Ek Ajnabee - Amitabh Bachchan shines in the film which ain’t path-breaking

Rating:- * * *

Suryaveer Singh [Amitabh Bachchan] was a former commando in the army. Fighting many a battle had taken its toll, so he decides to quit and takes to (guess what) drinking.

Shekhar [Arjun Rampal], who used to work with him, invites Suryaveer to Bangkok where he runs a security firm. Shekhar gives Suryaveer a job as a bodyguard, of an 8-year-old girl Anamika [Baby Rucha Vaidya], the only daughter of rich parents [Vikram Chatwal, Perizaad Zorabian]. Slowly and steadily, Suryaveer forms a bond with the baby girl.

But in an unexpected turn Anamika is kidnapped and subsequently shot dead by the kidnappers headed by Raj Zutshi. A heartbroken Suryaveer swears revenge and starts zeroing on the kidnappers. But what unravels takes him by surprise...

EK AJNABEE seeks its basic inspiration from the Hollywood film MAN ON FIRE [2004; Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning], but director Apoorva Lakhia has been more than inspired. He has virtually lifted scenes from the original., a big flaw indeed.

The first half is well executed but the pace slackens considerably in the post-interval portions.

The film boasts of just two songs -- 'Tere Liye' [rendered brilliantly by Kunal Ganjawala] and 'Ek Ajnabee, Mama Told Me' -- and both come at the right places, thereby enhancing the impact.

Cinematography is eye-catching and dialogues are pithy at places. The stunts are very realistic.

As for performances, Amitabh Bachchan stands tallest. To be fair to him, Arjun Rampal also holds his own.

Perizaad Zorabian is excellent. At several places she proves that she understands the grammar of acting right.

Baby Rucha is simply adorable. It wouldn't be wrong to state that the young actor matches up to Bachchan in every sequence. Amongst character actors, Raj Zutshi, Kelly Dorji and Akhilendra Mishra stand out.