‘A GENTLEMAN’ (2017) Trailer Takes Full Advantage Of Sidharth Malhotra’s ‘Talents’

It’s no secret that I am not a big Sidharth Malhotra fan. While nothing against the man himself, Malhotra is less a talented  actor, and more a model that’s coasting on his good looks. However, that may change with his latest release ‘A Gentleman’.

Sidharth Malhotra’s ‘talents’ may finally be utilized in his new movie ‘A Gentleman’.

It was previously reported that ‘A Gentleman’ was a sequel to the 2014 film ‘Bang Bang’ directed by Siddharth Anand, starring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif. However, the actors and makers have come out to say that the film is not at all a sequel to that movie.

‘A Gentleman’ introduces us to a domestically ambitious man who has almost everything  he needs to start a family, except for the girl with whom to start it with. Siddarth Malhotra plays the typical man that every mother wants for their daughter, but the daughter wants more.

Jacqueline Fernandez, looking as gorgeous as always, needs a lot more from her man. Some danger, mystery and risk. Which is when the Trailer presents its twist that there is another side to Malhotra's character, (or a different character altogether) which may be more than either of them bargained for.

The first trailer for ‘A Gentleman’ gives us an incredibly fresh, fun and and action packed movie. It's very 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' style of enjoyable action genre with a domestic love story twist to it. Malhotra's character seems to be moonlighting between a settled in wannabe-family man, while also possibly an international man of mystery? Spy maybe?

The trailer isn’t really too clear on the premise of the lead character. While we’re introduced to two different sides of Malhotra’s character, it’s difficult to say if this is a dual role, or just the same character with dual personalities. There is another aspect of his character that is kind of telling.

While doing the crazy action and bad-ass sequences, Malhotra’s character seems to be cursing himself for doing those very same risky actions. This is very reminiscent of Christian Slater’s portrayal of a man with split personality disorder in the 2008 NBC show 'My Own Worst Enemy', where one is a mild mannered man, and the other an international spy, both sides at odds with one another.

The one thing that completely impresses from the trailer of ‘A Gentleman’ is that Malhotra actually comes off as capable. The decent action sequences and fight scenes, look amazing enough and Malhotra seems to be pulling them off, relatively effortlessly, while still making it look exciting and fun.

While he’s only a few films old, majority of Malhotra’s roles have required him to, well, act. And that’s something that he’s seriously lacking in. Complex emotional roles that require depth and nuance, aren’t his forte. While he's shown shades of acting talent in films like 'Kapoor & Sons' and 'Brothers', (somewhat) mostly it's been heavy misses.

However, ‘A Gentleman’ could possibly be the first movie that takes advantage of the very same abilities of Malhotra that I have complaints about. Concealing his lack of depth with a superficial performance that simply requires him to look cool, kick ass, and be funny through circumstance and not delivery.

Fernandez looks stunning as always, and it doesn’t seem like she’ll be doing anymore more here, than anything else she’s ever done. ‘A Gentleman’ is directed by Raj & DK, the same makers responsible for ‘Go Goa Gone’ and ‘Happy Ending’. ‘Go Goa Gone’ remains memorable for its innovative concepts and a performance by Saif Ali Khan that was more deprecating than flattering. Same can be said of the main lead of ‘Happy Ending’ as well. The directing duo have shown that they can do high profile action sequences, while also telling character driven stories.

If that blend of both worlds can be maintained, then ‘A Gentleman’ might actually be a great summer action blockbuster.

‘A Gentleman’ releases on August 25^th, 2017.