Radhe movie review: Salman Khan’s film fails to impress or entertain; Disha Patani’s act is mere interruption

Radhe cast: Salman Khan, Disha Patani, Randeep Hooda, Jackie Shroff
Radhe Director: Prabhu Deva
Radhe Stars: 1.5/5

Radhe is the story of a super cop Radhe (Salman Khan) who is on a mission to eradicate crime without worrying about the legalities, protocols and repercussions. Amidst escalating cases of drug abuse, he is called back from suspension to lead the charge and track down Rana (Randeep Hooda) who is raising havoc in the city with his ulterior plans. Radhe is a film that not only fails to entertain but commands the audience to drop any ounce of logic and expectations of a credible storyline. It’s actually a whodunnit wrapped in action, where the primary investigation is to figure out whose idea it was to drop the storyline from the script.

Of course, you wonder if Radhe is the same cop from the blockbuster film Wanted. Just to make it clear, the makers have kept it as suspense – perhaps for another film? Anyways, Radhe is a cop reporting to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Jackie Shroff) yet insubordination isn’t a worry for him. In fact, Radhe is so gutsy that he can blackmail his superior in exchange for his blessings to romance his sister (Disha Patani).

Since it’s a Prabhudeva and Salman franchise, you can see a lot of songs, dance, as well as flying men and broken bones during action sequences. By the time we reach climax, Salman transforms into a superhero who can break into a flying helicopter through its window, and stand at ease – almost reminding you of Amitabh Bachchan’s vigilante character, Shahanshah) while being beaten with an iron rod on his hands. As a reviewer, I wondered whether to curse the job or imagine the audience reaction to such scenes if this would have been a theatrical release.

In the acting department, Randeep Hooda is the better of the lot. He tries to salvage the film through his acting skills. Randeep is raw and definitely essays the brutal character efficiently; although, his character has no depth to offer. In fact, the characters could have balanced the film better and made the confrontations more engaging.
Disha Patani has been used as a glam doll but her character turns more into an interruption, which is disappointing. Gautam Gulati though gets screen space alongside Randeep, he fails to leave a lasting impact. Of course, there are scenes when Jackie Shroff surprises the audience but the character itself is off-mark and written to the point of lampooning a senior officer.

By end of the film, I wonder why to review the film but “job hai toh karna toh padega…” After all, we also have made a commitment to the audience to honestly review films.