Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani, Kunal Kemmu, Anil Kapoor

Director: Mohit Suri

The story of Malang offers nothing new and struggles to establish itself throughout is a mixture of romance, action, thriller, and suspense Some scenes appear cliched and others exaggerated. There isn’t much to spoil in this 'suspense-thriller’, but we assure you there are no spoilers in this review.

Advait (Roy Kapoor) and Sara’s (Disha Patani) meet-cute takes place at a beachside rave under the shower of fireworks. They connect and proceed to indulge in a series of hedonistic activities justifying their actions with the motto — life is all about making choices. On a daily basis, their biggest choice is between masti and sukoon (fun or peace). They usually pick the first — not much of a choice. 

Skydiving, kite-surfing, jumping off cliffs — this is what when Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara would look like in a Mohit Suri movie. One wonders where their endless finances come from. What are they running away from? These questions do not get answered. 

Assisted by the music (Ved Sharma’s title track Malang is especially an ear-worm), cinematography (Vikas Sivaraman) and production design (Vintee Bansal, Sidhant Malhotra), Suri captures the energy, frenzy, and headiness of rave culture, the lure of escapism and intoxication. But drugs don’t destroy demons; they just bring out new ones. 

In a parallel track, an unkempt police officer with a nose full of illegal substances is taking the law into his hands. Trigger-happy and out of control, Agashe (Anil Kapoor) has a long night ahead. It’s Christmas Eve. There’s been a murder.

Enter upright Michael Rodrigues (Kunal Kemmu), the head of the Special Cell. Agashe and Michael’s methods don’t match, but the body count is increasing and the killer must be stopped.

The first half of the film is slow-paced and tries hard to establish a connection with the audience. For some reason, we don’t want to know why Advait is an introvert (if that’s what the makers intended to show) or why Sara wants to 'seize the day’. Despite the fantastic chemistry between the two actors, their stories feel incomplete, and unnecessary at times.

The second half attempts to connect the dots that weren’t laid out properly in the first. There is superfluous drama, predictable suspense, and forced action. 

The 134-minute movie benefits vastly from clever casting, Vikas Sivaraman’s slick and attractive cinematography, and a distanced approach to wrenching matters of the heart. It’s hard to feel anything at all for the travails of Advait and Sara, but it’s equally challenging to ignore their individual and collective beauty. We are invited to gaze upon their gorgeous bodies ever so often, and both Roy Kapur, who has acquired a newly ripped chest, and Patani, who shows off her perfect form ever so often, are up for the challenge.

The heavy lifting is undertaken by Anil Kapoor, as a drug-snorting police officer whose personal anthem is the club number Aaj Ki Raat Koi Aane Ko Hai, and Kunal Kemmu as a stuffed shirt with a few secrets up his starched sleeve. Kapoor has done this kind of thing many times before, but even in repeat mode, he has great fun. Kemmu, who is most relaxed when he isn’t asked to headline a production, is equally deft at providing a clinical foil to the flamboyant Agashe.

Overall, Malang is a one-time watch. If you are interested in a romantic thriller with good looking people romancing with each other with scenic locations and soulful song then you can give it a try.