Lukewarm josh, rough landing of Kangana’s Tejas

Nonika Singh

‘Ye naya Hindustan hai…’, we all know what will follow next. ‘Ghus ke maarenge’ is a line that bears no repetition. From the makers of ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’, yet another dose of bravado is expected.

Alas, despite good intentions, much here is distorted. Debutant director Sarvesh Mevara, also the writer of Kangana Ranaut-starrer ‘Tejas’, has lofty aims. ‘Tejas’ is packaged as not merely a patriotism-filled, high-on-nationalist-fervour ode to the soldiers, but also one that salutes the bravery of women officers. Actually, make that one officer. Tejas here is not just the name of the Made-in- India fighter aircraft but also our heroine’s, who hogs the limelight for most of the film’s runtime.

Tejas Gill is a daredevil Indian Air Force pilot and Kangana in the titular part makes an entry superhero style. With Kangana in the saddle, ahem in the pilot’s seat, it’s largely a one-woman show. Sure, she has company in co-pilot Aafiya (the competent Anshul Chauhan), but it’s Tejas who calls the shots. She can fly planes in dangerous zones, read signals of an Indian spy in captivity, and utter lines like, “Terrorism should be personal for everyone.”

Certainly, it is refreshing to see how the Bollywood heroine is no longer the damsel in distress; rather, she can rescue men in hotspots. The film begins with one of Tejas’ daring rescue missions to save a fellow officer. Hereafter, it goes back in time to show us how bright Tejas was (still is) during her training period. There is a bit where she waxes eloquent about Tejas the aircraft’s unique features. Alas, much of the description does not land. As for the risible loo scene, where she walks into the men’s washroom to rough up an eve-teaser, the less said the better.

The writing continues to oscillate between being melodramatic and subtle, between convincing and far-fetched to finally land in the area of outright incredulity. At less than two hours, it may not be too heavy on your senses, but nor does it soar to keep your spirits high.

Kangana, of course, is mostly in fine fettle, except that often you can’t shake off the nagging feeling that she is taking her real persona on to the reel. Belligerent and audacious, an ‘oddball’, as an officer describes her — that indeed is Kangana on and off screen. But we only hear more of her qualities than actually see them transform into the sterling gem that we are hammered into believing she is. This is not to take away the moments where she and the film work, like the family scenes where her father sings a soulful song. In a film about terrorism and brave missions, it has more than one melodious song (music is by Shashwat Sachdev and lyrics by Kumaar). The musical interventions, with her romantic interest being a singer (played by the charming Varun Mitra), do not stand out like a sore thumb.

But much else does, not merely because Kangana is made to mouth insipid dialogues like “when in doubt, think of the nation”. However, what she calls ‘lecture ho jaayega’ is surprisingly touching. To be honest, you can feel your eyes turning moist in more than one scene. Despite the occasional emotive connect, the film feels forced. The editing in the action scenes where two women pilots are trying to shake off enemies on their tail and in neutralising a terror attack might be sharp. However, the communication between Tejas and her superior (Ashish Vidyarthi) to keep her posted about a parallel scene of action, while herself being embroiled in a dangerous one, appears so artificial.

And the addendum with a Pakistani rabble-rouser spitting anti-India venom and our ever valorous heroine deciding to take matters in her hand seems totally unnecessary. The concluding ‘lecture’ on how a nation is a soldier’s family is sensible.

One wishes the movie had followed an equally sagacious approach. Or even a more passionate one. In this one, the josh is rather lukewarm.