Mar 05, 2026 6:47pm IST
‘Subedaar’ Review: John Wick meets Chulbul Pandey in this Anil Kapoor ‘vehicle’
Most action-revenge dramas feature young men with ripped bodies, six-pack-abs and brandishing power-filled fists. Not Suresh Triveni’s Subedaar (Anil Kapoor). He is a retired soldier with more fire in his eyes than in his belly. A guilt-ridden grieving widower, he is not looking to be a hero or even a disruptor, choosing to walk away from situations rather than playing a hero. His only reason to live is his daughter and his van (not in that order necessarily): a gift from his late wife.
This vehicle is to "Subedaar" what dogs are to "John Wick." This is not a spoiler. You are being set up to watch him explode. That anticipation of the moment when your hero unleashes terror, is rewarding. Every situation slowly brings him to the edge, while he tries to reign in the rage by day dreaming of beating the sh*t out of people who annoy him. Relatable. And that the essence of this film – the locations, costumes, language, and the characters all come from a place that exists.
But before you settle in to watch a middle-aged protagonist display some Gran Torino-esque drama, he reveals himself to be a senior Chulbul Pandey. For some reason, the film shifts from its real-world core and chooses to become a masala movie where Subedaar and his “dost” (Saurabh Shukla) take on over a dozen young, armed, menacing men. Some parts are just ludicrous – the small- town Shyama, bashing the misogynist bullies in her college. Radhikka Madan gives everything to a role that gives her a chance to sink her teeth into, as the villain. Faisal Malik as Softy Bhaiya is a delight.
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“Subedaar” draws you in from the very first scene. The world is real, from the staff in a government office, to the local politician’s goons lording over the people, the ordinary citizens who are crushed by the babus and netas, and the angst of a soldier who says, “Pehle iss sheher ke liye goli khayi, ab gali khayein?” Pause for applause please, for the dialogue writers. Simple and impactful, without being dialogue-baazi.
The background music score, the songs, all are a big plus. The director credit reads: Suresh Triveni and Team. Generous, because it’s always one guy at the wheel. He has delivered an enormously watchable film, despite obvious shortcomings. The actors are faultless: Anil Kapoor, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla are all exemplary. In the midst of these stalwarts, a young Aditya Rawal delivers a standout performance that’s going to shine on his resume forever. Anil’s performance is the centerpiece that holds everything together.
Pacing might seem like a problem, but it’s apparent that the director deliberately chose this style of narrating. Abandoning genre tropes, Triveni leads the audience on through flashbacks, where one would expect action scenes to dominate non-stop. There are bursts of intensity and then respite. At many points, you want quick gratification and to move to what’s next, rather than let the story unfold in its own time. It’s an interesting style, but doesn’t compensate for the rough-around-the-edges script and slips into a narrative ditch. The cat-and-mouse game between protagonist and antagonist always lends itself to great moments on screen, but when there's a trigger-happy bad guy, you question why he gives "Subedaar" so much leeway. The climax is what you expect. Long live the ‘Force’.
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