The makers of Rana Daggubati and Taapsee Pannu's The Ghazi Attack, which is set to release in theatres on Friday, February 17, held a special screening recently for the who's who of the industry. And as expected, the film has received overwhelming reviews from critics.
Box office prediction: The Ghazi Attack, Running Shaadi to open on a decent note
Directed by Sankalp Reddy, the film is inspired by a true incident, the mysterious sinking of Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi. The plot revolves around an executive naval officer and his crew who remained underwater for 18 days. Baahubali star Daggubati plays the navy officer, while Taapsee essays the role of a refugee in the film.
Karan Johar's Dharma Production and AA Films have co-produced the film, which is India's first war-at-sea film.
Below, we bring to you some critics' opinions of the movie.
Renuka Vyavahare of the Times of India said: "Rana Daggubati delivers a mature performance. While the visuals and special effects lack finesse, the film compensates for it with its riveting story. The second half keeps you on the edge of your seat as the submarines go head-to-head, firing torpedoes while dodging and defending themselves. Despite the hitches, this underwater thriller is worth a watch. It leaves you in awe of the soldiers, who lay their lives for their country."
Gautaman Bhaskaran of Hindustan Times said: "Really, an engaging piece of cinema. But what was Taapsee Pannu – as an East Pakistani refugee rescued by Varma from the high seas -- doing in the movie? Totally wasted after her performance in Pink. The rather poor dubbing is another minus point. But on the whole Ghazi is gripping."
Reuters said: "'The Ghazi Attack' is stylishly shot and employs technology on screen better than many other Bollywood films, but its story-telling is reminiscent of patriotic films from the 60s and 70s, when a "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" slogan and the waving of a tricolor was enough to evoke rapturous applause from the audience. But where "The Ghazi Attack" lacks in terms of human drama, it makes up for with attention to detail. Shivam Rao's production design makes sure that the under-water experience feels real, and the scenes where the submarine is under attack are shot really well."
Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV said: "Taapsee Pannu, fresh off the Pink triumph, is saddled with a walk-on part as a Bangladeshi refugee who turns out to be a doctor. As the only female face on board, she does no more than occasionally prettify the backdrop. This film does not do much to increase our desire to dive deeper and learn more about that obscure chapter. Even so, do watch The Ghazi Attack. We haven't, for sure, ever seen anything quite like it in this country."
Kunal Guha of Mumbai Mirror said: "The film packs in enough near-collisions, engine failures and torpedo evasions to keep you excited through most of the 125 minutes that make up its runtime. Cumulatively, The Ghazi Attack makes for a history worthy of repeating on the big screen."
Karthika Raveendran of Bollywood Life said: "If you want to see an inspiring story into which great effort has been put in to make it as real as possible, The Ghazi Attack is definitely for you. Also, there's Kay Kay Menon."
