Nikhil Advani, who debuted as a director with Kal Ho Na Ho started off promisingly but, every movie of his which came later bombed at the box office. He tried new genre every time. Now, after a decade of debacles, the genre chosen is a thriller.
D-Day is primarily the story of a team of four undercover agents sent to Pakistan from the Indian RAW agency, each having their own background and back stories. Their mission is to bring Mr.D back and surrender him to the Indian Govt. What happens before, during and after the mission forms the crux of the story.
The movie kicks off in a thrilling manner setting the bar high as the first 15 minutes gives you the thrill, one would relish in a climax. The proceedings are very engaging, giving no scope for the viewer to get distracted. The focus is totally on the story and hence no dramatic entries for any of the characters or any unnecessary build-up anywhere. The crisp back-stories are impressive. The movie goes on a very unconventional path, making the whole journey gripping.Apart from the thrilling moments, the emotional baggage that the characters carry through the film is beautifully written. Also, do not expect too many ego-satisfying moments of ‘WE will win over THEM’. This is no Indo-Pak semi-finals WC match. The closure though is delayed by half an hour, is very convincing logically and emotionally. The only drawback of the film is the drastic shift from the edge-of-the-seat thriller in the first half to the slow-paced emotional ride in the second half.
Irfan Khan can never disappoint us. He was excellent. He performed through his character graph so brilliantly (especially towards the end). The surprise package is Arjun Rampal, who portrays his character flawlessly perfectly. Another feather in his cap after Rock On. Shruthi Hassan paired with him, is brief, but their chemistry is amazing. So much was spoken with so less words. Expect some heart-wrenching moments in their scenes together. Shriswara who plays Irfan’s wife is impressive. Nasser is very effective as the RAW chief. Huma Qureshi and Rishi Kapoor were adequate.
Cinematography was up to the mark, and editing (done by Nikhil Advani himself) is top-notch. Dialogues by Nirajan Iyengar are neat and never tend to be artificial. The background score is good, but the songs (except Alvida) are strictly OK.
‘D-Day’ is really the D day Nikhil Advani was looking for. He comes out with flying colours. A Must Watch thriller this is!
