This was a good movie that could have stood to be at least an hour shorter. So much was just emroidery we could have done without.

The premise is simple: Dev (Bachchan) is a high-minded police officer who will not compromise his principles for politics. Farhaan (Khan) is a freshly minted Muslim lawyer who despises the state of the nation, it’s ‘pseudo-secularism’ and — after his father is killed — Dev. That’s the main tension. Then there is the added thread of Dev’s old friend Tej (Puri), another Hindu police officer who finds himself siding with politics and Hindutva, standing by to allow riots and factious relations to fracture — which Dev condemns. It’s well done but predictable and way, way, too long. Still, if you keep the remote control handy, it’s worthwhile.