Review of China Gate

Mere mann ko bhaya toh maine kutta katke khaya

Translation: I am a free person and, if I will, I can cut open a dog and eat it!

Let me warn you, it is not said by a hero, but the main villain, Jagira, who grew up drinking "fox milk". The reason why I started off with that quote is because it was the most coolest quote ever back then. All over TV, it was shown and became one of Bollywood's instantly recognizable quote which still stands today. Inspired by Seven Samurai and Sholay, this Rajkumar Santoshi movie is a clear example of how great, and somewhat epic, Bollywood films once were. The violence is over-the-top and sickeningly graphic.

Although cliched the movie is, it still manages to knock you silly but I am confused. You see, it has so many sub-plots and they're all meant to be inspiring but I just don't get it how are they connected with the rest of the film. A true hero is always flawed, yes, but over here we get dead soldiers, an ex-soldier with blood disease and the like. Let me put it this way: An action movie with a heart of a road-movie and soul of an inspiring one. The quite-interesting mix of genres will interest you but the use of too many sub-plots might detach you.

Anyway, Om Puri, Amrish Puri and Naseeruddin Shah were among the greatest actors of oldskool Bollywood. With the exception of Amrish Puri, who died in 2005, the other two are now starring in comedies or otherwise embarrassing roles. If you wanna check out some real acting, and I do mean real acting, then China Gate is a great place to start. The confrontation scene between the three, and others, is arguably one of the greatest. Then we have Mukesh Tiwari as the above-mentioned villain. Although he was created as an answer to Gabbar Singh, he became an iconic villain in his own right and one of the most, most violent and aggressive character in Bollywood history. Not only he is utterly quotable, but Mukesh Tiwari's performance is a must-watch. You can watch clips on YouTube easily.

China Gate is the Expendables of Bollywood and a great action movie. Granted, cannot be enjoyed with family but you will come to love it after repeated viewings.

7.5/10