THE INTERVIEWER

LOOKS FAB, SOUNDS... WELL! 

Films that aren’t intelligent often end up being entertaining. xXx: Return of Xander Cage is neither. Despite all the jaw-dropping action and the eyeball-grabbing gunfights, Xander Cage is a stupendously boring film… the kind that makes your eyes water, not out of emotion, but because of the million yawns you would have to suppress during its two-hour running time. 

But then, I haven’t ever been a fan of these testosterone-powered films. The only reason — like almost anyone else in India — why I went to watch Xander Cage was because it’s our Deepika’s big entry to the global stage. Having met and interviewed Deepika over the years, I have admired her transition from gawky performer to super-confident role model. Today, she’s a Bolly force to reckon with.

And that’s what DP is in Xander Cage — she owns the screen every time she walks in, her body language is pitch perfect and the combo of black-hot leather and red-hot lips is a #win. From the moment she slides in athletically to hold a door with her never-ending legs (right) to the way she makes her Serena superbly badass — dagger duel to going all guns blazing — Deepika kept my eyes riveted on her, even when Vin Diesel was taking up more than half the screen!

But that was till she opened her mouth. What was Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’s Naina doing in xXx, I wondered in shock. Yes, Deepika sounds so much like Deepika — I half expected her to turn around any moment and tell the Diesel dude: “Mujhe tumse pyaar ho jaayega…phir se… aur tumhe nahin hoga…phir se!” And that, in a film where she speaks English and is called Serena Unger, cannot be a good thing. And despite all the criticism, Priyanka Chopra makes that twang work for her in Quantico, slipping easily into Alex Parrish. 

But does that mean DP in Holly doesn’t work for me? Of course she does! It isn’t every day that you see your own calling the shots, with a lot of screen time, in a huge Holly franchise… and then making most of the publicity of the film revolve around her. 

This is just the first step, Deepika… kill it girl! #Proud  

Priyanka Roy

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THE DIE-HARD FAN

LONG LEGS, KILLER EYES... WOW!

I admit I hadn’t watched a xXx film before Return of Xander Cage. I am a big — make that huuuuuuge — Deepika fan and that was the only reason why I dashed to watch her in action in her big Holly film. To be honest, as soon as the film started, my eyes were totally on the screen… I didn’t want to miss even a second of DP’s screen-time… for who knows for how much time she would be on screen? With phone in hand, I was ready to tweet about her entry, but to my surprise I noticed people sitting ahead of me had their phones in their hands too… for the same reason!

Barely five minutes into xXx and there she was… those long legs and killer eyes! I went “wow” when I realised that the credits featured her before Ruby Rose and Nina Dobrev. But the wow moment actually came in that scene when Deepika’s Serena walks down the coast in a black noodle-strap high-low dress, the sun on her face and the wind in her hair (above). I gaped and the theatre filled with loud whistles… ‘Go DP!’ I said aloud. From then till the end credits rolled, I felt nothing but a proud fangirl, watching and clapping every time she kicked ass or said “Lions like me don’t belong in any kind of cage”. 

Deepika looked smoking hot, so much so that I was tempted to click a picture of hers and use the ‘hawt’ Bitmoji on Snapchat. Black, leather, thigh-high boots, those red lips and the innumerable tattoos … she looked wow! 

I loved the fact that she didn’t try to fake an American accent but stuck to her own, making her character more real. For me xXx was all about DP and despite the film being quite blah, I wouldn’t mind watching it again… only for my “queen”. 

Pramita Ghosh

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THE ADMIRER

SHE’S SASSY, SHE’S SEXY

Sassy and sexy is what best describes Deepika in Return of Xander Cage. I’m not much of a fan of action films, so it was only Deepika that made me to go watch xXx. What I admired was that she chose a role in her Hollywood debut that was in contrast to the kind of roles she’s used to doing in mainstream Bollywood… and that sure takes guts. Deepika’s Serena didn’t have a role that required emotional display… she was an all-out action girl here. In fact the scene with her and Ruby Rose shooting with their backs to each other (above) was the one that stood out for me. The fact that she didn’t put on an accent for the role is also impressive. But I just felt her acting could have been better. 

Rupsha Bhadra, 
3rd year, Jadavpur University

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THE-ONLY-FOR-DPGIRL 

BADASS WITH A SMILE

I don’t do movies like xXx: Return Of Xander Cage. Last weekend I was nearly conned into watching Assassin’s Creed by my friend’s husband. We got out of it in the nick of time and dragged him to Allied instead. But Return of Xander Cage I went myself, by myself. The reason was, of course, Deepika Padukone’s Holly debut. And I’m glad I did. Because other than looking smoking hot — and I mean you-could-roast-marshmallows-on-her kind of hot — DP showed that you can be a total badass without having a bad attitude. 

I loved how she was clad in all black all the time, with sexy red lips, but she wasn’t smouldering and sulking to get her swag on. She, in fact, flashed that 1,000watt Deepika smile quite often and was adorable in the scene where she showed off her tattoos to Vin Diesel. “I had to drink my weight in tequila,” she says about how she dulled the pain as she sat for 18 hours to get a phoenix inked on her fab abs. Finally, an Indian character not caricaturised by Hollywood! And for all her smiles, our Piku is fully convincing in the gunfights and holds her own before another badass girl, Ruby Rose.

P.S.: Nina Dobrev, the hottie of vampire tales, is totes adorbs as the nerdy Becky. 

Samhita Chakraborty

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THE XXX FOLLOWER

LOOKS A PERFECT 10, BUT FAILS...

Twelve years after xXx: State of the Union, Vin Diesel returns as Xander Cage… this time with our very own hottie Deepika Padukone playing the newest X-team recruit, Serena. But…the third film in the franchise disappoints. Return of Xander Cage lacked the direction Agent Augustus Gibbons brought to the first two films, with Samuel L. Jackson appearing on screen very briefly. Contrary to the previous movies, this film sees thrill-seeking-adventure-enthusiast Xander work with a team and not go solo hunting… something that diminishes the integrity of the character. Also, Vin Diesel fails to bring in his signature action hero punch, as there is a division of character with the return of ex-Triple X agent, played by Ice Cube. 

Deepika scores a perfect 10 in looks and pulls off that hardcore biker chick look amazingly. Her thigh-high boots and all-leather look reminded me of Catwoman. But I felt she failed to capitalise on a significant role. Her decision to flaunt an Indian accent is a #fail because there is a clear mismatch of the way she talks and how she looks on screen.

Rushabh Shah, 
2nd year, Bhawanipur Education Society College