With Special 26, the much acclaimed director of 'A Wednesday',Neeraj Pandey fame makes a comeback to celluloid after a hiatus of 5 years. His heist drama, which is based on the real life incident of 1987 where a squad of con-men cleverly robbed the businessman and politicians by pretending as CBI or IT Officers across the Indian geography, evokes the same kind of urgency and thrill that was prominent in his first venture.

Pandey builds the tempo right from the inception where the con-team carries out its first raid at a politician's haveli , also keeping the humor quotient intact.The mastermind, Ajay Singh(played by Akshay kumar) along with Sharmaji(Anupam Kher), Rajesh Sharma and Kishore Kadam loot the victims off all their black money with so much of perfection and confidence and then decamp with the booty. However, things take a dramatic turn when the real CBI led by the upright and no-nonsense officer ,Wasim Khan (played by Manoj Bajpayee) with the aid of the suspended cop, Jimmy Shergill decide to nab the scamsters during their last heist. A cat and mouse game ensues which keeps the viewer constantly hooked till the twisty climax!

Special 26 works primarily because of the tight roped plot , terrific chase sequences and brilliantly chiseled-out characters.The USP of the film is its ensemble star-cast which pits Akshay Kumar , the epitome of what we call as Blockbuster Bollywood against actors of substance like Bajpayee and Anupam Kher. Pandey also helms the arduous task of recreating the 80's – a testimony to his eye for details while keeping his obsession for rooftops and aerial-shots alive, and thanks to late Bobby Singh's immaculate cinematography for resurrecting and giving a 80s feel to the metro cities. The background score is much reminiscent of the bygone era and is top-notch.While I would say that few of the sequences practically stand out – like the job interviews for the 'fake' CBI team or Bajpayee's encounter with Anupam Kher, the romantic track between Akshay and Kajal lacks depth and seems off-narrative.

Akshay Kumar is restrained and controlled this time and he is superb as the leader of the gang.Its immense fun to watch the man brazenly carrying out the raids in the broad daylight.Anupam Kher is terrific and he fascinates you with his transition from a weak soul to a tough cookie.Manoj Bajpayee shines here and gives his character the much need gravitas.Jimmy shergill and Divya Dutta are natural.Rajesh Sharma doesn't get any lines to rattle.Kajal Agarwal is kind of redundant in this enterprise.

I go with 4/5 for this unapologetic crime caper – it provides you hearty entertainment and the same does not endorse to crime!

Regards, Ahwaan