Rush Review {2/5} & Review Rating
A young man aims of making it big in life. He's offered a lucrative job by a rival business group. His lofty ambitions corrupt him en route. His personal life hits a low. He gets alienated from his lady love. The route he undertakes to attain the power and riches is a one-way street from where it's impossible to withdraw. He realizes he has been framed. Conned by the people he trusted. He decides to set things right…
Does the plot ring a bell? Recall Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt's BLOOD MONEY, directed by Vishal Mahadkar, which opened earlier this year. Though the setting is entirely different [BLOOD MONEY was about the diamond industry, this one has Emraan Hashmi dealing with breaking news and creating headlines], the premise as well as certain episodes in RUSH constantly bring back memories of that film. Besides, one has come to expect infidelity, slaughter, tension-n-anxiety, drama and redemption in an Emraan Hashmi movie. RUSH offers nothing diverse. The only thing that differentiates RUSH from the other films is the backdrop of the television industry.
RUSH could've transformed into an invigorating tale, eye-catching, soul-piercing take on ambition, aspiration and salvation, but it meanders into the predictable zone after a great start, giving you the feeling of déjà vu on several occasions. The writing is markedly foreseeable, with the screenwriter opting for the predictable stuff. However, a few individualistic sequences do stand out, but they are few and far between.
Sam [Emraan Hashmi] is a news reporter. Even though his talk show is at the pinnacle of success, his personal life turns upside down when he accepts an assignment offered by a dynamic media tycoon [Aditya Pancholi]. It plunges him into a vortex of violence in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Beneath the veneer of glamour, money, power and the enviable life of media lies a truth that is at once unbelievable and shocking.
In view of the fact that RUSH is Shamin Desai's directorial debut, the raconteur should've been more enterprising and ambitious as far as the writing is concerned. Although the execution of a few episodes is commendable, with Desai unspooling the sequence of events at a feverish pace and matching it with some stylish visuals, the predictability factor plays the spoilsport. There were seeds of a riveting thriller, but the plot hangs loose at various critical and decisive junctures. There's a glimmer of hope prior to the climax, with those moments getting a grip of things, but the culmination is tame, quite a letdown.
What's relatable, however, is the over-ambitious streak that has been projected in Emraan, Aditya and Neha's characters. Also interesting is the way the ruthless fight for gaining TRPs and doing a news break is depicted on screen.
Emraan is the face behind many popular tracks. His movies are synonymous with a lilting score. Unfortunately, RUSH is a run of the mill outing by the talented composer Pritam. Barring 'Fukraa', which has a groovy tune, the remaining songs don't resonate after a while. In fact, a couple of songs seem forced in the narrative. The background score is electrifying, adding so much to those sequences.
Emraan goes all out to deliver a fine performance. Enacting the role of a crime journalist, the actor looks perfect for this part and the character is relatable as well. Neha looks sensuous, seductive and handles her part most convincingly. It's good to see a talent like Aditya Pancholi on the big screen after a hiatus. But how one wishes his role had meat. Sagarika Ghatge doesn't get scope.
Murli Sharma is alright. Rahul Singh is passable. Alekh Sangal gets no scope.
On the whole, RUSH looks like a rushed job. It could've been an interesting take on ambition and aspiration, but it comes across as a half-baked product.
