| Deewar is about prisoners of war who have been jailed in Pakistan for many years. How they escape from their confinement, forms the climax of this film. After 18 unsuccessful attempts to escape from the high security prison, the inmates led by Major Ranvir Kaul (Amitabh Bachchan) are almost on the verge of exasperation. But Major Ranvir's son Gaurav (Akshaye Khanna) decides its time he did something for his dad's freedom from the Pakistani jail. So without the help the Indian Government, Gaurav crosses the border illegally. On the way from India to Pakistan he comes across many obstacles. These keep the viewer engrossed throughout till the interval point. When he finally reaches Pakistan, he comes across Khan (Sanjay Dutt), a mercenary who helps him in his mission.
No Bollywood film is complete without a romantic angle. So this comes in the form of Radhika (Amrita Rao) who falls in love with Gaurav. They both meet in Pakistan. But when the time comes for Gaurav to leave for India, he does not take her with him. This is a major unexplained flaw by the director. Another flaw which you can spot is when Pakistani soldiers are heard speaking in Hindi. Shouldn't they be talking in Urdu? After all, thats the language they speak in Pakistan. Also why were the prisoners of war trying to escape during broad day light? Isn't it a time when the guards are on full alert? A more sensible time would be the night which provides the escapees with a great camouflage. After 18 attempts, Major Ranvir should realise his mistake of where he is going wrong. You fail to understand these flaws when you think that the makers spent almost a year working on the script! They certainly need to go back on the drawing board. If over 30 prisoners escaped all at once, the whole country should be on red alert. But all that was shown in Deewar was a handful of soldiers chasing the prisoners. There were no helicopters or the army in pursuit. Having said this, Deewar deos have its plus points. It's made on a grand scale with no expenses spared in the technical department. Cinematography is realistic considering it's a film based in a prison. Action scenes have been well executed although at times the weak hearted will cringe in their seats with the amount of blood and gore shown in some of the scenes. The film consists of a galaxy of stars which adds to its appeal. Amitabh Bachchan as usual towers above all. Sanjay Dutt and Akshay Khanna too are in top form. Will definitely prove popular with the audience. Deewar on the whole will do well at the box office despite its flaws. Due to the presence of mega stars, great action scenes and excellent prison drama will guarantee its success at the UK cinemas. Reviewed by Manish Gajjar,
BBC Shropshire's Mr Bollywood
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