Filmmaker duo Pushkar-Gayatri bring their 2017 Tamil hit film 'Vikram Vedha' to Bollywood in 2022. Starring Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik Roshan in the lead, the film is a stylised, glossier version of the original which showcases Roshan in a glamorous avatar even though he plays a gangster from the heartland. Is 'Vikram Vedha' a worthy remake of the Tamil hit? Watch Critically Speaking to know more

Critically Speaking: Is Hrithik-Saif starrer 'Vikram Vedha' true to the original?

<p>It's not easy to be a part of a remake of a hit film. Comparisons are natural and it is difficult to surpass the originals by all quarters. Director duo Pushkar-Gayatri make their Bollywood debut with a remake of their Tamil hit film 'Vikram Vedha'. The trailer of the film had the internet buzzing as it presented Hrithik Roshan in a scruffy avatar full of swagger. The film too uses Roshan's larger-than-life persona to the fullest to tell a story where the audience has to decide - what is good and what is bad.</p>

<p>The story is loosely based on the popular folktale of <em>Betal Pachisi</em>, which was about a king called Vikramaditya and a ghoul called Betal. In Pushkar Gayatri's film, who also have written the story, Vikram (Saif Ali Khan) is an encounter specialist in Lucknow Police Special Task Force who along with his team is given the task to nab dreaded gangster Vedha Betal (Hrithik Roshan) who's been underground for a while. While the cops are still figuring out how to nab Vedha based on a recent tip-off, the gangster himself walks into the police station to surrender himself. During his subsequent interrogation, Vedha narrates a story to Vikram which can completely change his concept of good and evil.</p>

<p>Based on the premise of the original 2017 Tamil film, the Hindi adaptation has similar lines and scenes but it also cashes in on Roshan's superstardom and inherent swagger. Roshan's Vedha is supposed to be a scruffy unkempt man who only understands the language of guns. but he is also a gangster in a Bollywood film, whose grey beard and unruly curls have been carefully and tastefully created to give the character&nbsp;a super stylish look.</p>

<p>Giving him company is a very muscular Saif Ali Khan who because of his strikingly different character, the no-nonsense cop Vikram, looks clean and lean in his collared T-shirts and jeans.</p>

<p>Once you get over the lead pairs' carefully curated looks, the two actors manage to shine with their performances. Hrithik's role is far more fleshed out than Saif and the actor does not disappoint. He may be all too aware of his swag on screen but Roshan also sinks his teeth into making Vedha a very contrived personality who may be on the wrong side of the law but yet is a do-gooder.</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hpwnlr-ZHB0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Saif, on the other hand is restrained in his portrayal of Vikram the cop. He does get the quirky lines, and the sly humour that exists in the narrative throughout but writers.... seem to concentrate more on fleshing out Vedha's role than Vikram's. Nevertheless, Saif delivers a credible act and the scenes rather than the standoffs between Vikram and Vedha are superbly executed- both at writing as well as performance level.<br />
<br />
The other actors - Radhika Apte as Vikram's righteous wife and Vedha's lawyer, Rohit Sharaf as Vedha's brother Shatak and Yogita Bihani as Chanda, Shatak's girlfriend are just enablers to the story of Vikram and Vedha who both loathe each other but are also dependent on each other to unravel a few mysteries in life.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The story, intricately written and non-linear in nature, demands your attention as a lot of minute details are part of the screenplay. With three solid backstories that form the core of the plot, 'Vikram Vedha' takes time to establish. I would still say that the first half is far pacier than the second half even though a lot more is unraveled during this point in the film. At some point, the narrative tends to slacken even and an unnecessary song to showcase Hrithik's dancing prowess seems forced to the narrative.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
There are a few stereotypes too, of course. The Muslim good cop/best friend is the first to fall. He uses Urdu words nonchalantly to justify his community. The Lucknow-Kanpur slangs are used too but the accents are inconsistent for both Hrithik and Saif.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The film is a glossy Hindi remake of a film that boasted of not just a great story but superb performances by R Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi. The Hindi remake is quite right there - with the same story, director and credible performances by its lead but somehow left a middling effect on me.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Make no mistake, Hrithik is superb, Saif holds his own and the story ensures that two actors get to perform their best but the film does not stay with you for too long and never elevates to its full potential.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
'Vikram Vedha' is in cinemas from September 30.&nbsp;</p>


It's not easy to be a part of a remake of a hit film. Comparisons are natural and it is difficult to surpass the originals by all quarters. Director duo Pushkar-Gayatri make their Bollywood debut with a remake of their Tamil hit film 'Vikram Vedha'.

