Sikandar Ka Muqaddar review: Avinash Tiwary, Jimmy Shergill's film is not your usual heist thriller

Neeraj Pandey is credited with some incredibly sharp films that have remained iconic for years after their release. Pandey has the knack for making quintessential Bollywood thrillers engaging with his screenplay, plot line and technical finesse. Sure he has also had a few misfires but films like A Wednesday, Special 26, Baby, and MS Dhoni remain popular and relevant till now. His latest Sikandar Ka Muqaddar starts on a promising note and one almost finds Pandey's Midastouch to the narrative but somewhere through the course of 2 hours23-minute-long film. Starring Avinash Tiwary and Jimmy Shergill, the film is a heist drama that shows potential in the beginning to be an engaging story but becomes an exhausting watch by the end of it.

The plot of Sikandar Ka Muqaddar

It is a battle of egos between two men that forms the crux of the story. Investigating Officer Jaswinder Singh (Shergill) never quite got over the fact that his instincts about Sikandar (Tiwary) were not right regarding a diamond robbery. Back in 2009, at a diamond convention, diamonds worth Rs 5 crore (Rs 500 million) were stolen. IO Jaswinder was deputed to solve the case in 24 hours because of his successful track record. He rounded up three suspects, two employees of the store (including Kamini Singh played by Tamannaah Bhatia) from where the theft had taken place and computer technician Sikandar. Despite multiple court hearings, lack of evidence, and the three denying involvement, Jaswinder never was convinced.

15 years later, as Sikandar and Kamini- now married- are living a comfortable life together, their past beckons. Having harboured resentment over his one wrong move for the past 15 years, Jaswinder now wants to apologise to Sikandar for labelling him as a thief but do it in person. As the two men meet, they dwell on the past 15 years and more revelations are made but does Jaswinder finally get a closure on the case? Is Sikandar truly innocent and if yes, who stole those diamonds on that fateful day?

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What the film lacks

Heist films are more or less made on a similar framework. Where the thief outsmarts the investigator in most cases. While the audience knows who is the culprit, it is how the thief covers up his steps and bluffs the world that makes such films exciting and engaging. However, in the case of Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, the Tom-and Jerry-eseque chase soon loses the thrill element.

There is just too much conversation and long-drawn scenes of Sikandar and his unending ordeal with life that take away the thrill from the heist film. You almost get impatient by the second half of the film, where despite the revelations and plot twists, the ordeals of the lead man never seem to end.

Pandey indulges the viewers with long take shots where the camera pans around the characters walking fast and looking busy and pacing from one end of the room to the room. The one-take shots where the camera hovers over the shoulder of the character are usually used to show urgency and make it more immersive for the viewers. But in this film's case, they are repetitive and seem to lead to nothing consequential. It only creates urgency for the moment but ultimately ends on a whimper.

I was fully involved when the heist was shown at the beginning of the film. Much like the cops, I was curious to figure out who the culprit was. But I lost interest during Sikandar and Jaswinder's reunion after 15 years, as the two men reflected on the years gone by while sharing a drink. It is an important portion of the story yet it totally sucks the life out of the heist drama as the maker indulges in too many flashbacks.

Pandey's previous heist film – Special 26 – was a sharp, smart movie that made people stay on the edge of their seats till the very end. Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, on the other hand, is far from being a thrilling watch. It is slow, and at some point, I feel Pandey doesn't know where to end the story so keeps adding more twists – some of which do not make sense.

Avinash Tiwary and Jimmy Shergill deliver earnest performances but have limited scope due to a half-hearted script. Tamannaah Bhatia delivers her part – although she has limited screen time.

Sikandar Ka Muqaddar had the potential to be an engaging thriller but alas its director who also serves as the writer burdens it too much with unnecessary twists and drama.

The filmis streaming on Netflix.