Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Irfan Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Sushant Singh, Apoorva Lakhia and others

Direction: Mani Shankar. Running Time 115 mins.

Rating: **

Knock Out, which has been touted as being the remake of the Hollywood blockbuster, Phone Booth, 2002 Colin Farrell and Kiefer Sutherland, is certainly a mind gripping gory tale of the hoodlums in society.

As the film begins with Tony Khosla, played by Iran Khan, also known as Bachu in the film, an investment banker entering a phone booth, and thereby, getting involved with one event after another, as the film unfolds.

It is a drama unfolding as Irfan is about to make a call and just before he picks up the receiver, the phone rings! As Bachu picks up the phone, he is shocked to hear a thundering voice at the other end, threatening him to quit his crooked ways. However, it does show the common mans reluctant approval of the strong political hold in society.

As each scene unfolds, there is restraint from the actor, and his connections to the politician Gulshan Grover called Bapu, very contradictory to his name, deals in all the shady businesses in society.

Sanjay Dutt, the effervescent cop, has a very severe determined role as a sniper, and has the distinct personality to carry off his role exceedingly well.

Kangana Ranaut, lends a bit of eye candy, Sushant Singh have nothing much to add to the drama, ditto Apoorva Lakhia.

However, all in all, the film is one of the classic remakes of Hollywood suspense thrillers, and for those who love to get their think o meters ticking, this is the movie for them.

-- Sampurn Wire