Singham
2011 · Directed by Rohit Shetty
Original language: Hindi
- drama
- action
- crime
The story
An honest, small town cop is transferred to a big city that is controlled by a crime boss that he had once humiliated. Remake of Tamil Singam (2010).
What it’s like
Bright, saturated Bollywood action rendered in glossy digital colour: hot Mumbai-style streets washed in sodium-orange and daylight yellow, sweaty close-ups, and a camera that loves to swoop, circle and whip around a hero mid-brawl, with slow-motion punches and frequent wide shots of cars leaping and rolling. The score is loud and brassy, full of synth stabs, dhol beats and dramatic orchestral swells that signal every confrontation before it arrives. Pacing is brisk but deliberately bloated, with song-and-dance breaks and romantic flirtation sitting between set-piece fights, so the mood swings from playful to bombastic within minutes. Its vibe is swaggering, cartoonishly heroic and unabashedly theatrical. The violence is frequent and stylised: many fistfights and gunfights, a lot of bodies flung through the air, cars flipped and crashed, but little gore and no real lingering cruelty, though intimidation and threats run throughout. Best suited to a loud Friday night with friends, or to viewers who want a crowd-pleasing, mass-market masala action film about an incorruptible officer taking on a corrupt crime lord, for people who enjoy big heroic moments over subtlety.
More films like Singham
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Singhamand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
