Shool Starring: Manoj Bajpai, Raveena Tandon Director: E. Nivas

Debutante director, 23-year old E. Nivas's film, Shool once again proves that the youth brigade is here to stay. The Hindi film industry never had it so good, with so many young, successful & enormously talented directors having a shot at it & the audience lapping it all up. E. Nivas, who began his career as a spot boy under Ramgopal Verma, has infused Shool with a rare honesty and vitality. Though at times, the movie does lapse into the predictable high pitched melodrama, such glitches should be overlooked on account of its other obvious merits.

The movie is set in a small town in the interiors of Bihar and very starkly brings out the nexus between politics and crime. Bacchu Yadav (Sayaji Shinde) has been the local MLA for the past 15 years. This year though, the bosses opt for his rival, a Thakur. But Yadav is having none of it. The very same night he ends Thakur's ambitions forever.

Both the principal characters, Bajpai as Inspector Singh and Shinde as Bacchu Yadav have given powerful, explosive performances. Shinde, has managed very successfully to give the character of Yadav a menacing & dictatorial personality who bulldozes his way through every little hurdle that stands in his way, with scarce regard towards law or authority.

The climax takes place in the unlikely environs of the State Assembly where Bajpai guns down Bacchu Yadav. This is one part which one wishes could have been better handled. Shool is definitely worth a watch as much for its fresh & novel approach as for its powerful performances.