Why Bollywood can't seem to get spy thrillers right

Hindi cinema may be known for its dramas and dance numbers, but there's room for improvement when it comes to espionage movies

Let's face it, spy movies are just not Bollywood's forte. That's clearly proven by Romeo. Akbar. Walter. The recently released espionage thriller showcased John Abraham as a master of disguises, who is recruited by India's foreign intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) - as an undercover agent around the time of the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Said to be based on true events, the thriller was neither a slick entertainer nor a well-researched slice-of-life human drama about those who risk their lives for their country. Failing in the departments of editing, scripting and direction, handled by first-timer Robbie Grewal, the outcome wasn't remarkable either for the performance by John Abraham, who was far too teakwood for comfort.

Indeed, the actor was way more believable and at ease in Shoojit Sircar's Madras Café (2013), a relatively well-narrated story about an army officer assigned to head covert operations during the Sri Lankan civil war. In fact, this widely-appreciated film set in the late 1980s and early '90s, could boast of technical finesse as well as a convincing plot dramaturgy.

The world over, secret agent adventures on the screen are synonymous with hefty budgets, which allow for death-defying stunts, scenic global locations, trendsetting costumes, unforgettable theme music and a dazzling production design. The superheroic spy has to be ultra-cool, even as he deals with the most menacing villains imaginable, not to forget interludes with a bevy of deceptive women. You may call that the good 'ole James Bond formula, which captivated audiences right from the franchise's opening instalment Dr No, dating back to 1962.

On the other hand, there have been espionage movies, like The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), both based on John le Carre's novels that have packed in an element of gravitas.

Like it or not, Bollywood efforts, down the decades, have relied exclusively and excessively on the Bond formula. Perhaps the only exception to the chill-and-thrill rule was Meghna Gulzar's Raazi (2018), which dared to probe the heart and mind of its heroine, who goes through a cross-border marriage to serve her nation, only to face a personal tragedy at the end. The human element was prioritised over the usually elaborate guns-and-grenades sequences.

For the rest of the way, though, Mumbai's top heroes have essentially been copycats of 007 with a licence to kill. Of the lot, in recent years Salman Khan managed to carry off the act with substantial élan in Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and its sequel Tiger Zinda Hai (2017). Performing stunts of the most incredible kind on exotic locations, in the company of Katrina Kaif playing the mandatory femme fatale, Salman had to display physical rigour rather than display any semblance of acting chops.

Incidentally, the Tiger role was first handed on a platter to Shah Rukh Khan, who has the knack of rejecting plum parts - Munna Bhai MBBS (2003), 3 Idiots (2009) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008), to name just a few ­- which could have reinforced his fluctuating career.

To return to the area of desi espionage, Akshay Kumar was just about passable in Baby (2015), in which he led a task force to foil an attack on Mumbai. To be sure, Hrithik Roshan consistently exudes class and conviction - in Bang Bang! (2014), a remake of the Tom Cruise-Angelina Jolie-starrer Knight and Day, he was professionalism personified - but that's it.

Come to think of it, Saif Ali Khan has the sophisticated attitude and the wry sense of humour, which could make him an excellent movie spy. He has played such roles in Phantom (2015) and Agent Vinod (2012) (the title of the latter was borrowed from a vintage Rajshri production, starring the one-movie sensation Mahendra Sandhu). Saif, however, made zero impact in both the films. Blame that perhaps on the muddled scripts, laughable dialogues and loose direction.
The snag is that besides actors who can't quite exude the extraordinary swag of any of the Bonds from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, the concepts and scripts of B-town's spy movies have been unabashedly imitative. In the event, the ones which sprinted to the Bond-terrain first can still be rated as the best among the genre. In addition, the golden 007-ish oldies are memorable for their incorporation of wacky comedy interludes and instantaneously catchy music scores.
For instance, Ankhen, which dates back to 1968, can be re-watched for the disarming Dharmendra tracking down global baddies in Beirut, his ticklish repartee with Mehmood, not to forget the songs Milti hai zindagi mein mohabbat and Ghairon pe karam, written by Sahir Ludhianvi.

Just a year before Ankhen, there was Farz. The hyper-energetic Jeetendra had enacted Agent 116 (if you please) who foils the designs of an adversary wearing a Mao Zedong-like jacket. Directed by the techno-wizard Raveekant Nagaich of Chennai, the film's special effects were mind-boggling for a time when there were no computerised special effects.
Nagaich persisted on the secret agent trail, with Mithun Chakraborty as Gunmaster G-9, in Surakksha (1979) and Wardat (1981). Here was a spy who danced, fired bullets and could shed copious tears too.

And so if you ask me, today, instead of a dreary-and-weary Romeo. Akbar. Walter., I'd rather rewind to an Ankhen, Farz or Surakksha. At least, there was an era when spies had audiences in a thrall instead of boring them with a faux twist of sobriety.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com