That Sriram Raghavan is one of Hindi film industry's (I prefer not to use the term Bollywood) most underrated director is well known. But somehow even his movies are under publicized. A brilliant masterpiece thriller like 'Ek Hasina Thi' went almost unnoticed, and as if history was repeating itself now 'Johnny Gaddar' (JG) too released, and before the blink of an eye got lost in to oblivion.

Before I critique this movie any further, and before the so-called "movie reviewers" pounce on me for overtly praising JG let me put in a small disclaimer. If I were to watch this movie meticulously with an eye like Sir Sherlock Holmes then this movie has several logical flaws, not to mention that it lacks a sense of originality and borrows heavily from its predecessors (other murder-mystery movies).

But then isn't that how a murder-mystery/thriller is supposed to be? So typical in its approach. A plot, a plan, a fallout, and the suspense-filled climax. And yet it is this aura of uncertainty in its stereotype characters that drive us to the edge of our seats. Just like the James Hadley Chase novels, which our protagonist (Neil) keeps reading. In short, if you are the kind who grew up on thriller movies and understands the dynamics of the plot, this one is for you. It will keep you guessing until the fag end of the movie.

Let me contradict myself a bit here and say that the treatment of JG is definitely different. It starts where most suspense movies would end. You know who's done the deed (there's no suspense about that); you know why he did it; you also know how he did it. What you don't know is how the hell is the movie going to proceed. And what you would want to know is, what's going to happen next? Where does our man go from here?

Unlike the revealing clothes that heroines wear in Hindi movies, I prefer not to reveal even a frugal part of the plot/story, lest it deprive audiences of the sheer pleasure of watching a suspense thriller. Let me just say that JG is one hell-of-a slick thriller. It has a flavor not found in today's cinema. JG is a tribute to many thriller and pulp movies you might have seen, reminiscent of the golden-era of Vijay Anand's thrillers like 'Jewel Thief', and 'Johnny Mera Naam'. See it if you have a penchant for retro thrillers; don't if you want to analyze and deconstruct the movie.