It's not easy to be a part of a remake of a hit film. Comparisons are natural and it is difficult to surpass the originals by all quarters. Director duo Pushkar-Gayatri make their Bollywood debut with a remake of their Tamil hit film 'Vikram Vedha'. The trailer of the film had the internet buzzing as it presented Hrithik Roshan in a scruffy avatar full of swagger. The film too uses Roshan's larger-than-life persona to the fullest to tell a story where the audience has to decide - what is good and what is bad. The story is loosely based on the popular folktale of Betal Pachisi, which was about a king called Vikramaditya and a ghoul called Betal. In Pushkar Gayatri's film, who also have written the story, Vikram (Saif Ali Khan) is an encounter specialist in Lucknow Police Special Task Force who along with his team is given the task to nab dreaded gangster Vedha Betal (Hrithik Roshan) who's been underground for a while. While the cops are still figuring out how to nab Vedha based on a recent tip-off, the gangster himself walks into the police station to surrender himself. During his subsequent interrogation, Vedha narrates a story to Vikram which can completely change his concept of good and evil. Based on the premise of the original 2017 Tamil film, the Hindi adaptation has similar lines and scenes but it also cashes in on Roshan's superstardom and inherent swagger. Roshan's Vedha is supposed to be a scruffy unkempt man who only understands the language of guns. but he is also a gangster in a Bollywood film, whose grey beard and unruly curls have been carefully and tastefully created to give the character a super stylish look. Giving him company is a very muscular Saif Ali Khan who because of his strikingly different character, the no-nonsense cop Vikram, looks clean and lean in his collared T-shirts and jeans. Once you get over the lead pairs' carefully curated looks, the two actors manage to shine with their performances. Hrithik's role is far more fleshed out than Saif and the actor does not disappoint. He may be all too aware of his swag on screen but Roshan also sinks his teeth into making Vedha a very contrived personality who may be on the wrong side of the law but yet is a do-gooder. Saif, on the other hand is restrained in his portrayal of Vikram the cop. He does get the quirky lines, and the sly humour that exists in the narrative throughout but writers.... seem to concentrate more on fleshing out Vedha's role than Vikram's. Nevertheless, Saif delivers a credible act and the scenes rather than the standoffs between Vikram and Vedha are superbly executed- both at writing as well as performance level. The other actors - Radhika Apte as Vikram's righteous wife and Vedha's lawyer, Rohit Sharaf as Vedha's brother Shatak and Yogita Bihani as Chanda, Shatak's girlfriend are just enablers to the story of Vikram and Vedha who both loathe each other but are also dependent on each other to unravel a few mysteries in life. The story, intricately written and non-linear in nature, demands your attention as a lot of minute details are part of the screenplay. With three solid backstories that form the core of the plot, 'Vikram Vedha' takes time to establish. I would still say that the first half is far pacier than the second half even though a lot more is unraveled during this point in the film. At some point, the narrative tends to slacken even and an unnecessary song to showcase Hrithik's dancing prowess seems forced to the narrative. There are a few stereotypes too, of course. The Muslim good cop/best friend is the first to fall. He uses Urdu words nonchalantly to justify his community. The Lucknow-Kanpur slangs are used too but the accents are inconsistent for both Hrithik and Saif. The film is a glossy Hindi remake of a film that boasted of not just a great story but superb performances by R Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi. The Hindi remake is quite right there - with the same story, director and credible performances by its lead but somehow left a middling effect on me. Make no mistake, Hrithik is superb, Saif holds his own and the story ensures that two actors get to perform their best but the film does not stay with you for too long and never elevates to its full potential. 'Vikram Vedha' is in cinemas from September 30.

