'Sultan' Review: One of Salman's career best portrayals matched by Anushka's outstanding act!

Film: SULTAN
Starring: Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma, Amit Sadh and Randeep Hooda
Directed by: Ali Abbas Zafar
 
WHAT IT'S ABOUT

A story that will touch your heart, performances that are stellar and drama that’s worthy of the big screen hysteria. That’s the best way to summarise Ali Abbas Zafar’s Sultan. After films like Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Gunday, Ali finally delivers a knockout. Sultan Ali Khan (Salman) is a young man with no ambitions until he falls for a local wrestler Aarfa (Anushka). In his endeavor to woo her, he decides to become a wrestler himself. Sultan goes on to win accolades and medals all over the world. But in his quest for glory, he ends up losing the woman he loves. Life halts mid-way for him. Years have passed and he gets a chance to get into the ring again – this time in a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament. Sultan takes up the challenge but this time with a purpose – to win both his self-respect and love back.

WHAT’S GOOD

Ali Abbas Zafar is in fantastic form with Sultan – this is how mainstream, commercial films should be made. The film has wrestling as its backdrop but it never overpowers the emotional aspect of the lead protagonists. That’s the beauty of Sultan’s screenplay. The film progresses at a leisurely pace as Ali lets the audience invest emotionally into his characters. After that, the brilliantly choreographed action sequences become the bonus. At the core, Sultan is a love story and that’s where it succeeds all the way. The bond shared between Sultan and Aarfa will choke you with emotion; it’s the soul of the film. Ali brilliantly portrays the rise and fall of Sultan leading to his subsequent rise to glory again.

The last 30 minutes of the film within the MMA ring will have you on the edge of your seats. To Ali’s credit, he’s also managed to get both Salman and Anushka deliver remarkable performances. Anushka is outstanding as Aarfa and lights up every frame she’s a part of. It’s her nuances that make the love story so solid. Salman Khan continues to better himself with every film – this is one of his career-best portrayals. Ten minutes into the film and you’re into Sultan Ali Khan’s world – it’s Salman’s performance that makes the character so multi-dimensional. This is indeed his crowning glory as a performer. His masterstroke is a scene where Sultan is looking at his body in the mirror when it’s out of shape.

WHAT’S NOT

It’s just the placement of a couple of songs that is slightly erratic – it disturbs the screenplay for that brief period. Also, the film could have been shorter by a few minutes.

WHAT TO DO

It’s Eid, it’s Salman Khan and it’s the best treat of the year so far. You’ll be lucky to get a ticket. Rush for it.

Rating: **** (Four stars)