Neeraj Pandey’s Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, another criminal thriller in Bollywood’s expanding canon, aims high but falls short due to its own story blunders, poor writing and execution. The film, which was released on Netflix on 29 Nov 2024, features Jimmy Sheirgill, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Avinash Tiwary, who try to weave a compelling story about a diamond heist gone wrong and the complex investigation that ensues. Although the idea is promising, the way it is carried out is somewhat lacking.Â
AT A GLANCE
Film: Sikandar Ka Muqaddar (Netflix)
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Cast: Jimmy Sheirgill, Tamannaah Bhatia, Rajeev Mehta, and Avinash Tiwary
Rating: **
In 2009, a daring heist at a Mumbai diamond display goes horribly wrong. Untraceable diamonds valued between ₹50 and 60 crores disappear as police descended upon the spot. Tasked with unravelling a web of treachery involving three individuals – Kamini (Bhatia), an employee at the diamond store; Mangesh (Rajeev Mehta), a long-term employee; and Sikandar (Tiwary), a tech-savvy outsider, Special Officer Jaswinder Singh (Sheirgill) assumes command of the enquiry. They all insist on their innocence while interweaving their own stories with alibis and motives. Loyalty, desperation, and treachery emerge as key pieces of the case during the subsequent fifteen years.
The film falters in maintaining its momentum, despite its intriguing premise. Famous for his nail-biting thrillers A Wednesday and Special 26, director Neeraj Pandey appears to lose control here. The tale loses its sense of urgency and suspense due to its heavy use of flashbacks, which are frequently conveyed through static, explanatory dialogues. The screenplay drags through its middle parts before tumbling towards an end that tries – unsuccessfully – to shock, making moments that should be suspenseful feel mechanical.
While the cast is sincere, they fall short of elevating the material. Even though Jimmy Sheirgill gives a subdued performance, the part isn’t complex enough to make the investigation interesting. As the annoyingly one-note character Kamini, Tamannaah Bhatia, who is still making her mark in Hindi cinema, and all over the media, gives an honest yet unsatisfying performance. Avinash Tiwary does a little better, adding passionate moments to Sikandar’s story, though his potential is limited by simplistic character development. The principal ensemble is completed by the solid but unimpressive Rajeev Mehta, who plays the role of the faithful employee Mangesh.
The film’s technical aspects are great, yet it fails to captivate. The cinematography by Aravind Singh skilfully depicts the tumultuous city of Mumbai and the picturesque Abu Dhabi, but the images aren’t suspenseful enough we have seen them all before. The background score by Payal Dev fits the mood but doesn’t stay. The decent editing by Praveen doesn’t do much to fix the story’s uneven pacing, which makes it feel less urgent.
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There was potential for an exciting crime drama in Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, but the end result is unsatisfactory. The story failed to capitalise on its potential because it relied too much on tired clichés and didn’t completely commit to the high-stakes suspense it hinted at. The film ultimately falls flat compared to Pandey’s previous efforts; it’s an exciting thriller that builds anticipation but fails to deliver. When competing with other Bollywood films, Sikandar Ka Muqaddar falters big time.
If you’re a lover of the genre, it could be a decent diversion on a lazy weekend, but it won’t leave much of an impression.
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