Movie Review- Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty

Worth the Holiday

DIRECTOR:  A.R. MURUGADOSS

GENRE: ACTION, THRILLER

STARRING: AKSHAY KUMAR, SONAKSHI SINHA, SUMEET RAGHAVAN, FREDDY DARUWALA, ZAKIR HUSSAIN

FINAL VERDICT: ***1/2

Before leaving for the movie last night, I visualized Holiday being nothing more than a movie filled with dim-witted stunts and some cheesy dialogues. To my utter surprise, Holiday was far better from what I had expected.  After giving some forgettable performances in movies like Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobara and Boss, Akshay Kumar is back with a bang. Writing him off after a couple of poorly made movies is nothing but defying common sense. A similar situation had occurred over a year ago, when the so called ‘critics’ had advised Kumar to retire from acting. But then he gave a stellar performance in Special 26, which made his critics look like mere dummies.  And now, its Holiday, which makes him stamp his authority over B-Town.

Akshay Kumar plays Virat Bakshi, an officer from the Indian Army, and more importantly, a secret agent of the DIA. During his holiday, he eventually falls in love with Saiba (Sinha), a boxer, cum volleyball player cum tennis player cum athlete. Too many sports aren’t they? Well, that’s what is shown in the movie.  After all, it is a Bollywood movie, and mind you, expect the unexpected! The plot revolves around the concept of sleeper cells, being operated by the nameless Daruwala. How Kumar uses his analytical approach and physical strength to save the city from devastation forms the crux of the plot.

Kumar as Virat Bakshi is simply phenomenal and completely steals the show as a Secret Agent. His acting skills were never under the scanner, nor will they be after this movie. As a viewer, its really pleasing to see Kumar doing some breath taking stunts with utmost ease. Not just his stunts but the analytical conducts which he uses in foiling terror plots too are a delight to watch. The role of Virat Bakshi was tailor made for Kumar, who seems just like a real life Army Officer.

It is famously said that the marriage of Bollywood films with perfection is rare. Holiday is a perfect instance of the above statement. Despite being profusely entertaining and riveting, Holiday has a few shortfalls which the audience has to deal with. On numerous occasions, as the movie transcends deep into the appealing plot of sleeper cells, there is Sinha’s character which pops up and ruins the thrill. In one particular scene, as Kumar is about to reveal about a sleeper cell’s agenda, we have a romantic song coming out of nowhere and making a mess of the thrill. Sinha as Saiba is strictly ‘OK’ and reducing her screen time would have made the film spicier.

Sinha, like an annoying fly in the ointment tries to bring in the glam factor, but fails miserably. Barring Lootera, Sonakshi has acted in the same manner in all her films. This sometimes makes me wonder that is Sinha incapable of having some variety in her acting? If not her acting, then its her choice of roles, which makes her an easy target for the critics. Freddy as the nameless antagonist is moderately good, but Vidyut Jamwal as the villain might have been a much better choice. Freddy might well be just a ‘one-movie-bloke’, unless the Bhatt camp makes him a superstar out of nowhere! (Pun intended) Sumeet Raghavan as Virat’s childhood pal efficiently supports Kumar in a majority of the scenes, and he hardly gives critics a chance to bash him.

The music department deserves a tick in its box. The track ‘Ashq Na Ho’ by Arjit Singh dedicated to the ultimate heroes of the Nation, the Army men, melts the hearts of the viewers. ‘Blame the Night’ is another peppy disco number which is a job well done.  The direction of AR Murugadoss remains a plus point for the film. The message conveyed through the movie is meant to glorify the Indian Army and the sacrifices endured by the soldiers. This message is clear and creates a vivid impression into the mind’s of the audience.

Despite having a few flaws, Holiday is a well made movie which utterly thrills the viewers and mesmerizes them with sheer ease. This movie is a must watch family entertainer and a complete ‘paisa vasool’.