Shivaay Review

One Line Review: High in action makes ‘Shivaay’ score, less in emotions.

Positive Points: Visual treat of Cinematography, action sequences to few extend and music of the film.

Negative Points: Stretched climax and action on-screen seem a never ending trauma.

Plot: Love blossom between Shivaay (Ajay Devgn) and Olga (Erika Kaar) on their trek to Himalaya. They move in together at his place and Olga gets pregnant. This news of pregnancy causes tension in their relationship. As Olga can’t commit her life to motherhood and Shivaay wants the child. She finally delivers the baby and goes back to Bulgaria.

Nine years later, Shivaay and his daughter Gaura (Abigail Eames) are living a happy life in the mountains. Until, she discovers that her mother is alive and wishes to see her once.

This father-daughter duo heads to Bulgaria to find Olga. But their search mission is intervened when Gaura gets abducted by child trafficker. Shivaay takes it upon himself to find her in the foreign land.

Direction and Other Technical Aspects: After subjecting husband wife’s relationship in his first directorial debut, Ajay Devgn is now up with a film on father-daughter relationship. As a director, he has done an average job. Further, editing has ruined the show. Action sequences are overly stretched and the end has been literally dragged. Editing team must understand 2hours 43 minutes is a big time!

‘Shivaay’ has a spectacular cinematography. Aseem Bajaj has captured Himalayas like never before in Bollywood. Be it the mighty eruption of avalanche or action sequence in Bulgaria, he has nailed it in every frame. VFX are also decent enough.

Performances: Ajay Devgn, you will see him in almost every other frame of ‘Shivaay’ (Yes, good news for his devoted fans). He has performed some jaw dropping stunts like the one walking up the dam from falling police van and various forms of mountain climbing. But over emphasise on them has left limited scope for projecting his acting skills.

Abigail Eames has played her part well. Her character of a single parented child with speech impairment makes you feel pity on her.

Ladies of the film, Erika Kaar and Sayyeshaa Saigal have limited screen presence. Their performance is merely reduced to the supporting cast.

‘Shivaay’ has in total three antagonists, yet the cruelty has fallen short. Well, blame it on script.

Music: It has earned my thumbs up. To be precise - “Bolo Har Har” goes well with the action sequences. “Darkhaast” and “Raatein” are soulfully melodious. “Tere Naal Ishqa” voiced by Kailash Kher is perfectly emoting the helpless situation in the film.

Final Verdict: ‘Shivaay’ has attained two extremes in – high, the larger than life canvas presented through cinematography and low, dragged stretch of the film.