D - One of the best films from Varma’s camp

Rating:- ***

RGV and UTV's latest offering ‘D’, directed by Vishram Sawant, is another film which, like ‘Satya’ and ‘Company’ peeps into the underbelly of the underworld.

‘D’ tells the story of Deshu [Randeep Hooda], who rises from the ashes and creates an empire of his own. While finding a foothold in the world of crime, Deshu faces opposition from within the ranks of his company.

The kith and kin of his mentor [Goga Kapoor] are unhappy with Deshu's rise and the rift widens every time Deshu conquers new horizons and scales new heights. Despite the hiccups, Deshu and his comrade Raghav [Chunkey Pandey] perform their duties with utmost honesty.

The two sons of the mentor [Yashpal Sharma, Sushant Singh] realize that the focus has suddenly shifted towards Deshu. The tension builds up with each passing incident and the duo decides to settle the scores. They first target Deshu's comrade and then Deshu and his actress-girlfriend [Rukhsaar].
Come to think of it, how many facets of a gangster can any film-maker explore? But Vishram Sawant and his writer deserve all the credit for narrating a story that's explosive and captivating.

The story starts with a bang, with engaging moments in the first half slowly taking you to an environment you can identify with.

But it's the post-interval portions and the twists in the story that give the film that extra sheen. The graph of the film reaches an all-time high when the battlelines are drawn. The Chunkey Pandey-Sushant Singh-Isha Koppikar sequence is amongst the brilliant sequences witnessed in a long, long time. Ditto for the immediate sequence, when Randeep settles the score right under everyone's nose.

One is extremely inquisitive about the finale, but the conclusion to the story doesn't let you down one bit. The best part is that neither does this film promote terrorism, nor does it say that those who live by the gun die by the gun. Thankfully, it doesn't preach!

One minor blemish. Ideally, the film should've been a songless one. The song that is there seems as unwanted as an unwelcome visitor meeting you unannounced.
Director Vishram Sawant deserves full marks for handling the film in the most convincing fashion.

Cinematography is first-rate. The film captures the authentic look to precision. The background score is another area that deserves the kudos. The dialogues have rustic flavor and are soaked in acid at times, so vital for a film of this genre.

The film wouldn't have been what it is without Randeep Hooda. The actor looks and performs the part with such élan that it's indeed difficult to absorb the fact that D is his second film [after Mira Nair's MONSOON WEDDING]. Randeep changes his expressions like a chameleon changes colors and that's where he scores. If Vishram Sawant did repose tremendous faith in Randeep, the actor lives up the expectations completely.

Others who perform very well are Goga Kapoor, Chunkey Pandey, Sushant Singh and Ishrat Ali. Although ladies don't get much scope in this male-dominated flick, both Rukhsaar and Isha Koppikar make their presence felt.

On the whole, D is one film that stays with you even after the show has concluded.