Acid Factory - Review

Sanjay Gupta's stable always churns out fast-paced, Hollywood inspired, slick action thrillers; which is exactly what Acid Factory promises.......sadly, this attempt falls just short, despite a great feel to the film.

6 individuals locked in an Acid Factory with no memory whatsoever of who they are & why they are here. A gas leak renders them with temporary amnesia. That is the basic premise of this film. A sudden call puts them in a jeopardy as the 6 comprise of kidnappers & the kidnapped. The story then unfolds as one by one they regain memory of what has transpired. The story is indeed a cat & mouse game between the cops & the kidnappers with Irrfan Khan donning the role of the kingpin baddie & Gulshan Grover the cop. Eventually, all the questions are answered & the twists & turns in the plot unravel, most quite predictable.

Acid Factory has Sanjay Gupta written all over it. Even though he hasn't directed it, the slick feel of the film, the stylized action sequences & the treatment of the story takes you back to Kaante.
The two main strengths of this film are the great action scenes & the crisp length of the film. Just over 90 minutes, this film doesn't drag at any point, but alas, it doesn't quite deliver the punch due to the actors.

This film falls flat due its performances. Dino Morea delivers his wost performance yet, reinstating the fact that acting might not be his game. Irrfan Khan plays his role with his usual nonchalance, which somehow doesn't work for this role. The pick of the actors is Manoj Bajpai with a brilliant portrayal of his character. Gulshan Grover in his small role is good & Aftab Shivdasani hams through half his role. Dia Mirza & Fardeen Khan spring surprises with some decent performances while Danny Denzongpa is a misfit.

A special mention for the cinematography & the action sequences, both of which are brilliant.
Director Suparn Verma's storytelling is influenced by Gupta. The film has a lot of back & forth sequences and makes for some interesting viewing. His first outing Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena was mildly entertaining & this one is the same.

All in all, a commercial Hindi film with a runtime of 90+ minutes, this movie is worth a cable TV watch. It passes of as a time-pass film which one watches for its style & action.
At the box office, I doubt it can even last beyond week 1 & with a bumper Diwali weekend (3 big releases) ahead, this movie is doomed.

Critical: 2.5/5
Commercial: 1/5