Trailer Review: A Flying Jatt

For the 90's generation, the first memory of a superhero was a mighty Mukesh Khanna swirling to the tune of Shaktimaan on their television screens. Our fetish for superpowers was revived only a decade ago, with the modish and masked Krrish (yes, it's been ten years!). Following in the footsteps of Dinkar Jani and Rakesh Roshan is the sensational choreographer-turned-director Remo D'Souza, presenting us with A Flying Jatt. Produced by Balaji Motion Pictures, the movie features Tiger Shroff in the titular role, Jacqueline Fernandez as his love interest, and popular wrestler Nathan Jones as the antagonist Raka. The movie also features Kay Kay Menon, Amrita Singh, and Gaurav Pandey in pivotal roles.

The trailer opens with the miraculously clumsy superhero we are expected to watch and empathize with. Besides his acrophobia, he frequently rams into vehicles, burns himself, and gets knocked off by tennis balls. Topping all of the misfortunes is the long list of accusations his mother (Amrita Singh) constantly belittles him for - misusing his powers to woo women, being a non-believer of faith and so on. Sound heroic?!

The second half is graced by the talented Kay Kay Menon in what seems like the character of a rich scientist. It appears as if he joins hands with a creepy reptile-like monster (Nathan Jones) to take over the world. But wait, the originality doesn't end here! The only thing stopping the bad guys is our very own desi superboy. After a painful pummeling by Raka, the Flying Jatt, now donning a pagh, kara, and flaunting the symbol of Khalsa has a new-found determination to kick the villain's butt.

We appreciate Shroff's courage in attempting an unconventional genre in just his third film. However, besides the pliability and fight-skills, he is completely unconvincing as a Jatt munda. As always, Fernandez is consistent in her beauty game, irrespective of the movie's subject. Jones makes his Bollywood debut after a stint in Tamil cinema, but we sincerely wish he had made a better choice. Post 2 States (2014), Singh continues her portrayal of the aggressive Punjabi mother, seemingly taking the role that once belonged to Kirron Kher. Menon is seen only once in the entire trailer, disappointing us with the underuse of the acting prowess that he possesses. For some reason, there's confusion as to how the brain behind F.A.L.T.U (2009) and the ABCD series (2013, 2015) could direct and write something as mindless as A Flying Jatt. D'Souza, we're expecting answers on this one!

We hate to steal the duty of the fashion police but we couldn't resist dedicating an entire paragraph to the wardrobe here. Jones' villain get-up seems like a designer replica of Frankenstein and Thor's demi-god attire. Fernandez' outfits are nothing close to exceptional. Emerging as the winner is our very own Flying Jatt. His costume is nothing but a cross between Shaktimaan's sleek aerodynamic upper half and Krrish's flowing cape with the exception of an eye mask dipped in a disturbing hue of blue. Superheroes make you go "I wanna be him/her!", but you definitely wouldn't want to be this one.

Writer:Anushka J.

Editors:Ritchelle C. and Gunia K.

Graphics:Ayesha S.