Street Dancer 3D movie review: Varun-Shraddha's film has its heart in the right place, but lacks depth and excitement
Dance dramas can make for a strenuous watch -- if bereft of a gripping script. So those who have been an ardent follower of the ABCD franchise know what to expect from 'Street Dancer 3D'. Also, those who have watched only its trailer have a vague idea about what this movie can offer. Hence, burdening yourself with too much expectations won't help -- neither you nor the filmmaker.
Welcome to London, where at the centre of the story are two rival dance groups -- Rule Breakers and Street Dancer, led by Inaayat (Shraddha Kapoor) and Sahej (Varun Dhawan) respectively. The interaction between the lead couple is a spin-off on the famous song 'Khud Ko Kya Samajhti Hai?' The two just can't stand each other. Inaayat is sensitive and is pursuing her passion without the knowledge, and hence, consent of her family. No one dares mess with her on the streets.
Sahej, on the other hand, can go to any extent for his elder brother. His mind prevails over his heart. And this makes him selfish. The grey side of Sahej consolidates the point that "real" characters are flawed.
With the film in 3D format, be ready that the makers will hurl things at you to give the 'FEEL'. This has been done quite a couple of times before -- so much so that it fails to leave you amazed anymore.
The first half has slapstick humour. Inaayat and Sahej's teams throwing donuts at each other while cheering for their respective national Cricket teams has gone stale now. Even "amawas" and "poornima" joke (at Dharmesh's character D) falls flat on its face. Such jokes, at best, suit 'The Kapil Sharma Show' -- not a mainstream Hindi movie.
There is also a subplot of the deplorable state of illegal immigrants in the UK's defunct tunnel. This track helps to evoke emotion, which otherwise the film lacks. Hunger is one such thing that can unite anyone and the film's parallel track runs around this. Even the handicapped brother and his dream subplot doesn't strike an emotional chord with the audience. ''Ghutna toota hain, sapna nahin'' -- I was flabbergasted at how man with a broken limb can break into a dance using his crutch as a prop.
The scenes of immigrants surviving on restaurant's leftover and one in the bus where a famished fellow grabs a leftover burger do make you ponder about the greatest privilege (food) one has.
Varun seems to be repetitive. His comedy looks inspired by Salman Khan. Whether it is realising one's mistake or engaging in a spat with his dear friend, Varun looks like he is struggling. Shraddha as Inaayat is gorgeous and has done a decent job. Though Aparshakti Khurrana doesn't have much to showcase in the boundaries of his stereotypical character, his bits are moving.
Prabhudeva and Nora Fatehi have done what they are best known for -- dance. Flawless, I should say.
The real-life shots at the end are undoubtedly thought-provoking. The film latches on to the phoenix-like cross-border drama, while keeping chest-thumping patriotism at bay. 'Street Dancer 3D' talks about unity and harmony, which all of us need currently. Thankfully, they haven't also stereotyped Pakistanis or put them in a bad light.
The film runs at a slow pace giving you enough time to intermittently check your phone. Also, it is predictable to a great extent.
'Street Dancer 3D' basically survives on the peppy remix songs and some beautifully choreographed dance sequences. However, not all dives and flips are new. The musical side of the film lacks originality. 'Garmi' is the only original track in the film. Street Dancer 3D could have easily churned out some hit dance numbers but makers resorted to an easy way out (remixes). 'Street Dancer 3D' also interestingly has a rap song (not Baadshah one). Thank you, Gully Boy.
It was a pleasant surprise to come through an emotional story in a film that heavily relies on dance and stardom. All I would say is the least you expect, the better you feel.
Better wait for its release on the streaming platform. A good watch for kids though.