Phantom by Kabir Khan

     As mentioned in the trailers Phantom is regarding the fictional justice that is imparted to the direct and indirect victims of 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The film specifically sticks to that what is mentioned. Yes, It is a story that we all Indians wish were true.

     A loyal agent of RAW, Roy (Sabyasachi Chakrabarty) who has served the nation all his life is been suggested by a newly recruited agent (Zeeshan Ayyub) that officially or unofficially we should be avenging the people who are responsible for the terrorism in India. They won't stop attacking unless we give them an appropriate and similar reply.

An ex-army man who was court-martialed at a very young age is roped in as he has no record of his existence and would be untraceable, just like a Phantom, Daniyal Khan (Saif Ali Khan). He is been sent on the missions to kill 4 top level Men of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (mentioned only as LASKHARs in the film) from Hafis Sayeed (named as Haris Sayeed in the film) to David Coleman Bradley, who are regarded as the prime planners of 26/11. He is assisted by an ex-RAW agent, Nawaz Mystri (Katrina Kaif) as she is the only agent who has seen Wajid Mir who is known as the master of disguise. Initially the title of the film was going to be Daniyal Khan, but later it was changed to Phantom.

      Based on a book written by S. Husssain Zaidi along with Gabriel Khan called "Mumbai Avengers" this film by Kabir Khan, is made with required changes in the screenplay and dialogues, so that they could complete the story in given limited duration. Hussain S. Zaidi, the journalist and the author of the best-seller books like 'Dongri To Dubai' and 'Black Friday' is the writer who has some cinematic element in his book. Sanjay Gupta's 'Once upon a Time in Wadala' is based on a few chapters from 'Dongari To Dubai' and A whole film based on the entire book with the same name, 'Black Friday' was the first release of Anurag Kashyap.

     For a budget like Rupees 55crores, this film is ambitiously shot and made.

     The team of Bajrangi Bhaijaan is back. Parveez Sheikh and Kausar Munir in the writing department. Aseem Mishra the cinematographer, Juilus Pakiam for the background score. Production design is quite better than ordinary.
The Locations and the countries they have shot the film are something that we have never seen many times on the big screen. For a change the same old names like Istanbul, Iran and Morocco are avoided.

     A few shots are very well composed but a about many other shots, the efforts and the struggle to look like 'The Hurt Locker and Black Hawk Down' is vastly understood. Finally the film over all is an attempt to make D-Day with a feel of Baby inspired by 'Zero Dark-Thirty' and not even giving justice to any of it. Maybe somewhere Saif Ali Khan gives justice to his role in Agent Vinod.  

     However, Saif  Ali Khan is Okay. Letting go a few unavoidable sequences because of the way the makers wanted it to be, Zeeshan Ayyub suits in his role and is highly convincing. Though he is the supporting cast, what his character speaks in the film is important, sensible and implemented as well.

The Climax - A very convincing shot of submarine coming out of the waters is something that Indian Audience has never seen in a Bollywood film. The magic of emotions that Kabir Khan was able to bring in Bajrangi Bhaijaan is, to some extent, brought back here as well. The last 7-8 minutes of the film saved this film from being rated miserably.

     Phantom couldn't be up to the mark. The film is boring till the interval and slowly but not much, takes some grip after the story goes in Pakistan. The shots and the screenplay are very conventionally put up and the missions that seem quite intricate are very conveniently taken care of which makes everything all the more stupid and unbelievable.

     They have tried to include the edge-of-the-seat 'thrill', but all they could do is raise the volume of the base sound and stop it abruptly at the awkward cut.
The film has sudden unconvincing switching between the patriotic-thriller mood and the unexpected emotional drama.

Seems the Team has used major technical facilities for this film but has failed to keep it true to the conscious.

Stupid dialogues by a very Top level ISI agent and a very inspiring lines said by dumb Katrina makes it idiotic. Katrina is just what she is in every film. She is in this story because she used to drink tea at Taj Hotel and she felt the burns when it was attacked and something like that. We can understand her efforts for the attempt to look convincing and determined in her role. 

The book is a distant relative of feasibility and the film is the distant relative of the book.

Yet again, Yes, It surely is a story that we wish to be True.

Verdict - 5.5/10