Babagiri Delivered
Let me get this out of the way. Wanted isn’t as good as Pokiri. Wanted could have been the best masala actioner of the last 2 decades if the love story was handled with a heart (The main reason Ghajini worked in its last half-hour); if there was some chemistry between Salman and Ayesha, if songs were cut on the editing table itself and alas if the punchlines could have been worked on more seriously.
The above mentioned things were minor quibbles in my first WANTED experience, but they amplified to major irks when I watched it the 2nd time. But despite of these downers Wanted delivers on the Babagiri that it promised. It delivers, as PS puts it, ‘le aaya mera sher, yeh maarega mukka’ adrenaline rushes along with some rip roaring laughs. 
It may well be the first in the toungue-in-cheek masala genre. The other films that come to mind, which could have fit in this genre are Om Shanti Om and Tashan. OSO was more of a spoof, while Tashan tried its level best to bring back the kitsch with style. But as I had dozed off for the major part of Tashan(not bcoz of boredom, just the late hour I guess), I will not dwell more on its aspirations. What Tashan tried hard to do, Wanted does it effortlessly. It has absolutely no hang-ups about its cliché laden ‘incite and payoff’ formula film making. It sheds all the inhibitions and with a sense of humor, unapologetically serves the masses.
The HERO, whom we desperately wanted back in bollywood arrives in some style. Salman Khan turns on his superstar aura like never before and kicks some serious butt. But Salman’s aura is both a boon and bane for Wanted. 
His aura obviously sends the masses into raptures, but a major ingredient of this aura is his tomfoolery, his monkey antics. At least he himself thinks so. Because even as a cold-blooded hitman he doesn’t miss a chance to shows his antics in the songs and the scenes with Ayesha, which were so not required for the role of Radhe. If he would have taken the no-nonsense approach to this role like in Veergati and Karan Arjun, Radhe would have been more potent and it would have done loads of good to the movie also. Here is where Mahesh Babu scored. The suaveness that he exuded even in his taporigiri, added the extra coolth to Pandu. Mahesh Babu was so friggin smooth as Pandu that he made Salman’s Radhe look like a wannabe.
But I guess the comparison would be unfair on Salman, because here in Bollywood he has a niche created for himself, where even if he walks in slow motion with his sleeves rolled up for the whole movie, public would cheer him throughout (I just wished Salman could run the way he walks). I don’t think Mahesh Babu has that sorta thing in Telegu cinema. This is what Salman is and this is what is shamelessly exploited in Wanted. Everyone knew Salman has to go shirtless at some point in the movie, and the film builds it up with panache, and finally when Salman rips off his shirt in the climax battle, the theatre reverberated with serious seetis and cheering never heard before during the movie.
The last half hour belonged to THE man named Prakash Raj. He is the best thing that happened to Wanted after Salman. And in the finale, it is Prakash Raj who makes Salman look deadlier. He sends the audience rolling on the floor with his sleep deprived Gani bhai act. When he meets Radhe he says “Tu toh romantic hero lagta hai”. To this Salman quips “Aur tu B-grade pickchur ka villain!” This is the cheeky humor I was referring to. Be it the Gani bhai’s retort to the police commissioner when he asks “Tune apni maa ke saath bhi sauda kiya tha kya, pet se bahar aane ke liye?”, the beating that Mahesh Manjerakar receives in the brothel area or the genius ‘gani bhai goes deaf’ moment in the finale, the movie carries the humor throughout.
During my first watch, I just remember myself laughing my ass of at every friggin thing in the movie. It takes ridiculousness to new levels with the gun-playing act, the Vicco-Vajradanti moment and the train fight sequence. And I was laughing at these too, the first time. Maybe it was just the mood I was in. But the 2nd time I was just waiting for Salman slo mo walks and the ingenious moment when the deaf Gani Bhai sees Salman spin-kick his men in slo mo with only the deafening humm in the background. Sooper!!!
Tags: Mahesh Babu, Pokiri, Prakash Raj, Salman Khan, Wanted
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Though I dont know the language, I have seen original Pokiri with subtitles and Salman did much better than mahesh-babu… Mahesh babu doesnt look like a guy a who can take on 10 people at a time…frankly he looks like chocolate hero… Salman actually suits the character much better than Mahesh babu…. Though I agree aayesha-salman chemistry just was not there… songs dragged… but overall good tp
I can understand ur POV that Salman kicked ass more convincingly, but outside the fight sequences including the verbal encounters, Mahesh Babu’s ruffian yet suave charm worked way better.
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I too watched the film with subtitles and yet thought that Mahesh Babu delivered the dialogues with more bite!!
I watched the movie with sub titles as well… and ramesh that was my feeling as well… but try seeing the movie couple of time more, and then u’d feel mahesh babu was effortless… :D … and after that watch a sub titled version of Athudu .. the one Bobby deol and Sangeet Sivan R@ped as EK – the power….
Thank you for quoting me… I feel like Anurag Kashyap or Khalid Mohammad leagues now
… sahi feeling hai boss!!! 
