大象传媒

Borrowing from the Ron Howard/Mel Gibson thriller Ransom, director Anil Devgan's Blackmail is a tense action movie starring Bollywood tough guys Suneil Shetty and Ajay Devgan. Shetty plays Inspector Abhay Rathod, a proud family man who takes his job very seriously. But when his only son Chirag (Parth Dave) is kidnapped by Shekhar (Devgan), a con who's out seeking personal revenge, Rathod's cage is rattled.

Used to beating dastardly criminals by any means necessary, Abhay doesn't suffer fools gladly - especially jumped-up rally racer-turned getaway drivers like Shehkar. But as Abhay's wife Sana (Priyanka Chopra) discovers, there's more to the situation than first meets the eye. Why is Shehkar hell bent on singling out Abhay for payback? Why is Abhay determined to send Shehkar back behind bars? More importantly, why is Abhay the only cop dressed in trendy denim rather than standard uniform?

"IT LEAKS SUSPENSE THROUGH ITS SEAMS"

Alas, Anil Devgan's heavy-handed direction gives away the plot too quickly and what could have been a gripping thriller ends up a damp squib leaking suspense through its seams. While Shetty and Devgan are spot on as respective cop and robber (roles they have played plenty of times before), the usually glamorous Priyanka Chopra fails to convince as a plain housewife and concerned mother. One person who stands out for praise is child actor Parth Dave who starts off as an annoying brat but thankfully transforms into a sympathy-inducing angel. It's his plight and emotional performance that eventually turns out to be Blackmail's saving grace.