Awarapan can best be described as an outright commercial mishmash of mainstream ideas coupled with one beautiful plot. You know the director wanted to play with the beautiful lights Hong Kong offered, you know he wanted to play with shadows and colours; the best part is that he does so, but it's so unnatural that it ends up being unflattering.

Partly like Ji-woon-Kim's A Bittersweet life, Awarapan picks up on the story of Shivam (Emraan Hashmi), a hit man working for Malik (Ashutosh Rana). A haunting past follows him through each breathing day of work under Malik, as his right hand man. Before his trip to London, Malik asks Shivam to keep an eye on his young love, Reema (Mrinalini); this, as he suspects her of adultery.

Shivam soon discovers that Reema, is indeed unfaithful. Realising this, Malik orders him to eliminate her. Just as he is geared to kill Reema and lover boy, Bilal (Rehan Khan), his past, returns to haunt him. He sets them free, but soon is found trying to set his own life free from Malik's henchmen and Malik himself. In search of redemption, faith and love, Shivam must battle the evils that surround him.

A film that could have been mainly and marvelously about a single character is split on many occasions. While at times it looks spectacular, it is like a circus with pointless characters cramming up space in a single scene, in many others. Even the characters are shallow; barring the lead characters (mainly Saran, Hashmi and Rana) none of the other characters are established, what they do, where they come from, none of which is established.

The narrative with the constant flashback references, turns bothersome. Certain dialogues are fantastic, but then the absurd characters with their lines ruin the moment for you.

On the plus side, the single thread the film runs...

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