Gabbar is a forgettable actioner that fails to justify its iconic title. Watch only if you are an Akshay Kumar completist curious to see his rare villainous turn. For everyone else, the original Gabbar Singh of Sholay remains the undisputed king of cinematic evil.
Introduction In the annals of Indian cinema, few names evoke as much instant recognition and fear as "Gabbar Singh"—the legendary dacoit immortalized by Amjad Khan in the 1975 blockbuster Sholay . Decades later, the weight of that name was used as a launching pad for a 2015 action film titled simply Gabbar . Directed by Southern cinema veteran Krish (K. Vijaya Bhaskar) and produced by the renowned Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film attempted to reboot the archetypal villain for a modern audience. Starring Akshay Kumar in a rare negative role, Gabbar was not a remake of Sholay but a story of power, corruption, and vengeance. This article delves into the making, plot, and aftermath of the film that aimed high but landed with a thud. Plot Summary (Spoiler Alert) Gabbar is set in the fictional, lawless town of Ratangarh, where the title character, Gabbar Singh Rajput (Akshay Kumar), serves as a ruthless and corrupt police superintendent. Far from being a simple village thug, this Gabbar is a sophisticated, suit-wearing monster who has the entire district under his thumb. He runs a parallel government, smuggling opium and ruling through terror.
Shooting took place primarily in Mumbai and Hyderabad, with elaborate sets built to depict the dusty, terrorized town of Ratangarh. Gabbar was released on May 1, 2015 (Labour Day weekend). Critics were almost universally harsh. The film currently holds a low rating on review aggregators.
The film’s music was another major talking point. Bhansali, a stickler for classical and folk melodies, handed the reins to the then-trendy pop star Yo Yo Honey Singh. The result was the party anthem featuring a cameo by Chitrangada Singh. The song became a chartbuster, but its blatantly item-number vibe clashed with the film’s grim subject matter (the song plays during the end credits, bizarrely after the rape and revenge plot has concluded).