Akshay Kumar had a dull year in 2022. With Bachchhan Panday, Samrat Prithviraj and even Raksha Bandhan failing to impress the audiences, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Akshay Kumar’s last release of the year has him pull all strings in making Ram Setu strike a chord amongst the moviegoers. Sadly, Ram Setu sluggish screenplay along with Akshay Kumar’s monotonous act and bad VFX drown this ship deeper than the ocean.

The Story

Akshay Kumar-starrer Ram Setu chronicles the tale of an atheist archeologist, Aryan Kulshreshtha, who is the man for the job when it comes to identifying the origins of Ram Setu. After being banished by the government and shamed by the public for questioning the existence of Lord Rama, Akshay Kumar’s Aryan is hired by a private firm to find out whether Ram Setu was man made or naturally created. 

When Aryan starts investigating the bridge, he goes through various tides, literally, and unravels the true mystery surrounding the popular belief. 

Wearisome First Half

Also starring Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha, the film’s first half is tedious and gives you a deja vu of Akshay Kumar’s satirical comedy film, Oh My God. Questioning beliefs, religion and god with a blend of comedy and emotion are all elements that made the 2012-film a big success, and that’s probably why the winning formula was used in Ram Setu as well. Unfortunately, a hauled screenplay makes the first half of the film falls flat and more of a snoozefest.

Intriguing Second Half

To Akshay Kumar’s relief, the film did manage to revive itself to some extent in the second half. Ram Setu picks up pace and does become engaging and intriguing towards the climax of the film, but till then the plot becomes too predictable to surprise the audience. 

Performance of the Cast

Akshay Kumar once again pulled off a ‘deshbhakt’ in Ram Setu. Although there’s nothing you wouldn’t have seen him doing earlier in any of his films, there’s no denying that Akshay Kumar does ignite a sense of cultural belonging in you. 

Jacqueline Fernandez doesn’t have much to do in the film. With numbered scenes in the first half, Jacqueline Fernandez’ is used more like a beautiful side-kick to Akshay Kumar than actually having any substance to her character.

Nushrratt Bharuccha plays Akshay Kumar’s wife in the film. Also a history professor by profession, she serves as Akshay Kumar’s moral police who is a firm believer of god. 

Both Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha look beautiful in all the frames they appear in, but sadly that’s about it. Their characters lack depth and haven’t been given any stand-out scenes to prove their mettle.

The only character that's written well and leaves an impact is Satyadev Kancharana's 'AP'. The mysterious character makes sure you question who he is every now and then. It didn't come as a surprise that the audiences clapped for his character just before the end credits rolled up.

Music

The background music of Ram Setu is edgy and does help you stay awake at all those times you feel yourself dozing off. ‘Jai Shree Ram’ anthem and ‘Om Namah Shivaay’ are tracks that stay with you even after the film ends.

Direction 

Abhishek Sharma of Tere Bin Laden fame takes the filmmaker’s chair for this action-adventure film. Though he tries hard to make it a compelling watch, Sharma, who also takes the credits for writing Ram Setu falls far off the mark. With a loosely written narrative, the director fails to give you enough drama to keep you at the edge of your seat.

Overall

Throughout the film, Akshay Kumar keeps on saying ‘I rely on only facts,’ sadly, it does not translate that way when it comes to the actual movie. Ram Setu gets off-course and loses its track by becoming a preachy melodrama rather than an action-adventure film.

Ram Setu might be the perfect Diwali gift for ‘Lord Rama’ bhakts, but this 2 hours and 24 minutes-long snoozefest is one you can sit out if you prefer good cinema.