Bhai..aapke quotes hi itne dhasu hai!!! kya kare!!!
my favorite part remains the return of “mera beta aayega” feel … after a long time we have a character who is taken into the movie just to make this dialogue.. bossss… he delivered.. Vinod Khanna… I know I had this talk with RK in another topic, if he was better or nassir, but that was purely for diggin in deeper… but VINOD KHANNA’s role is exactly what pushes that climax into the AB AAYEGA, TU DEKHTA JAA MODE…. the rajinikanth movie modes, when Rajinikant is surrounded by 20 goons, and he utter “finis” and all u gotto do is sit back aaram se now and gobble ur popcorns.. u know there is going to be some serios ass kicking now… to think of it, I think Rajinikanth is the only hero who can give his own character that adrenil rush …. every other actor needs a “MAA” or a “PAGAL AADMI/AURAT” in the mohalla…. one disappointment for anybody who’s seen Shivaji ….. the Pig vs. Lion Dialogue…. you gotto see rajinikant do it… you are so fucking relived to hear it when he says that!!! lemme see if i can find a you tube link to it…
@PS
Please do that!!
Vinod Khanna did it man!! IPS..Trained at Dehradun..Batch no..Cadet no 23567.. haha… he delivered!!
Prakash Raj’s rant about how difficult it is to recruit criminals is insanely hilarious!!!!
As I mentioned in the post, I was laughing and laughing throughout and after the end credits rolled felt like punching someone.
@ Gaurang… here is my id gift to you …
I’d say check out Part 10 and 11 first … part 10, strictly from 6th minute and then part 11 for only the first 1 minute….
Watch this for maybe for 3 minutes… if you do end up seeing the whole action, it’d be clear that its ultimately not stunts, but what does the actor show as the emosion, which makes all the difference…
Part 12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa5OO7wDZ2c&feature=related
And here is my Diwali gift to you ….
just to give you a small build up… Our man is a multi billionaire who wants to make free education and an uthopia, of course how can bad guys like it… he’s conned of every penny, and the villian ‘humbles’ him and gives him a re 1 as alms, ab rajini bawa will not keep the Re 1 aise hi na… the part 11, is just for pure magic!!! ;)
Part 10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VCclvcwq30&feature=related
Part 11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Oi0Hmza6Ug&feature=related
@PS
Will watch it in eve, as youtube is blocked at work.
Btw I forgot to mention that I have seen Sivaji but without subtitles. So by any chance does this video link has subtitles??
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Sivaji was my first stint with the Rajani aura. I didn’t understand a single word of it but when he delivers the the ‘Chumma Adurdila’ (Please correct me) I felt the rush.
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I wish I had seen Anniyan instead of Aparichit!!
Yes Gaurang “chumma adridille ” it is.
In fact I think the whole line is something which goes ” peyare kettale chumma adridille”.Sivaji was seriously super cool- the movie virtually had no story- it was just a rehash of Shankar’s previous movies.But it worked and like how- thats Rajni mania for you!!!
I watched this movie Shivaji in a packed theatre in Delhi with my mallu friend without subtitles, just to feel the Rajni mania.
@ Sethu sir, weren’t they also planning on making khakha khaka, in hindi with salman or sunny deol? any idea what happened to it?
damn you man, sending u the links made sure that I am not sleeping and watching the movie now
… yep this is with the sub titles… kachcha with tamil myself yaar.. so we will have to wait for Sethu sir to let us know what he said (though i think its correct), but I agree that one does give in a rush :D …. interstingly, though (a tamilian born brought up else where) my first proper stint also started off with a rajinikanth flick… Basha… close to 8 years after its release where he just took HUM into his own version… and then I realised why there is a phenomena called the rajini mania… was working in bangalore when Shivaji came out, and should ve seen the audience level… it was wayyyy beyond only tamilians… or even south indians….
I watched Sivaji at a Mysore sigle screen. There, first time I came across the term ‘Gandhi class’ (I hope i heard it correct)for Stalls (only first few rows from the screen).
The people in Gandhi class stood up and danced on every song in the movie. Electrifying to say the least.
I need to dig up some Rajani flicks man!!!
My fav dialouge…”tumne kya mujhe chhota mota gunda samjha tha”
when ayesha takia first time proposes salmaan….LOL
My favorite “Yaad nahin..bahot chhota tha tab” by Prakash Raj.
I haven’t seen the original, but Salman mostly works because he is this nonchalant guy who gives a damn about girls or anything else. His lack of acting talent or his plain face worked best in the scenes with Ayesha Takia, because here’s a man who might leave this girl and not even go in Radhe-mode (Tere Naam wala). The girl on the other hand keeps going head over heels for our hero.
So that and we really wanted this Salman movie to work because of the competition you know..
Agreed to most part but “The main reason Ghajini worked in its last half-hour” — seriously??? Ghajni worked?? love story with heart?? Asin was the most irritating creature to have adorned Hindi film screens with her mother Teresa act! If the villain had not killed her, i would have killed myself… Ghajni is the most screeching movie even from bollywood after 2000…
Wanted is at least not pretentious and hence it is a ton of fun! Wanted is what we have closest to ‘Shoot ‘em Up’!
Yes guys, Wanted could have been a much much better film. If the romance angle was developed well and given more depth on the issue of the heroine not approving of the hero’s violent ways or how she wishes him to be and how, he really is-it would have been more interesting. The screenplay could have been more intelligent and realistic even while sticking to the genre it belongs to. But it has been Salman’s misfortune, that he has mostly worked with incompetent directors who instead of using his personality and unique qualities to build strong characters and to tell interesting stories, just choose to ride on his stardom. Doing so much of qualitative analysis of ‘Wanted’ won’t really take us anywhere. Here is a man who is loved so much and attracts people in such a way that even a half cooked film is enough for people go in such a frenzy. Had it not been Salman, the film would have been considered B-grade trash.