Tubelight movie review: After Bajrangi Bhaijaan, this one is sound and fury, but little light

RATING: 2.5

MOVIE: Tubelight

CAST: Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Zhu Zhu and Matin Rey Tangu, among others.

DIRECTOR: Kabir Khan

GENRE: Bollywood war drama

Salman Khan, who won the love of critics and audiences with his performances in Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Sultan, is back on the big screen with Tubelight. However, this time, the actor has failed to create the expected spark with a challenging role.

STORYLINE

An adaptation of 2015 Hollywood film Little Boy, Tubelight has almost the same plot with a few changes. Laxman (Salman Khan) is a foolish but kind-hearted person, who is mocked by people by the name 'Tubelight.' His only friend and source of encouragement is his brother Bharat (Sohail Khan), who is ready to throw a punch to anyone who would make fun of Laxman.

However, Laxman gets lonely after Bharat, an Indian Army soldier, leaves him to fight in the 1962 Sino-Indian War. With the war getting intense with every passing day, Laxman starts fearing for his brother's life. Meanwhile, Bharat is taken as a prisoner of war by the Chinese Army, which further shatters the childlike sibling's hope. However, innocent Laxman believes that he can bring Bharat back by the power of his belief, and does everything possible to prove his belief right.

PERFORMANCES

Salman took up a challenging role of a mentally disabled person. Although he manages to pull off the emotional scenes quite well, there are some sequences where he seems to be falling victim of overacting. Sohail does justice to his character, but there is not much scope for him to exhibit his acting skills.

One, who grabs attention in the movie, is child actor Matin Rey Tangu, who plays the character of an Indian with Chinese origin. Matin in partnership with Salman adds some humour, and entertains the audience with his cuteness.

Chinese actress Zhu Zhu, who plays the role of Matin's mother, looks gorgeous and supports the plot well. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as jealous Narayan portrays his character well enough. Om Puri does not have much screen time. Shah Rukh Khan has a cameo, playing a magician, which however, does not have much impact.

POSITIVES

Tubelight shows the brotherly love between Laxman and Bharat with a good touch of emotion. There are a couple of poignant sequences that will leave you touched. Also, Salman and Matin's chemistry is adorable.

NEGATIVES

Salman, somehow, appears to be a misfit for the role of Laxman. It is strange to see the actor playing the character of a vulnerable and retarded man with a well-built body. Salman should have worked hard and done away with the robust physique.

Although the superstar appears quite convincing in enacting the touchy scenes, there are a number of sequences where his acting seems to be a little over the top. The movie lacks the required mix of fun and entertainment. The narration gets little monotonous at certain points.

VERDICT

Considering the excellence that Salman and director Kabir Khan had created in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Tubelight fails to shine that bright; in fact, this appears to be just a dim light.