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Sooryavanshi is the fourth film in Rohit Shetty's deeply problematic but massively entertaining cop-verse, preceded by Singham, Singham Returns and Simmba. Unlike Marvel Cinematic Universe, and more like DCEU, Shetty's cop universe weren't always a planned idea - the disconnect between Singham and Singham Returns is proof enough- but nevertheless, that hardly matters to the fans of its lead stars Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh, treated to seeing them riff off each other, while preening and posing stylishly to finish off the baddies. Sooryavanshi Movie Review: Akshay Kumar Along With Ajay Devgn’s Singham and Ranveer Singh’s Simmba Make a Heady Concoction!
Shetty's copverse had made a hit formula at the box office, even encouraging YRF to do something similar with their shared spy universe that would connect Salman's Tiger movies with Hrithik Roshan's War and Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming Pathan. At the box office, each film in Singham-verse, another acronym for Shetty's shared universe, have been superhits. But are they all good movies? Is Sooryavanshi the best film in the franchise?
In this special feature, we rank all the four movies in the copverse in order of Worst to Best, based on their narrative, impact and longevity.
Simbba
Simmba is the case of a curious contradiction. For the franchise, it is the biggest hit, unless Sooryavanshi manages to topple it off, an admirable feat if done in this post-pandemic era. But in terms of quality, Simmba is easily the franchise's weakest. Ranveer Singh's flawed cop is very much entertaining - just see how he steals the show from Kumar and Devgn in Sooryavanshi - but he is saddled with a screenplay that is very much tired and trite, which only sparks with interest when Devgn's Singham makes an entry or when the recreated "Aankh Maare" song plays on the big screen. Its handling of sexual assault cases lacks any sort of nuance, but then subtlety has never been Rohit Shetty's forte. Simmba Movie Review: Ranveer Singh Roars In This Weak Singham Clone That Trivialises a Serious Crime.
Singham Returns
Singham Returns has a bigger canvas and scope than Singham, and yet it is also the franchise's most forgettable entry. From very weak villains to an uninteresting romantic subplot involving Kareena Kapoor Khan, Singham Returns tries to sail to a Rs 100 crore success purely on the legacy of the first film, though it has some massy moments. To be fair to this film, Shetty, who has been accused of being Islamophobic in Sooryavanshi, tries to tackle corrupt politicians and fake Hindu godmen in the sequel, which if he dared to do in these times, would have seen a boycott from the Hindu right-wingers.
Sooryavanshi
Rohit Shetty's latest film has a flaw that is hard to ignore. Notwithstanding the movie's Islamophobic nature in these times, which cannot be defended by its attempts to play Good Muslim vs Bad Muslim trope, Sooryavanshi also treads on similar lines as Akshay's own, and far superior, Baby. There is an attempt to humour up the proceedings by making Kumar's Sooryavanshi have the habit forget names, which becomes repetitive after a couple of scenes. Not to mention, a plethora of disposable villains with no memorable personalities. Still, it is sleek in its making and entertaining while it lasts, and it is hard not to take eyes off the screen when an impressively fit Kumar sashays his way through every cliched confrontation. Katrina Kaif is wasted, though. But the crowning glory is the explosive third act that brings Simmba and Singham into the action, which I clearly wished, shouldn't have been spoilt in the trailers and promotions. Is it because Shetty knew that's the only USP in what is a very stale narrative? Sooryavanshi Ending Explained: 5 Questions Raised in Akshay Kumar’s Hit Film That Set Up the Plot of Ajay Devgn’s Upcoming Singham 3!
Singham
Even after 10 years, and three movies that succeeded it, the first copverse film is still the best. Singham is the rare example where the remake is far better than the original (it is a remake of Suriya's Tamil film Singam). It has more to do with how Shetty managed to insert the Maratha pride into a very straightforward narrative of good vs bad, and turning Singham into a massy hero worth clapping for in the single screens. But I believe it is how the move rewrote its villain, played by Prakash Raj, that made it far more entertaining and impactful. 'Cos as they say, the hero is as good as the villain. Let's hope that the upcoming Singham 3 and the rumoured SSS reunion - there, Mr Shetty, I gave you a title - have villains written in a such a manner that it makes the heroes' challenges actually feel like a challenge! Also, have better written roles for lead female characters that none of the films in the franchise has managed to have.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 08, 2021 08:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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