When a movie stars artists that we have too much faith in, as method actors, it is a good and a bad thing. It’s good because when you know a familiar face, you connect easily, but, the expectations get really high and you wonder if you will be able to stand the character flaws that your favourite artist has. The movie released in Cannes in 2015 and the delay of 2 years for a Bollywood release makes absolutely no sense, as you realize how mediocre the film is in terms of the gore and other offensive subjects that push the Censor Board to an edge. You see a very familiar Mumbai in the film, as Nawazuddin dons a character he has donned several times before. The movie is reminiscent of a typical Bollywood crime Drama at many a place, however, the story does engross you after a certain point. It might not be one cinematic marvel, but, director Amit Kumar does have you in awe at some parts of the movie. The movie sometimes cannot decide which direction it wants to go in, just like it’s protagonist. It can either be a Bollywood movie of a hardened criminal and a sly cop. Or it can take the beautiful artistic route it does take many times during the story. Consistency might not be something you could expect from the movie, but, it will make you a happy camper, if psychological thrillers are your thing.

Shot through with stylistic flourishes and narrative sleights that frequently add up to arresting images and moments, first-time director Amit Kumar's niftily crafted Monsoon Shootout is absorbing, even startling. The propulsive, crisply edited noir thriller set in Mumbai's dark, dank and dangerous underbelly is consistently intriguing on account of its structure. Add to this the film's all-round technical finesse and the near-flawless performances from the principal actors and you have a crime drama that has the feel of a veritable tour de force. What defines it more significantly is its overly arty packaging. It turns the film into a stylish, if a touch laboured, piece of cinema. Vijay Verma is effective as a man torn between his ingrained idealism and the dodgy circumstances that he is pushed into. He, however, pales somewhat in comparison with Kabi and, of course, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who pulls out all the stops to turn himself into a clinical, heartless monster on the rampage. Conveying menace with minimum effort, he is the very embodiment of unstoppable evil. Don't prevaricate or duck for cover. Walk right into the path of this slickly staged shootout. You won't regret the decision.

Debutant director Amit Kumar's crime drama, Monsoon Shootout rests more on style than substance. While the idea hooks the viewer, what fells the film is its execution. Three different versions of the narrative play out based on the varying decisions made by the protagonist and end up frustrating and fatiguing the viewer. The screenplay must have sounded good on paper but when translated on screen, it lacks a definitive sharpness. The cinematography is top notch and the manner in which the city of Mumbai is invested with a visceral quality is one of the film's high points. Vijay Varma makes a fairly assured debut and Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays evil with a smirk and elan. Since the actors reprise their roles thrice over, they often don't have enough screen time to flesh out their characters adequately. Perhaps, this film makes for a one-time watch, if you are in the mood to indulge in a narrative that's not run-of-the-mill.