Among the terrorists, the mastermind behind Mumbai blasts, Bilal (Kumud Mishra) and Lashker chief Omar Hafiz (Jackie Shroff) and his sons played by Abhimanyu Singh and Mrunal Jain, live their part well. Then there's a great lineup of supporting cast including joint commissioner Vikram Bedi (Javed Jaaferi) whose heavy voice adds gravitas to the role he's portraying. Katrina, with her better than before Hindi, is convincing as a loving wife and a doting mom. Performance wise, the film scores full marks. Even the average dialogues by Farhad Samji, Sanchit Bendre and Vidhi Ghodgadnkar aren't something that leave a lasting impact. Yunus Sajawal's screenplay is engaging and gripping but still a bit patchy. Sooryavanshi is fast-paced its second half is when all the tension builds up and things get more intriguing. Though at some places, Akshay struggled to remain in character and looked perplexed with a busy storyline.

He is tough in scenes that require him to be that, evokes laughter in lighter scenes, or awe with his smashing entry on the helicopter.

While Devgn's Singham was more intense and Ranveer's Simmba was the quirkier one, Akshay's Sooryavanshi is a mix of both. Shetty picks various elements - romance between Sooryavanshi and his wife Riya (played by Katrina Kaif), their relationship with their son Aryan, his camaraderie with the members of his ATS force - and weaves them together for a fulfilling climax. Yet, it keeps you on the edge for the sheer joy of watching that over-the-top action. That being said, Sooryavanshi isn't driven by a great script neither does it have any extraordinary suspense that could bring nail-biting moments. But with a film like Sooryavanshi, that introduces countless characters on the screen, one after the other, you need to be your alert self and join. With hardcore masala films, it's easy to assume that you can leave your brain at home and just enjoy the experience. 13 years later, when a terrorist group is back in action and planning another mission, DCP Veer Sooryavanshi, (Akshay Kumar), the head of Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad, is assigned the task of finding their whereabouts and stop the attacks. Sooryavanshi begins after the 1993 bomb blasts in Mumbai.

Monika after story