After his kid daughter is killed in a shootout in downtown New Delhi, anti-terrorist officer Daanish Ali’s (Farhan Akhtar) life falls apart. His wife Ruhana (Aditi Rao Hydari) blames him for the incident and he contemplates suicide. But a chance meeting with Pandit (Amitabh Bachchan), a much older grieving father, rejuvenates his life. Pandit believes that a government minister murdered his own daughter and that a mysterious killer called Wazir is determined to silence him forever. Daanish decides to find and exterminate the hitman.
This relatively short Hindi film is a worthy attempt at a gritty thriller, though it suffers from an inability to free itself totally from the shackles of the Bollywood formula. Director Bejoy Nambiar’s frequent use of flashbacks over explains key plot points and outing the baddie from the outset is a misjudgment. Further, the obligatory songs are distracting. What keeps us watching are commanding and emotive performances from the two male leads. Both Bachchan and Akhtar sustain interest even after the audience guesses the film’s big reveal. Rao Hydari as Daanish's estranged, teary wife is sidelined, as are two Bollywood hunks who have inexplicable short cameos. Despite its limitations, this engaging film is a promising example of Bollywood’s continuing efforts to push the envelope in 2016.