Anyone who is familiar with the movies that come out of the Bhatt camp is aware that when it comes to their stories, they are more often than not, "inspired". Even though 'Ek Villain' isn't technically a Bhatt production, the director, being a Bhatt camp veteran, didn't deviate from their patented style. There is no doubt that the plot of 'Ek Villain' is "inspired" from the 2010 Korean movie 'I Saw The Devil', but I must give credit to Mr. Suri for toning down the gore and introducing enough Bollywood-esque elements to ultimately present a thriller with wholesome entertainment value.
'Ek Villain' isn't entirely a thriller though. Its one-part thriller and one-part love story. The love story part, that appear in occasional flashbacks, is typically Bollywood - filled with melodrama and romance, but, thankfully less cheese. However, the comfortable air that envelopes you during the love story is diametrically changed during the thriller part. You get into an unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory which provide genuine thrills from time to time. The plot has enough interesting "turns" ("twists" wouldn't exactly be the right term) to keep you thoroughly engaged throughout the movie. The coldness and brutality of the killer, seen from the first scene itself, is truly disturbing.
Out of all the characters, the serial killer, Rakesh, played by Ritesh Deshmukh, is the most well-developed. He's a total psychopath hiding beneath the mask of a simple family man . If you have a twisted mind, his motive for going on a killing spree might make sense to you. His weapon of choice is particularly interesting. Luckily, Ritesh Deshmukh never once falter while portraying this complex character. His eyes, which do most of the talking in the film, are so cold that it gives you goosebumps. Given his dark past, the character of Guru, played by Siddhart Malhotra, never appear very menacing, mostly because his violent past is not properly explored in the movie. Also, apart from his introductory scene, he always looks sorry.You feel pity for the character even when he is beating up Rakesh with much brutality because you subconsciously justify his act as anger resulting from extreme grief. You feel like - 'So, what if he is a wanted gangster with a criminal record as long as your grocery list? Let him beat the sh*t out of the "bad guy" because he killed his pregnant wife!' Though its true that Siddharth Malhotra is too good-looking to pull off a rough character like Guru, as an actor he does a very fine job. Shraddha Kapoor as Aisha, the ever-so-bubbly, overly optimistic PJ Queen is charming enough. Her character is a little annoying at times and seem to be as enlightened as a Rishi muni, but is bearable. As for the supporting cast, Remo Fernades as the don Caesar, who's also a father figure to Guru, does justice to his character. Shaad Randhawa, as the Inspector, is effective and, ironically, appear more menacing than Guru. Aamna Sharif, as Rakesh's nagging wife, and the kid who plays Rakesh's son have both done a good job. Kamaal "Deshdrohi" Khan plays a character as obnoxious as him and hence, not surprisingly, succeeds.
The music of 'Ek Villain' is one of its strongest plus points and its used effectively in the movie. Its infused beautifully with the story- line and doesn't appear forced, except 'Awari' which is, well, definitely forced.
Though not without flaws, all in all, 'Ek Villain' is a pretty good thriller by "Bollywood standards". Mohit Suri is undoubtedly a good director and he knows how to keep his audience engrossed and at the edge of their seats. Though some of the dialogues feel silly and out of place at times, the overall grimness of the movie is what stays with you. Its a trip worth taking to the theatre to, but not for the faint-hearted.