'Vikram Vedha' review: Hrithik Roshan shines in a thriller that never excels to its full potential

<p>Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan's most awaited film 'Vikram Vedha' is finally in theatres now. The movie is a remake of R Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi's superhit Tamil film of the same name.<br />
<br />
Directed by husband and wife duo Pushkar and Gayathri, the film revolves around Vikram, the cop, and Vedha, a ruthless gangster. The film is action-packed and visually attractive, with gun fights, car-chasing, killing, and a lot more. But, now as the film is out in theatres, so did the film able to impress the audience or not? Let's find out.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<strong>What is the story about?</strong><br />
<br />
In the film, Hrithik is playing the role of the most-wanted gangster Vedha Betal and Saif, who is an encounter specialist cop Vikram. He&nbsp;is assigned to find the gangster Vedha. But, the story took a sharp turn when Vedha himself surrenders at the police station. And while interrogating him, Vedha narrates a story to Vikram which changes the concept of good and evil in Vikram's&nbsp;mind.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Xclusiv?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Xclusiv</a>... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VikramVedha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VikramVedha</a> *final* screen count...<br />
⭐ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a>: 4007<br />
⭐ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Overseas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Overseas</a>: 1633 [104 countries]<br />
⭐ Worldwide total: 5640 screens <a href="https://t.co/oXRRAId2uW">pic.twitter.com/oXRRAId2uW</a></p>
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/taran_adarsh/status/1575687820882034688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Praising the gripping screenplay, netizens praised the film by calling it a mass entertainer filled with action &amp; thrill.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
One user wrote, ''#VikramVedha &nbsp;pure mass entertainer filled with action &amp; thrill, it creates tension, craze as well as builds interest in the storyline, the screenplay is drop dead tight, Specially climax makes worth watching the movie. After a long time a single screen material came out!''<br />
<br />
Another wrote, ''This has everything for every type of audience, writing is the biggest plus which ensures that audience won't get distracted for a second. HR made Vedha his own, wasn't expecting him to be this good after the trailer. BGM is 🔥🔥 Paisa vasool movie and much more!''</p>

<p>Check Twitter reactions below:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vikramvedha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#vikramvedha</a><br />
This has everything for every type of audience, writing is the biggest plus which ensures that audience wont get distracted for a second.<br />
HR made Vedha his own, wasn't expecting him to be this good after the trailer.<br />
<br />
BGM is 🔥🔥<br />
<br />
Paisa vasool movie and much more!</p>
— Yaare Yaare (@NairJai123) <a href="https://twitter.com/NairJai123/status/1575748310572621824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VikramVedha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VikramVedha</a> is pure mass entertainer filled with action &amp; thrill, it creates tension, craze as well as builds interest in the storyline, the screenplay is drop dead tight, Specially climax makes worth watching the movie. After a long time a single screen material came out!</p>
— great_fans_of_aamir (@Great_Aamir_fan) <a href="https://twitter.com/Great_Aamir_fan/status/1575748342641922049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hrithik’s Swag and Saif’s Intensity. Story keeps you hooked up till the end with lots if twists and turns. I did watch the original one but they nailed it all over again with this. Highly recommend. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VikramVedha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VikramVedha</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VikramVedhaReview?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VikramVedhaReview</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HrithikRoshan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HrithikRoshan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaifAliKhan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaifAliKhan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/iHrithik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iHrithik</a></p>
— Harry Ghai (@iamsrkfan001) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrkfan001/status/1575655557423210497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>WION's film critic Shomini Sen writes in her review: ''The story, intricately written and non-linear in nature, demands your attention as a lot of minute details are part of the screenplay. With three solid backstories that form the core of the plot, 'Vikram Vedha' takes time to establish. I would still say that the first half is far pacier than the second half even though a lot more is unravelled during this point in the film. At some point, the narrative tends to slacken even and an unnecessary song to showcase Hrithik's dancing prowess seems forced to the narrative.''<br />
<br />
''There are a few stereotypes too, of course. The Muslim good cop/best friend is the first to fall. He uses Urdu words nonchalantly to justify his community. The Lucknow-Kanpur slangs are used too but the accents are inconsistent for both Hrithik and Saif.''&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Vikram Vedha is presented by Gulshan Kumar, T-Series, and Reliance Entertainment in association with Friday Filmworks and Jio Studios and a YNOT Studios Production. The film is directed by Pushkar and Gayatri and produced by Bhushan Kumar and S. Sashikanth and Reliance Entertainment.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan's most awaited film 'Vikram Vedha' is finally in theatres now. The movie is a remake of R Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi's superhit Tamil film of the same name.

Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan's most awaited film 'Vikram Vedha' is finally in theatres now. The movie is a remake of R Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi's superhit Tamil film of the same name. Directed by husband and wife duo Pushkar and Gayathri, the film revolves around Vikram, the cop, and Vedha, a ruthless gangster. The film is action-packed and visually attractive, with gun fights, car-chasing, killing, and a lot more. But, now as the film is out in theatres, so did the film able to impress the audience or not? Let's find out. What is the story about? In the film, Hrithik is playing the role of the most-wanted gangster Vedha Betal and Saif, who is an encounter specialist cop Vikram. He is assigned to find the gangster Vedha. But, the story took a sharp turn when Vedha himself surrenders at the police station. And while interrogating him, Vedha narrates a story to Vikram which changes the concept of good and evil in Vikram's mind. #Xclusiv... #VikramVedha *final* screen count... ⭐ #India: 4007 ⭐ #Overseas: 1633 [104 countries] ⭐ Worldwide total: 5640 screens pic.twitter.com/oXRRAId2uW — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) September 30, 2022 × Praising the gripping screenplay, netizens praised the film by calling it a mass entertainer filled with action & thrill. One user wrote, ''#VikramVedha pure mass entertainer filled with action & thrill, it creates tension, craze as well as builds interest in the storyline, the screenplay is drop dead tight, Specially climax makes worth watching the movie. After a long time a single screen material came out!'' Another wrote, ''This has everything for every type of audience, writing is the biggest plus which ensures that audience won't get distracted for a second. HR made Vedha his own, wasn't expecting him to be this good after the trailer. BGM is 🔥🔥 Paisa vasool movie and much more!'' Check Twitter reactions below: #vikramvedha This has everything for every type of audience, writing is the biggest plus which ensures that audience wont get distracted for a second. HR made Vedha his own, wasn't expecting him to be this good after the trailer. BGM is 🔥🔥 Paisa vasool movie and much more! — Yaare Yaare (@NairJai123) September 30, 2022 × #VikramVedha is pure mass entertainer filled with action & thrill, it creates tension, craze as well as builds interest in the storyline, the screenplay is drop dead tight, Specially climax makes worth watching the movie. After a long time a single screen material came out! — great_fans_of_aamir (@Great_Aamir_fan) September 30, 2022 × Hrithik’s Swag and Saif’s Intensity. Story keeps you hooked up till the end with lots if twists and turns. I did watch the original one but they nailed it all over again with this. Highly recommend. #VikramVedha #VikramVedhaReview #HrithikRoshan #SaifAliKhan @iHrithik — Harry Ghai (@iamsrkfan001) September 30, 2022 × WION's film critic Shomini Sen writes in her review: ''The story, intricately written and non-linear in nature, demands your attention as a lot of minute details are part of the screenplay. With three solid backstories that form the core of the plot, 'Vikram Vedha' takes time to establish. I would still say that the first half is far pacier than the second half even though a lot more is unravelled during this point in the film. At some point, the narrative tends to slacken even and an unnecessary song to showcase Hrithik's dancing prowess seems forced to the narrative.'' ''There are a few stereotypes too, of course. The Muslim good cop/best friend is the first to fall. He uses Urdu words nonchalantly to justify his community. The Lucknow-Kanpur slangs are used too but the accents are inconsistent for both Hrithik and Saif.'' Vikram Vedha is presented by Gulshan Kumar, T-Series, and Reliance Entertainment in association with Friday Filmworks and Jio Studios and a YNOT Studios Production. The film is directed by Pushkar and Gayatri and produced by Bhushan Kumar and S. Sashikanth and Reliance Entertainment.

'Vikram Vedha' Twitter review: Netizens call Hrithik Roshan & Saif Ali Khan starrer a mass entertainer