Priyadarshan’s long awaited reunion of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, their first theatrical collaboration in nearly two decades, is a Hindi adaptation of his own 2016 Malayalam hit ‘Oppam’. Khan plays Shyam, a visually impaired society manager whose ordered life is upended when Kumar’s vengeful, wrongly imprisoned Parshuram sets out to destroy everyone connected to his family’s downfall, drawing Shyam into a tense game of survival.
Strong performances undone by writing
Kumar clearly relishes the shift away from his usual heroic mould, bringing a controlled menace to Parshuram that marks a genuine change of pace, even if the character occasionally feels more theatrical than truly unsettling. Khan fares better, slipping into his vulnerable, sightless role with real conviction and warmth, particularly in his scenes opposite the young Nandini. Boman Irani, as the conscience stricken judge whose past decisions set the plot in motion, brings gravity to a role the script does not always support, leaving key questions about his character’s choices frustratingly unanswered.
A tense finale cannot fix the middle
The film’s back half regains some tension as the cat and mouse plot tightens, and the climactic confrontation lands with real impact. Getting there, though, requires wading through a bloated runtime, uneven pacing and plot holes that undercut the mounting suspense. Supporting players like Saiyami Kher and Shriya Pilgaonkar are underused, their talents never quite matched by the material. It is a watchable thriller carried by its leads, but one that never fully earns its own tension.
