Machine Movie Review: Malfunctioning Mechanism

Directors Abbas and Mustan are known for their pacy and slick thrillers and from Khiladi to Baazigar to the Race series, their films have always been welcomed with open arms by viewers. However, with their latest outing Machine, they are sure to undo all their past efforts. The only good thing that can be said about this film is that the makers have not been stingy when it comes to the budget… so you have exotic locales, snazzy cars, great sets and bedazzling costumes. However, if you keep all the aforesaid points aside, the film has absolutely nothing to make it worth your while. Machine revolves around Runsh (Mustafa Abbas), a college student/car racer, who happens to meet heiress Sarah Thapar (Kiara Advani) on a deserted road and promptly falls in love. The next thing you know, Runsh has enrolled in the same college as Sarah and is playing Romeo to her Juliet in the school play. The lovebirds soon get married with the blessings of Sarah's father (Ronit Roy), but it is discovered too late that Runsh is not as noble as he seems to be. Who is Runsh? What is his past? What does he want with Sarah and her family? Watch the film to find out, if you dare… Machine is one of the few big budget flicks I have seen in which every actor (including the usually dependable Ronit Roy) has hammed like no tomorrow. Mustafa and Kiara have zero chemistry and their love story is not just unpalatable but also funny in certain parts. The screenplay and treatment of characters is quite amateurish and I was honestly shocked at what the director duo known for making thrillers like Khiladi, Baazigar, Aitraaz, Race have come up with this time. The performances and the dialogues are so bad that they come across as funny even in intense scenes. The twists are way too contrived and the characters are not fleshed out properly at all. The only highlight of the film is Johnny Lever in his cameo as a police officer. Believe me, this Machine is not running on all gears at all...