After revisiting the latest entry in Rohit Shetty’s multi-starrer Cop Universe, Singam Again, I felt I had to share my honest thoughts. As a fan of high-octane masala films, I went into the theater with a sense of cautious optimism, hoping for entertainment, and even chose to watch it in IMAX for the best possible viewing experience. Unfortunately, Singam Again left me more frustrated than thrilled. Here’s my take on where it went wrong.
Setting the Stage: No Songs, Still Too Long
Despite Singam Again being a song-free film, it runs for over two and a half hours. The entire first half is flat, with scenes that just meander along without any emotional highs. And while the second half has more plot developments, the emotional depth remains consistently absent throughout the film. Given the serious themes it tries to tackle—terrorism, the struggle between good and evil—you’d expect at least a sliver of intensity. But Singam Again feels hollow, failing to make its audience feel anything beyond frustration.
The Cast: Lacking Spark, Despite Star Power
One of the most disappointing aspects was the lack of engaging performances, despite an ensemble cast. Ajay Devgn’s Singam, a character who should feel heroic and intense, instead appears as if he’s just sleepwalking through the scenes. Even during the tense moments, like when his wife is kidnapped, his reactions remain unfathomably subdued. It’s almost as if the character knows he’s going to win, so there’s no point in putting in the effort.
Then there’s the supporting cast. Deepika Padukone, Tiger Shroff, and Ranveer Singh make appearances, with only Ranveer bringing a fleeting sense of charm to his scenes. His natural comic timing, witty lines, and sheer enthusiasm bring about the only genuine laughs in the film. However, his scenes barely connect with the main narrative—they’re just thrown in to temporarily lift the audience’s spirits before the movie goes back to its monotonous pace.
Arjun Kapoor’s antagonist, “Danger Lanka,” is meant to be menacing, but his character falls flat, despite the buildup around him. His appearance is intense, but as soon as he starts delivering lines, it becomes unintentionally comical. A standout absurd moment involves his character taking down an entire police station full of armed officers, who inexplicably don’t shoot as he takes them down one by one. If this is supposed to represent the best of Rohit Shetty’s Cop Universe, it’s laughable at best.
Ramayana Parallels: A Missed Opportunity
Rohit Shetty attempted to inject elements of the Ramayana into Singam Again, but the execution is disappointing. The film’s depiction of this revered epic feels like a hodgepodge of scenes slapped together, without capturing the true essence of the original. Ramayana is a complex tale that delves into concepts of ego, respect, and the consequences of human flaws. However, Singam Again reduces it to a few simplistic set-pieces, lacking any emotional or philosophical depth.
For those familiar with the Ramayana, this rendition might even feel disrespectful. The film misses the opportunity to explore the core of Ramayana’s lessons—the inner strength of Rama, the layered characters, and the morals embedded in each encounter.
Action and Direction: Formulaic and Repetitive
With Rohit Shetty, audiences expect explosive action sequences and slow-motion hero shots. But in Singam Again, even these feel repetitive and uninspired. Singam has multiple entry scenes, each more drawn out than the last, as if Shetty wants to remind us at every turn who the hero is. There’s hardly any variety in the action, making even the fights a chore to sit through.
This doesn’t feel like the exhilarating Cop Universe we’ve come to expect. Instead, it’s as if Shetty has taken a formula and stuck to it rigidly, without any creative spark or unique flair. It’s less a love letter to the genre and more a tired checklist of action clichés.
The Post-Credits “Tease”
If the movie itself wasn’t frustrating enough, the post-credits scene felt like the final nail in the coffin. Salman Khan, as another cop from Shetty’s universe, appears on a green screen, delivering a forgettable line meant to tease future installments. But the scene feels slapped together, uninspired, and even insulting to anyone hoping for a proper setup.
Final Thoughts: A Mockery of Filmmaking
I hate to be so harsh, but as someone who genuinely loves cinema, this felt like a letdown. I don’t expect high art from a Rohit Shetty film—I go in hoping for pure entertainment. But Singam Again fails to deliver even that. Instead, it’s a drawn-out, soulless product, devoid of the magic that makes cinema captivating.
If you’re a fan of the Cop Universe, you might want to skip this one, or at the very least, lower your expectations. I won’t be rushing to theaters for the next Rohit Shetty film, and after this experience, I might be opting for a different genre altogether. Let me know if you felt any differently—I’d love to hear your perspective.