Comic book Review: Ek Tha Tiger - Dhoom Redux 893

By Bollywood Hungama News Network - August 10, 2012 - 3:01 AM IST

Comic: Ek Tha Tiger - Mahasagar Ki Suraksha (available in English as 'Saving the High Seas') Comic book Review: Ek Tha Tiger - Dhoom Redux 893

I was mighty excited on laying my hands on the Yomic (yes, that's what comics coming from the house of Chopras are called) 'Ek Tha Tiger - Mahasagar Ki Suraksha'.

After all, you don't really mind the child in you get all eager to check out what this graphic novel has to offer, what with the makers proclaiming that it is for everyone from

the age group of 8 to 99. What further added to the excitement was the fact that the novel is a prelude to the film which would be released in a few days from now. What

better way to get to know Tiger a little more up, close and personal even before seeing him on the big screen.

In that perspective, the writers do well in presenting 'Ek Tha Tiger - Mahasagar Ki Suraksha' as a novel, which pretty much establishes Tiger. In fact as one flips through

4-5 pages itself, it is clear that there is more of Salman in Tiger than Tiger is in Salman. One gets to witness the same laid back approach that Salman has demonstrated in

many of his stories in the past and it isn't any different in this story either, what with the tone as well as body language (and not just the face) of Salman finding itself quite

prominently established in the novel.

As for the story, it is about a ship being hijacked in the Indian Ocean with Somali pirates accused as the culprits. Even as Shenoy and Gopi, Tiger's senior and colleague

(played by Girish Karnad and Ranvir Shorey respectively, even in the novel) help Salman understand the mission and take on the bad guys, you find yourself glued to the

plot due to an inherent mystery factor involved.

However this is where the hitch lies. Beyond a point the story stops captivating you and the 'dhishoom dhishoom' takes over. One expected the plot to be deeper and the

twists in the tale making the narrative all the more exciting. However, that doesn't quite happen and even when the suspense unfolds in the last page, you are neither

shocked nor awed.

Also, what hardly amuses is the whole fixation that Tiger seems to have with coffee. It is clearly overdone in the novel and while the attempt has been to bring on some

humour, the results aren't as conducive. One just hopes that if this is indeed the characteristic trait in the film as well, it is curtailed instead of being stretched the way it

has been in the novel.

Still, what makes this rather short 30 odd page novel (which also has a few pages added on the Hum Tum characters in the end) interesting is its layout,

presentation and illustrations. It is definitely something new in the offering for that segment of readers who belong to the generation of Chacha Chaudhary, Rajan Iqbal

and Nagraj. The colours are far more striking, the scene transition is well laid out and the overall design is quite eye catchy. Now if only the script would have been

tighter, the novel would have been just the right prelude to the film which arrives this Independence Day.

Price: Rs. 99

Rating: **1/2

Comic: Dhoom Redux - 893

Enthralling, intriguing and engrossing - That's what 'Dhoom Redux - 893' turns out to be for most part of this 80 odd page novel. The best part of this affair is that it has a

semblance of a plot, something that was missing in 'Ek Tha Tiger - Mahasagar Ki Suraksha' which just acted as a teaser of sorts to establish Tiger. Perhaps the writers

felt that since Jai Dixit and Ali Akbar are rather known characters (more so, since illustrations too are created with Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra), courtesy

Dhoom and Dhoom 2 being rather well established, they could afford to get straight to the point.

Well, this is what happens as the story starts on a feverish pace, what with action in an airplane setting the tone. There are many more well designed action pieces that

follow. A chase on the bike, sword fights, a robbery going right, another one going wrong and quite a few killings being interspersed in the narrative, hence resulting in a

high adrenalin affair.

As for the core storyline, this one is indeed new even for a quintessential Bollywood pot-boiler as a Japanese cult finds itself as the centre of attraction. Since Jai has

captured a terrorist, his friends and brother from Japan are out of revenge. They start creating havoc in Mumbai and Jai along with Ali have a task in hand to prove which

of the two is a bigger gang - Japanese or Mumbai police?

It is these very filmy elements that makes 'Dhoom Redux - 893' a fast paced right. Add to that friendships going sour, internal issues within gangs, code of conduct coming

into play, loyalties being tested and betrayals going unpardoned and there is a good spicy dish in the offering. Moreover, '893' has a good role to play in the plot as well

and it is revealed at just the right time with a twist in the tale justifying its inclusion.

What one misses though is the momentum to be sustained right till the end. Though the pace keeps escalating for almost 80% of the duration, the villains breaking into a

high secure police area and the cross fire followed by bloodshed that follows come across as a downer. After all, so far the novel had boasted of some level of intelligence

thrown in as well but the way the story culminates, it shows that something like 'cinematic liberty' has found its presence in 'Dhoom Redux - 893' as well.

Nevertheless, one still grabs it as the first in the series of 'Dhoom' comics, what with the layout, presentation and overall illustrations going totally as per the set

characters that 'Dhoom' as a franchise boasts of. One certainly looks forward to what new is in the offering in weeks to come. Moreover, with a short comic insert around

the kid Daya Prochu added towards the end, it only makes this package a good read.

Price: Rs. 199

Rating: ***

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