Cast: Utkarsh Sharma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Ishita Chauhan, and Mithun Chakraborty
Rating: 2/5 (Only for Utkarsh and Nawazuddin)
Halfway through the 169-minute film, right at the interval, the screen reads ‘Genius Begins’ and this blows my mind off, largely because convincing myself to sit in the first half of the film without a coffee was difficult. It feels odd to rant about a film in the first line of the review, but that was Anil Sharma’s Genius does to you. Nothing in the film complements the title, and sadly that is the irony of Utkarsh Sharma’s debut. I genuinely feel sorry for the role he had to play in his first film.
The sole subject of the film is about this boy – let’s call him ‘Genius’ right away – who successfully becomes a part of RAW’s mission. But soon he falls into a trouble, where he has to save both his girl and the nation. Wondering how will he do it? Well, leave it to him. He is a genius for some reason!
Vasudev Shastri (Utkarsh Sharma) can do anything – a charming lad, topper, loved by everyone lands an admission in IIT, can chant mantras, fire bullets, run with a limping foot, take risks, etc. If mentioned in a CV, these core competencies would run pages. Seems like his father and director Anil Sharma had a lot on his mind and stake for the film. Vasudev’s only job in the film, besides trying to prove himself as an actor, is to be the best among the other cast including ace-bad man Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
To be honest, the fault is completely on the writers. The script has too many layers, which only lead to confusion, and utter nonsense. There is too much of everything in poor taste - Oozing patriotism, cliché dialogues, cheesy romance, a group of poorly trained members of the RAW, villains, college students, etc. Adding to the pain is the length of the film which spans to 169 minutes.
Utkarsh needs to be appreciated. As a debutante with a heavy load of responsibilities, he delivers and emotes the characters to his best. His lady love Ishita Chauhan is expressionless and emotionless. Mithun Chakraborty is blah as the National Security Advisor. His character lacks the impact and there’s no way you can give him a grand salute. Nawazuddin Siddiqui entry is grandeur, and he truly saves the film right before the first half.
To sum it up, Genius is a poor attempt, with too many faults. Within the first few minutes of the film, you would first leave all the hopes for the film and soon then wish to leave the theatre. It’s a mess!
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