Disturbing yet enthralling

Better Late Then Never

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Runnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn iff you can

The movie is supposed to be the story of Abu Salem & Monica Bedi. Bhatts are always known to make films on controversial subjects. They always try to remain in news. This time they have just done that with a quickly made film Gangster. Daya lives with his family in Kashmir from where he relocates to Mumbai. Reaching Mumbai he joins Bhais to become a Gangster.In Mumbai he meets Simran a bar dancer (again a controversial career option by Bhatts). She helps him escape from Police. They start living together and falls in love. Then few scenes & emotions later, Daya is forced to stay away from Simran during which she meets Akash, gets physical with him and gets pregnant too. Daya returns to her life again. Now Simran has to decide with whom she wants to stay. But she doesn't know what has in store for her and Daya.And when she realizes, nothing is left.

Gangster takes a detour from the formulaic Indian movies we've seen over the years. From the get go, Gangster is a gripping and disturbing drama that is more an emotional roller-coaster than a thriller.This is a film about love and redemption that transcends even the bleakest of circumstances, and how even a hard-core gangster could be transformed by the power of a woman's love. In Gangster, the woman is torn between two men, who love her unconditionally. She has to make a choice. But things are not what they seem. The serpentine twists and turns in the plot catch you completely unaware. The film charts into territory that has rarely been visited by Bollywood cinema.The film's charm lies in its rich emotional power which draws the discerning viewer into its arms and keeps him there.The story opens with a startling scene of someone being shot by one Simran (outstandingly played by Kangana Ranaut) and herself getting shot while escaping. The scene jumps quickly into the back story to establish the main protagonists.CUT TO Seoul in Korea. In the starkly anodyne setting of Seoul, a seemingly irredeemable alcoholic Simran, drowns her angst in booze,drinking to oblivion.At this low ebb in her life enters an everyman, Akaash (Emran Hashmi), a singer in a downtown Indian restaurant. Akaash's relationship with Simran turns from friendship to love as he learns of Simran's past.Simran was a bar dancer in Mumbai and, one day, her path crosses Daya's (Shiny Ajuha), a ruthless gangster, working for his boss, Khan (Gulshan Grover); the latter is a thoroughly amoral criminal who believes that women are the downfall of their fraternity. In their world, life is cheap and expendable.Daya is on the run from the police; Simran puts him up for a night in her home. Daya falls for Simran. Daya travels a lot on assassination missions – Dubai, Korea, Mauritius. He has no place he can call his own, and is always on the run. Wherever he is, he calls Simran.Meanwhile, rival lover Akaash works on Simran, to win her over. He knows that Simran's journey from a bar dancer in Mumbai to a lonely, pointless existence in Seoul has been laid with thorns. She falls for his gentle ways.Daya lands in Seoul unannounced and learns of Simran's budding relationship with Akaash. In a fit of jealous rage, he assaults Akaash with stunning brutality, only stopping when Simran saves the latter from certain death. Daya confronts Simran and asks her for absolution and promises to mend ways and fulfil her dreams of a normal life. He makes plans to give up the hoodlum's life and starts to earn an honest living in the mean streets of Seoul, and feels gratified to earn money without wiping out people.As this is juncture, there are complications. Simran discovers that she is pregnant and carrying Akaash's baby. She is now torn between the two men in her life. She has to make a choice, which she does, but she is in for a rude shock, in a new twist to the plot, which turns her life impending new life upside-down.A complex subject, Gangster reveals layer after layer of subtext, giving you the point-of-view of an ordinary mortal, who happens to be a gangster on the run.The film opens with an explosive shootout that sets the tone for the rest of the film. The mystery deepens when the film goes into flashback mode and the story changes lanes from a gangster film to a multifaceted love story. Just when you thought that Simran (Kangana) had finally found true love, there's a major twist in the plot. The viewer is rudely awakened from his reverie at this juncture and you anxiously await the hurt lover's next move.The sequence when Daya beats Akaash to a pulp is horrifying. The twist in the plot when Daya decides to start life afresh is credible. There's yet another twist when Simran turns to Akaash for comfort, but realises her folly and gives Daya another chance. Add another twist in the climax, and you find it difficult to guess what else is in store in GANGSTER.GANGSTER'S potency lies on the sterling performances from the three main leads. Emraan shows his versatility and delivers a power-packed performance, moving from sensitive lover to chameleon.Kangana is a photogenic face and an outstanding actor. She has a complex role in her very first film and carries it off with élan. But Kangana plays her character with great subtlety and authenticity.Shiny is outstanding as the brooding gangster of the title, and a hurricane of talent who has to rely on silent expressions for much of the film to get his personality across. The key points in the film when he makes an electrifying impact are specifically, first when he reaches impromptu at Kangana's residence in Seoul, then when he breaks down in Kangana's laps, asking her to give him one more chance and the shocking outburst scene near the climax. Never have I seen a strong, intense man breaking down with such raw intensity. If cynicism and heartlessness hasn't completely overawed today's viewer, then you, like me, would totally empathise with his character's deep emotional hurt.On the whole, GANGSTER is a film that will churn the emotions inside you, as you empathise with the moral and ethical deliberations of the main characters.

Well,I usually don't watch Emran Hashmi films,n was least concerned when this one was released.Recently,our cable operator aired the film,n as I had nothing to do at that time n had heard lot good things abut this one,I decided to give it a try.Gosh!it made me sit from the opening scene till the last one without boring me for a second.I didn't have the patience to watch even the intervening advertisements.Gangster tells the story of a shooter,Daya(shiny Ahuja),who falls madly in love with a bar dancer,Simran(Kangna ranaut).His evil works make him run from the police n he,along with his lady love land in Seoul.(like many real life goons running to European n middle-east countries).Only to come across a man Akash,(emran hashmi),who is going to change their lives for ever.And his own too.Oh no!This is not the typical gangster-kills -the other man,or he leaves bad works to live happily ever after kind of the thing,it is something more than that.The story has been handled very well.the way Anurag Basu unfolds the suspense is worth appreciating.there is not even a single moment where u find yourself sleeping or predicting what is gonna happen next.He tells how a simple story can b made a great film.I haven't watched much Emran Hashmi films,except for a MURDER n KALYUG,where I found him average actor.And in this one too,he performs decently.He has done his part well,cud do better.Ah!Kangna Ranaut is a breath of fresh air when it comes to the ladies stripping off their clothes in Bhatt films.She is glamorous,sheds her clothes when required,but she is a very good actress too!Much better than even today's ruling ladies.(some of them).She is the narrator of the story,n she commands the dialogues quite decently.I have seen very few performances from the leading ladies of today,crying as bitterly n as beautifully as she did when her son died.She also makes others realize that doing theater for sometime before coming into films really helps the upcoming actors.The girl needs few good projects,n she will b on her way to the top.She has the potential.Shiny Ahuja steals the show(along with Kangna I admit).The guy showed promise in HAZAARON KHWAHISHEIN AISI as a young,rich educated Indian.Now he tells us how a calm,composed n loving gangster looks like.His lips open little in the entire film,his eyes do the whole job,n how!He is a definite competitor to all starlets these days.The music,though its a rip-off,is simply awesome n blends well with the mood of the film.No song is forced unnecessarily in it,n all the songs r picturised well.In fact,become a part of the tory.Pritam's one of the best works.The director has done a great job.And we hope to see similar films from the Bhatt camp in future.One of the best films of the year 2006.My vote-8/10.