An air of urgency, a wave of 'what next' with a little heat of 'why the romantic angle and songs' is what summarizes Neeraj Pandey's latest outing, 'Special 26'! Till a little after intermission, one wonders why the movie has been titled so. Well, there is more beyond the name. Let's delve into the special nuances:

 Performances: Whoa! Neeraj, yet again manages to extract real feel from the reel characters! Whether it be the mastermind, shrewd, opportunist Akki or the more suave but vulnerable yet impressive veteran Anupam Kher. Manoj Bajpai is a treat to watch! The GOW actor is again at his best here whether it be his puns, mannerisms or body-language, all changing as chameleon with the requirements of the story. Jimmy Shergil does full justice to his erratic role. Other supporting actors like Divya Dutta, Tiku Talsania, etc. look well-suited to their characters. Kajal Aggarwal, the so-called female lead of the film is perhaps there to add G-quotient. However, her character only slows the otherwise crisp, high-voltage drama.

 Plot and treatment: It's the unusual plot and its execution which score the highest marks for S-26. Bole to, film Ki asli power inhi me hai! The film has a realistic feel of the 1980s be it the gadgets of that era, or the hardly crowded roads or fashion statements. The film is said to be based on true con-incidents that occurred before the license- raj ended in India in 80s. On a macro look, it might look like a normal Chor-police story, sans the high-fundooism and macho-factor of a 'Dhoom' series. However, as the movie progresses, you will find it more amusing, captivating and hair-raising yet entertaining to the core with some taali-mar dialogs!

 Music: was not required upfront, though there were 3-4 unrequired songs without which S-26 could have been crispier. However, the background score is one important ingredient in the film as it adds pace to the happenings and gives the 200 mts race, speed of a 100-mt!

 Cinematography: Decent enough to make the terrains, places, locations believable and realistic to suit the era and the demand of the story.

 Flaws: Yes, S-26 is not short of any flaws. Unnecessary romantic angle and songs I have already mentioned about. Also, a couple of shots filmed with Mumbai sea in background look very artificial. Perhaps, the director wanted to film them in the 80s the ishtyle only!

In all, Special 26 is no less special for a watch. After a long time, the climax of a movie didn't disappoint. It's not another 'A Wednesday', but definitely worth a watch. Go for it guys, paisa-vasool hai!