'Dabangg 3' movie review: A showreel of how awesome Salman Khan can be

Over a decade ago, Prabhudeva gave Salman Khan and his fans what they had always 'Wanted' -- and catapulted the superstar into a league of his own where he fought his nemesis with gravity-defying stunts -- and with utmost ease. It'll soon be 2020, and Salman Khan has only strengthened that legacy. So, when he walks into the frame and mouths those deliciously massy lines in 'Dabangg 3', you know it's a showreel of how awesomely valiant and entertaining our Chulbul Pandey is.

Prabhudeva makes no bones about presenting his protagonist as a hero -- and for a change, Pandeyji claims he works for the classes as well as the masses. And since that moment, 'Dabangg 3' is nothing but entertainment. Especially for true blue Salman Khan fans.

The film gives a fresh take on what made Chulbul Pandey the 'Robinhood' that he is today. A love story, a tragedy and vengeance -- 'Dabangg 3' has all the elements of an archetypal masala potboiler.

Salman Khan is in top form throughout the movie -- be it the four romantic songs that he features in (two with Saiee Manjrekar and two with Sonakshi Sinha), his swag in 'Hud Hud Dabangg' and 'Munna Badnaam Hua', or his charisma in the fight sequences. The "bhaijaan" of the film industry is known for giving his fans lessons in 'living life king size', and by that measure, 'Dabangg 3' serves as a tutorial on this.

Salman Khan's Pandey is the life and soul of the film, which primarily lacks the soul of an action film. Because, the character of the villain is not etched out as well as it should have been.

Sudeep Kichcha does full justice to his character, but 'Bali -- the baddie' falls prey to the script that was kept more focussed on Pandeyji throughout the narrative. A hero is as "heroic" as the villain's wickedness makes him -- but Kichcha's Bali looks like a weak, obsessive lover who kills women when he cannot get them. 

Saiee Manjrekar, the debutante, plays Khushi -- the girl Pandeyji was in love with before he met and married Rajjo. And she does a good job at that. But, good. Not the best. She does justice to whatever little is asked of her, but has a long way to go.

Vinod Khanna's absence is ably compensated by his real-life brother Pramod Khanna.

Sonakshi Sinha and Arbaaz Khan don't get enough number of scenes to sink their teeth in. But they do justice to whatever is assigned to them.

Almost every flaw in the film's runtime of over two-and-a-half hours is overshadowed by Salman Khan's towering presence. You can watch and watch and watch this man on the silver screen, and his demeanour will only mesmerise you to the level of never wanting the climactic fight sequence to end.

There's a scene in the course of the climax of the film where one can feel Salman Khan's palpable charm oozing out of every frame. The fight scenes, which are many in number, are well-choreographed and well-shot and look like an ode to Salman Khan's machismo.

'Dabangg 3', to that end, is exactly what it promises to be (and nothing else) -- a potboiler, and a showreel of Chulbul Pandey's histrionics. It doesn't go far enough to touch the standard laid by the original 'Dabangg', but there's Salman Khan in every frame, and he rules it like a king. Watch him out in the climactic sequence where he and the baddie try to outwit and outsmart each other. He is a treat!

I don't need to tell you to watch the movie, if you are a Salman Khan fan. Because you definitely will -- as a matter of practice, love or cult or all three. It's a one-man show, and Salman Khan fans would need no other reason to watch 'Dabangg 3'. So go and grab that bucket of caramel popcorn, and watch it for everything that Salman Khan and his superstardom stands for.

IndiaTVNews.com verdict: Salman Khan's starpower can outshine every other star ;)