Dabangg: Did It Age Well? A Critical Review

Let’s talk about Dabangg, aka one of the last movies where Salman Khan could still move his body. Fourteen years after its release, I am here to ask the pertinent question, “Did Dabangg age well?” We’ve all gotten used to a certain amount of copaganda in Bollywood movies, but Dabangg is actually sinister. For those new to the word, copaganda is a portmanteau (cop+propaganda) meaning the phenomenon of media showing police officers in a good light only. It obscures their bad actions and glorifies cops regardless of reality.

The Sinister Nature of Dabangg

Dabangg, however, takes this to the next level. The makers expect us to love Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan) and to rejoice in his nickname of Robinhood Pandey. His first on-screen act as a cop is to fight bank robbers single-handedly and then shoot a havaldar to fake an encounter injury. Oh, he also keeps the looted money. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not have a boss who shoots a bullet into my shoulder at his whim. And a Robinhood who keeps the money instead of distributing it to the poor is no Robinhood at all, is he?

Chulbul Pandey: A Reflection of Reality?

But maybe it is an apt showcase of how some cops behave in real life. Chulbul uses the police force to exact personal vendettas, pockets any cash he can, has zero respect for the law, and prefers violence to procedure. And this is why I called this movie “sinister.” To enjoy Dabangg, we must accept copaganda to such a degree that we even cheer a visibly corrupt cop. This is a failure of cinema as a medium.

The Charismatic But Flawed Hero

We know Chulbul believes in mindless violence. We know that he even harms his colleagues and juniors. But we’re still supposed to find him charming. And charm he does. His antics do have comedic value and are surprisingly meta. Salman not only brings actual acting chops but also tolerable dancing skills. The film’s music also has some true bangers—Munni Badnaam Huyi, Tere Mast Mast Do Nain, Chori Kiya Re Jiya. Add in an extremely radiant Sonakshi Sinha acting circles around everyone in her debut, and the movie rightfully became a blockbuster.

Iconic Dialogue and Misguided Romance

This brings us to the OG slap-gate, “Thappad se darr nahi lagta sahab, pyar se lagta hai (I am not afraid of a slap, sir, I am afraid of love).” The thing is, while this Sonakshi Sinha dialogue went viral, we often forget what came before. Chulbul tells her, “Pyar se de rahe hain rakh lo, warna thappad maar ke bhi de sakte hain (I am giving this money with love, keep it. Otherwise, I can slap you to make you take it).” Yeah, romance it is not. PSA for the ladies, if he threatens to slap you, believe him and run in the opposite direction.

Problematic Themes and Insensitive Storylines

No such luck for our Dabangg girlie who then sits through “Humka peeni hai” song where Chulbul and all his workplace colleagues sing about getting drunk. Never mind that her own father is suffering from alcoholism. Or that she is so burdened by caring for an alcoholic that she has no life of her own. How nice to see your potential lover sing about wanting to drink excessive alcohol in these circumstances!

The film also has some half-baked storylines when it comes to dowry, caste, and identity politics. Maybe they should have left these topics alone if the makers did not have enough knowledge about them. For example, what was the point of a whole dowry tangent if in the end the solution was to pay it with stolen money? And then no one addressed the simple fact that dowry as a practice is wrong (and illegal)? Cutting corners is one thing, but this was just insensitive.

Conclusion: Did Dabangg Age Well?

So, did Dabangg age well? I’m not even sure it was appropriate for 2010. Now in 2024, it still retains some entertainment value. It still stands as one of the last films where Salman made an effort. So it may still find an audience too. However, my readers may take it with a pinch of salt on their next rewatch. After all, propaganda done well is the most dangerous. Stay tuned to TakeOne for more “Did It Age Well” essays coming soon!