Cast: Fardeen Khan, Irrfan Khan, Aftab Shivdasani, Manoj Bajpayee, Danny Denzongpa, Dino Morea, Dia Mirza, Gulshan Grover

Director: Suparn Varma

Rating: **

A group of men regain consciousness in a vast shed with no memory of how they got there. They don’t remember a thing, in fact: there they are, hurt and bleeding, in a place that’s sealed tight, miles away from anywhere. Who are they, and what’s going on?

Sanjay Gupta’s productions usually involve beefy men playing with guns in settings—in this one, it’s Durban-- bleached of all colour. And that’s mainly what happens in ‘Acid Factory’, so named because the place the unlovely bunch is locked in turns out to be an abandoned acid factory.

The armoury come in all shapes and sizes. The men are all in black. So is the woman: Dia Mirza is one of the boys, and is made to snarl a lot. She is also made to walk shoulder- to-shoulder with the fellows to create a visual that’s a standard part of Gupta’s films—everyone in black leather, expensive shades in place, walking slo mo towards the camera. Remember ‘Kaante’?

The story, which has a ripped-off Hollywood feel about it, is about an undercover cop (Fardeen) infiltrating a gang run by a well-dressed mobster (Irrfan) who loves his limos and his moll (Dia). According to the big cheese in the police, he’s a fearsome creature, but all he seems to be up to is directing his stooges (Danny and Manoj) to steal luxe cars, and kidnap rich businessmen and his pal (Aftab and Dino). Small beer.

... contd.