Kabir Khan is perhaps one of those rare filmmakers who'll have the joy of seeing two of his movies playing in theatres at the same time. Fresh from the heart-warming affection he received for Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Khan is back with another Khan, but in a movie that is dramatically different from his previous film, both in terms of vibe and genre.
What unifies them is that both Bajrangi and Phantom share common intent and are extremely aspirational in nature to the point of being unrealistic. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
An espionage drama, Phantom stars Saif Ali Khan as a former army man, who is court-martialed but gets another shot at regaining lost glory when he is covertly deployed by the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) to eliminate the masterminds of the 26/11 attacks, a feat that he almost single-handedly achieves, but not without paying its costs (no, that doesn't mean he has to pay for his trips).
The ambitious operation takes him to Chicago (which looks more Canada) and London, gets him into a brief stint in the Middle-East before culminating with a big bang in Pakistan. Considering the massive scale of the film, Phantom is exceptionally shot by Aseem Mishra and right from its beginning, it moves at a breakneck speed. Scenes cut with seamless transitions (Aarif Sheikh of Haider fame has edited it) and smoothly merge into different continents as our hero adapts to changing landscape with the ease of a seasoned performer.
Eliminating each terrorist involves a different strategy, and Kabir along with his team of writers Parveez Sheikh and Kausar Munir drafts these portions by employing imaginative techniques. Even though they may seem simplistic, the sequences invoke a sense of mystery and there is palpable tension to keep the viewer alert and immersed. Most interesting is the manner in which David Headley is knocked off in a shower scene which is bound to thrill you.
Ten minutes into the narrative, Katrina Kaif is introduced as Nawaz but that doesn't mean she inspires Nawaz-level of talent. While she is someone who works in an arms-supplying firm, her interest in Saif's clandestine mission isn't adequately justified. There is a silly back-story thrown in, but her involvement seems mostly driven by nationalistic sentiment and fondness for Taj's cafeteria (it isn't all that nice, I can assure you). While she emotes with all her might and still falls short, you can always be lost in a trance looking at her impeccable features.
The problem is how excessively-glamorous she looks for the job she has. Wouldn't the gritty, bullet-infested environment of Beirut demand some practical clothing? Instead, Kaif looks like someone who'd be strutting down the ramp at a fashion week if you took her background reality away.
Wardrobe hassles aside, Phantom sees a minor dip in the beginning of the second half when things begin to get hot in Pakistan and ISI gets on a blazing trail for Saif. Almost every attempt is first shown to be nearly foiled before it is ultimately achieved. This pattern gets a bit monotonous and the chase sequences in Pakistan aren't infused with the kind of tension it demands.
Interestingly, a subtle love-story develops between the lead pair but what is commendable is that it is incidental and underplayed, never forced. Even the song Afghan Jalebi which seemed gimmicky from the trailers is slickly interwoven in the narrative.
Ultimately, what works for Phantom is its pace and performances, especially from the great supporting cast that includes Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub as a RAW officer, Sabyasachi Chakrabarty as his boss and Rajesh Tailang. The casting of David Headley is truly terrific - it doesn't look like someone who looks like David, it looks like it is him.
One requires deeper understanding of geopolitics to fully comprehend if Phantom gets its politics right or overly-simplifies it but going by Kabir's sharp insights into the subject, the film doesn't sound silly, dumb or patronising.
In fact, what works for Phantom is how gratifying it is to watch. It is well-known that all masterminds of the dreadful Mumbai attacks are "fine" but to see the bombings being avenged on-screen is pure cinematic justice and if you clap spontaneously, that doesn't mean you've gotten swayed away by jingoism.
After four nightmares that are best forgotten, Saif returns to form and while his character itself doesn't ask for some crazy amounts of acting talent, Saif appears convincing. For him it's a journey of redemption even though according to him he did no wrong as an army-man. But the fact that he takes up the mission makes you question that. One wishes the film had traces of humour to give it more spunk but Sriram Raghwan tried that with Agent Vinod and we all know how horribly that mission had to be aborted.
Sailing away from the formulaic, Phantom shines and lives up to its name. Watch.