D-Day (2013)

Strong and Moving!

Pretty Good

Just perfect...

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The plot and the twists in the movie are commendable. The acting by all the actors in good particularly by Rishi Kapoor is great.This movie is about getting the most wanted man in India (Rishi Kapoor) to India by a group of RAW agents (Arjun Rampal, Irrfan Khan, Huma Qureshi and Imran Hasnee).The story took a twist when the first attempt is failed due to a turmoil between Arjun Rampal and Irrfan Khan. Indian government then disowns any such activity on the Pakistani territory leaving the team of four into a miserable condition.It is one of the rare good Bollywood movies. A must watch for a Bollywood aficionado.

Movies on the Government intelligence and covert operations have been very rare in India. In fact it has been very hard to find an thought provoking movie to see. This was a trend that was ultimately left forgotten in the 90s. Previous films on this theme have not proved a success. Movies such as 'Drohkaal' were impressive for their time but never managed to get a bigger audience. The genre itself has rarely been depicted in a genuine manner. A majority of films present this in a very amateurishly way. 'D Day' is is a honest effort that realistically has revived an old theme. The film portrays characters in desperate situation and believe in doing the righteous duty in-spite of putting their lives on the line. The covert operation itself is shown in greater detail as it progresses from stage by stage to the actual event. The film presents the story of 3 R.A.W agents (Research analysis wing) agents. Irfan Khan and Arjun Rampal are living normal lives being in a relationship with their wife's as well as keeping their real identity a secret. Huma Quereshi joins them later posing as a student. After a failed attempt to apprehend Iqbal Seth at his daughters wedding in a high rise hotel, they decide to their attempts to bring back to India a terrorist. Initially their abduction plan does not succeed and are forced to shift gears to stay alive and fight for survival as the Indian Government is intent on killing them. Meanwhile the gangster Iqbal has his political associates turning sides against him as they are afraid that links with him will be exposed to the Indian government. As well as a being a thriller the film does succeed in conveying a message and tries to paint a grim picture of high authority and intelligent authorities in today's times. Working for the military is not only a high risk profession, but also a duty that does not guarantee survival. And when circumstances on duty in change there can be can be no assurance of loyalty. The unique element of the film besides the story is Irfan Khan's sub plot involving his family. How he sacrifices their trust, love and safety is heart wrenching. He is truly the highlight of the film. Arjun Rampal impresses as the tactical officer. His expressions are on the mark and suit his character. Plays the role with conviction. Huma Qureshi gives good support to a male cast as the explosives expert. She suited the character and got under the skin very well. This was a pleasant surprise coming from a director whose previous venture was a box office flop. He has ingeniously directed the film in tone with it's theme. Nikhil Advani co written the script with three writers. He has beautifully balanced elements of a spy thriller with a true life character. All roles of the actors were well developed and were integral to the story. The pacing is perfect and the story progresses without flaws smoothly. The film is set in Pakistan but shot entirely in Gujarat, India. Overall a recommended film if one is searching for a redeeming entertainment.

Plot: 3 RAW Agents and a Criminal team up to bring back India's most wanted man back to India. Are they successful? Writing: Nikhil Advani (best known for his only good film 'Kal Ho Naa Ho') makes a very successful attempt on this spy film. The story has absolutely no flaws. The things that RAW agents go through are very nicely shown.Acting: All of the actors ranging from Rishi Kapoor to Irrfan, Huma Qureshi to Arjun Rampal, Chandan Roy to Akash Dahiya have given great performances.Action: Not much scenes of action. But yes not over the top. Decent action.Songs: Not great. Could have been a song less film. Alvida is a good song.Favorite scene: Rishi Kapoor's last dialogue after being caught.Verdict: A must watch for all spy thriller lovers like me. Still I give it a full 10/10. 9/10.

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK) Rating: 4.9/5 starsNikhil Advani has finally come of age and moved out of the shadows of his larger- than-life mentor (read Karan Johar). After promising a lot in previous efforts, which have ranged from decent to below par, he's finally churned out a film that speaks volumes of his until now dormant talent. In "D-Day" we get a gritty action thriller that would put quite a few Hollywood spy films to shame.The authentic representation of spy operations and the attention to minute details is quite staggering and unprecedented in Indian cinema, at least for a movie of this magnitude. Along with it boasting of quite a few spectacular action scenes and hard-hitting dialogues (dialogue writers Niranjan Iyengar and Ritesh Shah, take a bow), the film is also subtly interwoven with a couple of delicate emotional tracks that literally tear at your heartstrings when their realization is achieved. The movie might have a first-rate and thoroughly researched script (again credit goes to Advani plus his co-writers Ritesh Shah and Suresh Nair), but it wouldn't have struck such a profound impact almost instantly, if it wasn't for Nikhil Advani's spot-on direction that's replete with realistic action and pulsating suspense. However,equal credit for the movie's suspense and action scenes must go to the editing team (Unnikrishnan Payoor Parameswaran and Aarif Sheikh) and stunt director (John Street) respectively. Another reason why the movie looks so realistic and gritty is because of Tushar Kanti Ray spellbinding cinematography.Finally, lets come to the performances, and what marvelous performances they are. Rishi Kapoor is literally a replica of India's most wanted man, while Arjun Rampal is the epitome of a hardcore, taciturn action hero. Huma Qureshi surprises us even further with yet another brilliant act, while supporting cast members like Aakash Dahiya, Shruti Haasan, and Nasser lend plenty of gravitas to the narrative.And finally, its the powerhouse of talent, Irrfan Khan who completely steals the show all the way through, in spite of so many other resounding performances. Whether it be his angst, his emotional trauma, his trepidation, his anguish at not being as skillful as Rampal, his fear and love for his family, his delirious confusion, his patriotic convictions, or his hidden final agenda; the man pulls off one of the most complex characters to ever grace the Indian silver screen with elan and aplomb. Here is an actor who can literally do no wrong."D-Day" is the kind of movie that doesn't come very often, - at least in Bollywood - so don't miss up the opportunity of reveling in it on the big screen. Whether you're an action fan, a fan of suspenseful spy films, or a fan of realistic gritty cinema, this movie has ample reason to be visited again and again. This kind of an action-espionage thriller is a first for Indian cinema and a pure joy for action movie fans all over.