'Rustom' lacks a novelty factor

Based on a true incident that occurred in 1959 in Bombay, "Rustom" is a fictionalised crime drama that unfurls the tale of a patriotic Naval Commander Rustom Pavri, who kills his wife Cynthia's paramour Vikram Makhija, after stumbling upon their love affair. The debate, whether the killing was a premeditated murder or an act of self-defence, forms the base of this two and half hour plus film. Being an often heard story as the K.M. Nanavati case versus State of Maharashtra, script writer Vipul Rawal offers nothing that is not available on the public platform. The film thus lacks a novelty factor. The sub-plot, which is introduced forcefully, to give a patriotic slant to Rustom's character and justify his action, is predictable and hackneyed.