'Runway 34' review: Aviation thriller suffers from bad second-half syndrome
Bollywood A-lister Ajay Devgn chose an aviation thriller, based on true events, to helm his third directorial, Runway 34. Employing an impressive star cast and stunning visual effects, we do get a thrilling ride from Devgn the director. Devgn the actor maintains a solid performance throughout the length as well. Still, Runway 34 bobbles while landing. Here's our detailed review.
This is the plot
The story is based on the narrow escape that a Doha-Kochi flight had had in 2015. Captain Vikrant Khanna (Devgn) and co-pilot First Officer Tanya (Rakul Preet Singh) help land a flight during extreme weather conditions. But both get called into a formal investigation by Narayan Vedant (Amitabh Bachchan) for calling "Mayday." Vedant aims to uncover every dereliction of duty displayed during the flight.
But, first what is 'Mayday'?
"Mayday!" is an international distress call used by airplane pilots, boat captains, and some emergency response personnel. It signifies urgent aircraft problems and had originated sometime after World War I. "Mayday" is the French pronunciation of "m'aider," which means "help me."
Vikrant Khanna is hero and Devgn won't let you forget
Devgn doesn't waste any time in building pieces that will later act crucial during the investigation scenes. Khanna gets a few quirks (a trick with cigarettes, photographic memory) to be established as a cocky, self-assured guy. No other character gets such backing, be it the countable passengers on the fated flight or the other two leads. But this is expected from a Bollywood film.
Everything plummets to floor after the interval
What wasn't expected was the unimaginative second half. Coming from the rush of a brilliantly executed, adrenaline-pumping first half, the action comes to an excruciating courtroom post-interval, where everybody takes a beat's pause before uttering a word. There's nothing left to surprise you either, so you just watch Mr. Bachchan trying to bolster the rapidly falling intensity and charm of the narrative, unsuccessfully.
Commendable attempt but 'Runway 34' leaves lot to be desired
Apart from the pace, there are dramatic and illogical turns that stop the venture from being tip-top. Debuting in Bollywood, YouTuber CarryMinati plays himself and barely has a cameo. Such is the case with Boman Irani and Angira Dhar. Jasleen Royal hits and misses with her music numbers but The Fall deserves special mention. Verdict: 3/5 stars. Runway 34 is currently running in theaters.
