Satyamev Jayate versus Gold: Which to watch this Independence Day

Before you decide whether to watch the an anti-corruption vigilante film Satyamev Jayate or go for the period film Gold, here’s a look at some interesting observations:

1. Period or contemporary? That’s the question.Gold is set in the 1940s. Satyamev Jayate (SJ) unfolds in today’s times. Period films are by their vary nature restricted in appeal. On other hand, an anti-corruption vigilante film is hardly the stuff innovative entertainers are made of. Either way, nothing new.

2. This is the second time that Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment is clashing with another big film on a patriotic holiday weekend. Last year, it was Ritesh-Farhan’s Raees against Rakesh Roshan-Sanjay Gupta’s Kaabil on Republic Day. Both underperformed.

3. John or Akshay? John has always had a massive Akshay fixation. He is now pitching for the same patriotic space that Akshay owns. Whether audiences will accept John as a flag-waving jingoistic hero remains to be seen. Akshay has incontrovertible viewership in the nationalistic slot. Jai Ho.

4. The Comfort of the familiar: Both Gold and SJ revel in the expected. Gold’s motivational sports drama has been done upteen times. It doesn’t mean the theme has lost its sheen. The vivid colour of the flag never pale. As for SJ, John and Manoj take on corruption headlong. Haven’t we seen screen heroes do that over and over again?Singham wala chewing gum has become rubbery.

5. Boxoffice bet(a): Akshay has an impeccable reputation of delivering hits on Republic Day. Rustom was a big hit in this slot. Also Chak De another film revolving around the game of hockey, was released for Independence Day in 2007. On the other hand, John Abraham is new to the Independence day slot. Let’s hope he doesn’t lose the plot.

6. Directorial credentials: Reema Kagti who directs Gold has earlier done acclaimed films like Honey Travels Pvt Ltd and Talaash. Milap Zaveri of SJ comes with no recommendation. That could be an advantage if the film delivers even a halfway decent entertainer.

7. John returns fresh on the heels of the surprise success of Parmanu. The film’s patently patriotic pitched proved flag-waving is not only Akshay Kumar’s domain.

8. Both the Republic Day releases this year rely entirely on their leading man’s star power. Mouni Roy and Aisha Sharma are new to the large screen. Akshay doesn’t care who his co-star is. John copying?

9. Gold as a film title has never been used in Hindi cinema. Satyamev Jayate was the title of a slick but average Raj Sippy-directed cops film in 1989 with which Vinod Khanna made a comeback to films after a long hiatus. Will Satyamev Jayate strike ‘Gold’ at the boxoffice.

10. Akshay Kumar’s Bengali accent in Gold is so thick it reeks of a big bowl of rasshogollas left in the sun for too long. Experience has shown that lead actors doing accents in Bollywood films don’t work. Audiences are still decoding what Hrithik Roshan was trying to say in Mission Kashmir.

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