Review: ‘Sahib Biwi aur Gangster’ scores because of the script

Zeenews Bureau

Tigmanshu Dhulia does it again! After the gripping ‘Haasil’, Dhulia comes with another racy edge of seat action drama. This time it’s the remake of Guru Dutt’s classic ‘Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam’ which is made into a snazzy plot of three lovelorn opportunist characters in a small town in UP. Set in a remote town of Deogarh, the story is of Sahib (Jimmy Shergil) an erstwhile prince of a crumbling state and his imperfect marriage with Biwi (Mahie Gill). Both are trapped in a loveless marriage and have agreed to stay in it. Sahib finds love in his mistress’s arms every night and Biwi decides to have a torrid affair with the driver (Randeep Hooda), who is also a small time gangster working for Sahib’s rival. Dhulia manages to keep the earthy feel of the film intact all throughout. A prince of a crumbling dynasty indulges in small time crime and is a hitman and a fixer. The arrogance is still intact although there is no pomp to back it. Meanwhile, the adulterous Biwi gives access to the rival Gangster to the inside of the palace unknowingly in the garb of love. All three leading actors do absolute justice to their roles. Jimmy as the arrogant brash Sahib who knows his empire is about to crumble any moment gives a restrained but a powerful performance. Mahie Gill, looks like Tabu in many of scenes and doesn’t disappoint with her characterization of an adulterous alcoholic wife. But the shining star of the film is Randeep Hooda. After some dismal performance in some forgettable films, this theatre protégé of Naseeruddin Shah gives an astounding performance as the street smart Gangster. The scenes where Hooda is there, one can’t look at any other actor but just him. The script is a winner. The intriguing twists and turns keeps the viewers engaged till the last scene. Watch this one, for Dhulia manages to reform an old classic tale in a new avatar just the way Anurag Kashyap did with ‘Dev D’. Ratings: Three cheers for this one!