‘Wazir’s basic plot is actually quite interesting, but lack of careful detailing ruins it. Though, most of the scenes could be expected to suck you into the story and make it gripping, but the writers fail to build the anticipation as they lay their cards face up. The first half keeps you hooked to the screen but the second half dramatically and disappointingly loses steam, leading to a predictable climax which is stretched too far. If we talk about the performances, then Farhan Akhtar is definitely growing as an actor with each film. On the other hand, Amitabh Bachchan as Pandit Omkarnath is the best thing in the film. Both of them deliver a strong performance in spite of the obvious plot. So if you are planning to go for the film, then the film can be only seen for the impressive performances of Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar. However, if you are looking for a good thriller, you might be let down!

This thriller starts with great promise and gusto, generating a lot of curiosity and demanding undivided attention. The first half keeps you hooked to the screen even as an unforeseen tragedy strikes, captured in a realistic, no frills attached scene. You are immediately involved with Danish's life and feel every bit of the regret and helplessness that Farhan's eyes reflect.  The second half, however, dramatically and disappointingly loses steam, leading to a predictable climax which is stretched too far.  The best thing about this film is Amitabh Bachchan, of course. Bachchan lives the role of a grief stricken father out for revenge with amazing emotional precision. Just looking into his eyes, you can easily gauge the determination and strength of his character, in spite of the helpless condition he's in.  Like most of Bejoy Nambiar's movies, this one's quite stylish too. Fortunately, Bejoy concentrates on dramatic presentations of realistic scenes. What works against the film, however, is loads of groan worthy cliches, predictable storyline and worst of all, it also suffers from the common woe of most Bollywood thrillers; lack of subtlety. There is nothing left to audience's imagination as the director goes about painstakingly explaining every move, every turn of the story. 'Wazir' is a good, one time watch.

Bejoy Nambiar's Wazir -- based on a script by producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra -- stacks the pieces interestingly enough to begin with. There is a brooding rook, flawed but furious. There is a desperate pawn with nothing to lose. There are dead princesses to make up for the lack of a queen, and there is, finally, a bishop, a wazir, lethal enough to have the film named after him. It appears to be the ideal mix for a taut thriller and, weighing in commendably enough at just over a hundred minutes, this is certainly crisp. Wazir's problem, then, lies not in the fact that it does what is expected from a thriller; the problem is that it does everything expected -- which makes it a film that surprises little and adds up to nothing of consequence. I would never recommend that all films feature some KhoyaKhoyaChand-ugiri, but this one cries out for visual zip, for some seriously slick style. Thus, this thriller isn't merely predictable, but depressingly drab. It has competent moments, but is too generic to be memorable, and that's a shame for it could so easily have been a winner. As it stands, Wazir is the one thing a chess player can never afford to be: Obvious.

There are many good things about ‘Wazir’. First off, this is a film that’s backed by writing. Look, look, a plot. Hallelujah. Such a relief after so many plotless wonders masquerading as movies. Next, it brings back the actor in Amitabh Bachchan. And third, it respects our time, keeping things ticking at just over a neat 1.5 hours. ‘Wazir’ is about the coming together of two wounded men, very different in age and temperament, for a mutual purpose. The plot twists, and with it comes a menacing figure called Wazir, trailing blood and gore and death. There’s enough to watch in ‘Wazir’ despite its flaws. It reaffirms something we’ve always known: that there’s nothing to beat a plot-driven film (co-written by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijat Joshi). That the supreme importance in a thriller is to keep it going. And that strong performances are the pivot of any film: watching Akhtar and Bachchan joust and manoeuver around each other is this film’s high point.

Wazir is held together by Amitabh Bachchan who shows why he is the Grandmaster of this game. With sly glances and shy smiles, wry jokes and escaped tears, Amitabh carves a character, mesmerising you as he does Daanish, very competently played by Farhan who delivers intensity and gentleness. As pashmina-smooth politician Qureishi, Manav Kaul performs very admirably, adding to the movie's tension, its eerie quality, its things that go bang in the dark. With too many distractions - Aditi looks lovely but is constrained in a chiffon-clad role featuring more dancing than dialogues - the plot loses pace. t's a pity because Wazir's lead performances, its glassy cinematography, its haunting sound design, work well. What this game needed was more attack, less defence, less repetition, more relentlessness. As Panditji puts it, 'Thora energy hona chahiya.' Consistent hard focus over sentimental soft-focus would have let these shatranj ke khiladi blow up that chess board. As it is, they complete their game - but don't check-mate smartly enough.