D-Day movie review: Irrfan, Arjun, Rishi Kapoor shine

There has been projection of numerous dons in Bollywood which makes you feel a bit bored with unimaginative situations.Nikhil Advani dares to touch the unthinkable with his precious work of art into the presentation of unsung heroes who battle it out for an impossible mission.He takes a step further in this direction with D-day which surpasses the limits of imagination. Nikhil, who has given movies like Kal Ho Na Ho, Salaame Ishq and Patiala House, stands to accomplish a new dimension through D-Day.With minute attention to the portrayal of each and every activity, Nikhil shows maturity as he understands his accountability to authenticity. He never misses a frame without perfect timing and detailing.The director kicks off with Wali Khan (Irrfan Khan) who has been placed in Pakistan for nine years to provide all information about the most wanted man in India (Rishi Kapoor) . He pretends to be a barber in the city of Karachi with his Pakistani wife and a son. He is joined by three other officers Rudra Pratap Singh (Arjun Rampal), Zoya Rehman (Huma Qureshi) and Aslam (Aakash Dahiya) in his mission ‘Goldman'. But they are just moments away from the mission when they are trapped and there is no way out.The flick, which seems so unusual on the ground, is pervasive and moving from beneath. From the opening frame which encompasses the mission of capturing Rishi from a mehendi ceremony, Nikhil hits bang on target through his keenness on research resulting in the portrayal of the whole conspiracy.That is just the preview of his art which is still to be flaunted in the next couple of hours to come. The cinematography beautifully sets the backdrop of the neighbouring nation. Making it more authentic is Irrfan's portrayal of barber and other commuters there.Nikhil too takes an imaginative piece of work for some scenes including one intense moment where Shruti Haasan who plays a prostitute in Karachi is assaulted and finally doomed to death. The character is beautifully portrayed poetically with her vocal in the background bidding an emotional farewell. It's rarely seen in a handful of Hollywood movies. And it's beautiful.Nikhil captures the life of Irrfan Khan who realizes that he is living a false life which can at any moment dilute and terminate. Though, we can complain that the director did not explore the other threesome's lives with a similar keen interest.However, we are aware of the circumstances out of the failed mission like the Indian government backing off from the Karachi blast leaving the foursome helpless. But that is cinematic liberty which Nikhil enjoys and we can hardly criticize him for that. Apart from that he packs up the whole narration with a cautious finale with responsibility which for some could be non-digestible and for some could be dramatic. For me, it is a brave initiate by Nikhil to deal with terrorism which is a prolonged cancer for this subcontinent. But the whole tale could have never been so immense without the trio of Arjun Rampal, Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan's brilliant performance.Irrfan Khan fits into the role of an emotional yet tough Wali Khan.Arjun Rampal is brilliant as Rudra Pratap. He articulates less but is robust in attitude.Rishi Kapoor is becoming tastier like old wine. It's his third outing this year and second time in a negative role. Seems like the veteran is reinventing himself.Huma Qureshi gives a good performance. She adds a good support to her RAW team.Shruti Haasan doesn't get too much spotlight but puts up a good show as a sex worker. Editing is brilliant. The sound mixing also deserves an appreciation. Action by Tom Struthers and John Street, who have worked for Hollywood acclaimed flicks like Inception, The Dark Knight have brought in some brilliant raw combating sequences in the flick.Music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy suits to the disposition of the flick. My favourite song is ‘Alvida'.I'll go with three stars for Nikhil Advani's D-Day.