Shootout at Lokhandwala

Name: Shootout at Lokhandwala

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama

Cast: Vivek Oberoi, Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, Arbaaz Khan, Apoorva Lakhia (Director)

Synopsis: Brooms were used to clear the area around the Swati building and TVN reporter Meeta Mattu was reporting that a large police squad with heavy ammunition was used around a peaceful residential area of Swati building in Lokhandwala. In the office of Ex-chief Justice and now a private advocate Dhingra is having discussions with the three officers of Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) on whom Human rights commission is massive angry and launched a heavy protest against them. These officers are additional commissioner of police Shamsher Khan (Sanjay Dutt), Inspector Kaviraj Patil (Sunil Shetty) and inspector Javed Shiekh (Arbaaz Khan). As Dhingra is having discussions asking questions from them, the movie went into flashback.

Shamsher Khan told Dhingra about how the ATS was formed as to counter modern day terrorism he got the idea from SWAT and form ATS from the best candidates from police including Kaviraj and Javed. There only motive was shoot to kill as modern day terrorist are growing more and more and trouble for public. He also tells how some people from Punjab after blue star operation came to Bombay in Sikh dominated areas and he did his best try to clear them out. Then he tells him about a man recently turned into gangster named Maya (Vivek Oberoi) and how he stars killing people and instigating fear in the minds of people and big businessmen in the city and that’s how he come under scanner of Dawood Ibrahim. He stars recruiting the best shooters in the city. Now at this point Maya and his men are on top of Bombay/Mumbai and reporting directly to Dawood in Dubai.

Khan and his men of ATS are focusing of eliminating Maya and his men in the city. A game of cat and mouse stars when Shamsher Khan and men kill some of Maya’s men and Maya on other side kills some of big businessmen and local people and even the police personnel many times. Shamsher Khan and his ATS men try to put pressure of relatives and families of Maya and his men to get them out but it too went wrong because Maya and his men do came out but at wrong time giving serious warning to Khan, Kaviraj and Javed to stay away from their families otherwise their families will to not be safe at all. Maya asks a builder named Wadhwani to give him ransom as protection money for his life to be safe but Wadhwani bluntly replied to him that he has direct connections to his boss in Dubai and he is nothing to him and he shouldn’t call him again or he will face dire consequences. As Maya was mad and in rage send his men to Wadhwani’s office and to comply to his demands or he will face consequences. Maya’s men took some token money from their and demanded the rest of money to be delivered to him within no time.

Wadhwani gave half the amount asked by Maya as told by Dawood but Maya asks Wadhwani to bring the rest of the money and take away his son and till that his son will remain with them. Fearing that, Wadhwani called Dawood and told the whole story and requested him to talk to Maya to release his only son. Dawood called Maya what is doing and he should release Wadhwani’s son immediately but Maya refused in doing that saying “its mine men pride and he can’t back off now at any cost to rule on Mumbai”.

Now comes the day on which this shootout took place. Shamsher Khan told him that one of his informers told him that Maya and his men are hiding in a flat of Swati building in Lokhandwala. Shamsher Khan with his ATS men with full ammunition and armory went to Swati building. Maya and his men were still holding Wadhwani’s son as hostage. One of Maya’s men who was outside the Swati building came to know that Police is surrounding the area around Swati building and looking for all of them with an intent to kill. Maya seeing that came to understand that too this time for sure something bloody will happen. ACP Shamsher Khan to reached the area and was soon welcomed by a RPG fired by Maya’s men but Khan survived. Soon the gun battle starts. People were warned to get out of the building quickly. Policemen stars going inside the building with full force. Empty bullet shells were everywhere. Soon all of them including Maya were killed by police in the shootout. Reporter Meeta Mattu covers this entire gunbattle between police and Maya and his men.

In the end, Dhingra in courts starts with the conventional defense for the officers of ATS including Shamsher Khan who were involved in this Shootout or gun battle. Khan and his men were released from the charges instigated on them by court.

Review: As based on original events from the rumors of the Shootout that took place at Lokhanwadala, the movie was beautifully crafted and made. Direction of Approva was good as he tried to put the whole shooting part into a well made action scenario with ease. Performance of Vivek Oberoi was great but for Sanjay Dutt it wasn’t that much effective as it should have been. Rest of cast performance were good and up to the mark. Music of the movie was average although some parts of the movie was being stretched unnecessary which could have been avoided. Sometimes it is also felt that went off track many times. But was great part of the movie was the climax. It’s great as how the gun battle sequences’ are being shot and the music related to it was just great. Overall it is a good movie to watch with a good amount of action and a decent amount of Entertainment.

Stars given: 2.5 out of 5.