Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai
2021
Director: Prabhu Deva
Cast: Salman Khan, Disha Patni, Jacky Shroff, Randeep Hooda

How times have changed! It was director Prabhu Deva’s Wanted that changed Salman Khan’s then sagging box-office fortunes in 2009. Now, 12 years after that film, the director and the actor team up for a second installment 'Radhe- Your Most Wanted Bhai', hoping to cash on the same formula.

Wanted, which was a remake of Deva’s hit Tamil film, established Salman’s ‘Tapori Bhai-cum-Cool-Kadak-Comic-Law Enforcer’ image, which was then rehashed a number of times over the next decade. The public lapped up these ‘Sab Kuchh-Sallu Bhai’-shows, which became guaranteed 100-200-300 crore box-office bonanzas. 

Salman’s ‘Don’t take me too seriously! Just have fun!’ approach exasperated, and alienated many, but worked well for most. (Myself included!) No one (including Salman himself!) ever considered him a great actor. But there was no denying the fact that he was a super-star, who had the chutzpah and the star appeal to carry a totally nonsensical film on his shoulders. He did that time and again, and became the messiah of Masala Movies, the staple that has kept Bollywood and other Indian ‘Wood’s burning over the decades.

Radhe, which thanks to Corona Pandemic effect, released mainly on pay-per-view OTT platform, employs the age-old ‘pharmula’ of the all-conquering hero. This hero takes off the shirt to show off his 6- packs; cracks one-liners at will; gyrates with signature moves; woos a dishy dumb bombshell; deals with her buffoon brother, who is his boss; and takes on a blood-thirsty crazy villain and his whole army of goons! Some social message has to be there. So that is there in form of ‘See- how drugs are spoiling the youth!’

Colorful dialogues, stunts, songs, dances and characters, Prabhu Deva throws the whole kitchen-sink to try and score a hit. The formula doesn’t fail- the execution does. The fun and entertainment quotient stays below par despite all the gimmicks. And even more importantly, Salman, despite his best Salman-acts, fails to make us suspend disbelief. When a twenty-something Disha Patni droolingly calls him a ‘Cute Boy’, we cringe. Because in front of us, we see a clearly ageing 56 year-old, clinging on to the past that is slipping away fast!

I totally adore and admire Salman, Bollywood, and Masala films; unlike the so-called intelligentsia panning them venomously. But now, Radhe- Your Most Wanted Bhai proves that everything finally comes to an end. If not ‘The End’, then, certainly the beginning of the end…. The end of the Salman’s Second Coming!

Don’t worry Masala Movie-fans. The ‘Pharmula’ never dies- only the stars change on the silver screen! And who knows, there may be a ‘Third Coming’ in the offing?

Rating

1.5 stars