Story: Rustom Pavri (Akshay Kumar), an honourable officer of the Indian Navy shoots his friend Vikram (Arjan Bajwa) to death after discovering that his wife Cynthia (Ileana D’Cruz) had an affair with the rich businessman. The Commander surrenders himself to the Police immediately and admits to have killed Vikram but pleads ‘not guilty’ in court. Is he convicted or acquitted?
Review: Though the climax has been smartly fictionalised, this courtroom drama is essentially based on the real life of Naval officer K M Nanavati, who in 1959, shot and killed his wife’s lover. The subsequent trial was one of India’s most sensational court cases.
Coming to the film, Rustom has a cracker of a beginning. Without wasting any time, the director comes straight to the point. He takes us quickly through the circumstances in which Rustom shoots Vikram and the trial begins.
Akshay Kumar is the backbone of Rustom. The Khiladi renders one of the most understated performances of his career, proving yet again that he can play a range of diverse roles with aplomb. He smoothly pulls off his character with utmost ease.
Based on a controversial case, Rustom lacks the unnerving tension one ideally expects from a film of this genre. However, director Tinu Suresh Desai infuses ample melodrama and ups the intrigue. Ileana D’Cruz is perfectly cast and does complete justice to her role. Arjan Bajwa is decent as well.
To cut to the chase, Rustom can be watched for its story and most importantly Akshay Kumar, whose action/comic brilliance often overshadows his acting prowess. He reminds you to value the honest officers who serve our country with dignity and valour. He makes you want to support the man who probably did the right thing the wrong way.