Put together the patriotic spirit of Manoj Kumar's Kranti and the total masala factor of Manmohan Desai's Mard.
Veer
U; Epic/Romance
Dir: Anil Sharma
Cast: Salman Khan, Zarine Khan, Purru Raajkumar, Jackie Shroff, Mithun Chakraborty
**1/2
What's it about: Put together the patriotic spirit of Manoj Kumar's Kranti and the total masala factor of Manmohan Desai's Mard.
Add to it the commercial formula of Anil Sharma and the stupendous star power of Salman Khan. That's Veer for you. 
This time, Sharma borrows the plot from his last big hit, Gadar, and simply changes the setting - it's all about a boy and girl from warring sides falling in love. There is also the maar-dhaad, desh prem and the villainous fatheru00a0- only the scale is grander than ever before.
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Veer (Salman Khan) belongs to the Pindhari tribe - known for their valour and bravery. The Pindharis have an age-old enmity with the king of Madhavgarh (Jackie Shroff).
The problems begin when Veer falls in love with the princess of Madhavgarh, Yashodhara (Zarine Khan). With Veer's father (Mithun Chakraborty) having sworn to take revenge on the king, it's all about love in the time of war.
What's good: Veer is an out-and-out Anil Sharma film and there are no pretenses when it comes to that. The canvas is larger-than-life and some of the scenes have been shot spectacularly.
Just like Kranti and Mard, which were over-the-top with their high-strung notes of patriotism, Veer follows the same path. If you go looking for reasoning and detailing in the script, you'll end up feeling short-changed. Anil Sharma delivers a full-on masala film and he makes no bones about that.
Veer is an action film with a love story as the backdrop - and it serves you adequately on both fronts. The action works particularly because of the way it is executed and the towering presence of Salman Khan.
Giving Sharma his due, some of the stunts are the film's highlight - the train sequence with Salman galloping on two horses simultaneously; the pre-interval action scene between him and the king's son (Puru Raaj Kumar); the sequence between Salman and the phirang wrestler; the Salman-Mithun confrontation scene and of course, the climax.
The war scenes (digitally enhanced, of course) look magnificent. The Veer-Yashodhara love story also has its poignant moments.
Among the performances, Mithun Chakraborty is fantastic as Veer's father - he steals the show every time he's on screen. Jackie Shroff as the bad man is impressive.
Newcomer Zarine Khan is charming though her resemblance to Katrina Kaif is uncanny - in her introductory scene Sharma even shoots her from the 'Kaif' angles.
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But of course, the real 'veer' of Veer is Salman Khan - it's his sheer star power that holds the film together. In a role that's tailor-made for him, Salman packs a punch exactly when it matters.
What's bad: The biggest flaw in the script is its wavering stance towards who the real enemy is. Most of the time, it's the king of Madhavgarh; then suddenly the focus shifts to the British Empire.
Anil Sharma also should've avoided lifting scenes from Hollywood period films like Gladiator and Troy to avoid comparisons. Veer had the potential to be an Indian Braveheart had he kept it totally original.
In any period drama, the costumes form a critical part. However, in Veer, the outfits that the men wear keep you confused.
Sometimes, Salman and Sohail dress like hippies and at other times like gypsies and pirates. Some of the ladies seem to have shopped at Seasons for their noodle-strap blouses and net sarees. And the British commissioner simply borrows Mogambo's attire.
Sohail Khan is a huge disappointment; he keeps making the same faces and noises he did in Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya. Puru Raaj Kumar and Aryan Vaid play one-dimensional wicked princes, looking out for their sister. Neena Gupta sticks faithfully to one expression throughout the film.
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What to do: Veer is a must for all Salman Khan fans - he delivers an inspired performance and keeps you interested in the proceedings even when the story doesn't.
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