much scope here. But Shefali Shah does forge a strong impression in a cameo with her expressive eyes. Jaqueline is sullen most of the time in a de-glam avatar which doesn't go quite well with her persona, except for that scene where she jumps in a fit of excitement on getting the SMS. The supporting ensemble sees the likes of Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Kiran Kumar and Asutosh Rana and it's sad that none of their potentials are exploited fully.
There is a certain drawback associated with every Desi sports drama flick when the predictability factor looms large, and it's a triumph for the makers when the audience doesn't want either opponent to lose in the fight. This is one aspect, albeit borrowed, which Karan Malhotra nails completely. Brothers, with all its share of punches and kicks, is a good watch for the action lovers.
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