Sikandar Ka Muqaddar Review: Neeraj Pandey fails to reach the high bar set by his earlier works
Sikandar Ka Muqaddar Movie Rating: 1.5 Stars
Watched Sikandar Ka Muqaddar movie on Netflix. Let’s focus on the complete details, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this movie.
Cast: Avinash Tiwary, Tamannaah Bhatia, Jimmy Sheirgill, Rajeev Mehta, Divya Dutta and Ridhima Pandit
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Release Date: 29th November 2024 on Netflix
Story: Set against the backdrop of 2009 Mumbai, the film begins with an intriguing heist where precious red solitaires worth Rs 60 crores are stolen during an exhibition. Officer Jaswinder Singh (Jimmy Shergill) quickly narrows his list of suspects to three suspects Mangesh Desai (Rajiv Mehta) who is a veteran employee at the jewellery store.
Kamini Singh (Tamannaah Bhatia) who is his colleague and Sikandar Sharma (Avinash Tiwary) who is a computer techie in a hurry to leave the scene after the alarm is triggered. With a cent per cent track record, Jaswinder relies on his instinct which has always stood him in good stead in solving criminal cases. This time also, he picks up on the three suspects purely on the basis of his instinct.
Although Sikandar is number three on the list of suspects, Jaswinder has a gut feeling that the computer technician is the man to nail. He spares no effort to get the accused to make a clean breast. As the investigation deepens, the lines between guilt and innocence blur and Jaswinder’s pursuit turns into a relentless obsession. The trio pleads innocence by the court due to lack of evidence.
Cut to 15 years later, Sikandar has moved and now works for a construction company in Abu Dhabi. Back in Mumbai, Jaswinder hits the skids. He is dismissed from the police force for being drunk on duty and is divorced by his wife Kaushalya (Divya Dutta) on the same day. With nothing else to look forward to, he arranges a meeting with Sikandar to apologize for making him go through hell. What happened next? Who is real culprit and will Jaswinder able to catch him is all about this movie.
Positives
1. Performances
2. Music
3. Story
Negatives
1. Length
2. Climax
3. Storytelling
4. Direction
5. Screenplay
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer of this film planned to watch on in free time as loved the trailer and always like thriller from Neeraj Pandey. A dedicated police officer launches an inquiry into an unsolved robbery. However, his investigation soon turns into an obsession, plaguing the lives of the suspects.
Sikandar Ka Muqaddar story is engaging which keeps you engrossed completely because it prompts them to keep thinking and playing the guessing game. As the story unfolds, the film misleads the audience, pointing towards specific characters as the likely culprits. However, when the truth is eventually revealed, it introduces a surprising twist that you don’t see coming. It does begin on a high note, and probably that’s also the reason why maintaining this pace steadily becomes a big challenge throughout the film. However, it leaves you with a cliffhanger with a possibility that there might be a sequel to the film too. The performances are spectacular, with everyone delivering their part without flaw. Visually, the film impresses. Cinematographer Arvind Singh does a great job of capturing the locales, from the vibrant streets of Mumbai to the sleek cityscape of Abu Dhabi and the historical richness of Agra.
The film starts strong with a compelling setup that draws the audience into the mystery of the missing diamonds. However, when the narrative jumps ahead 15 years, the pacing slows considerably. The back-and-forth between the past and present becomes sluggish, and as the film shifts focus from the heist itself to the prolonged cat-and-mouse chase between Singh and Sikandar, the intrigue gradually fades. Although a few plot twists attempt to keep the tension alive, many are predictable, and by the time the climactic face-off between Singh and Sikandar unfolds, it struggles to hold the suspense it initially promised. The second half is what pulls down the film. One expects fireworks or at least that Neeraj will sum up the film neatly. He falters on both these fronts. The suspense is a bit unexpected but not entirely unpredictable. It also raises many questions, especially the intent of the thief. The dark secret of one of the characters is difficult to digest, especially the circumstance that leads to this development. It is also bewildering that one of the characters is forgotten after a point and one wonders why that person was even there in the film in the first place. Lastly, the final scene fails to entice. Overall, movie fails to fully capitalize on its potential despite flashes of brilliance. The tension wanes as the story progresses and the twists arrive too late to redeem the sluggish pacing. While the performances and initial premise keep it afloat, the film ultimately lacks the razor-sharp intensity that defines Neeraj Pandey’s best works. My view on this movie Not Recommended.
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