Mission Frontline with Rohit Shetty review: Filmmaker immerses himself into the combat police force in Jammu & Kashmir

Rating: 2.5

Story:

Rohit Shetty spends an entire day with the Special Operations Task Force of Jammu and Kashmir Police. While the commandos orient the filmmaker with their daily activities and drills, Shetty, and by extension the viewers, get an authentic insight into the difficulties faced by the men in uniform, selflessly serving the nation. Shetty is introduced to the officers who even share personal stories with him about the circumstances that pushed them to be here.

Review:

Rohit Shetty, in this episode of Mission Frontline, encounters the cadets of Special Operations Task Force of Jammu and Kashmir Police. Shetty is taken through the force’s set up and introduced to the officials. He is also given a brief history of the task force. The filmmaker gets keenly involved in the goings-on and asks several questions about the force’s functioning. He is then introduced to a section of tasks. With the Glock Pistol and Corner Shot Machine Gun, Shetty is asked to practice with the weapons.

The following segment sees Shetty get involved in a mock hand-to-hand combat with the commandos. Though the soldiers are considerate enough not to hurt him, Shetty proves to be a worthy candidate. The head of the commando training centre Tanveer Jilani orients Shetty through the tactical training aspects. There are several tasks including crawl and jump, ramp jump, unarmed hand combat and training with weapons in hand. Shetty enthusiastically tries out everything.

Coming from a background of Bollywood action (his father was a famed stunt director, and Shetty’s filmography is laden with action blockbusters), Shetty’s excitement with each task is understandable. Jilani’s personal history and narrative also adds an emotional angle to the otherwise slick episode. 

The leader narrates his background, describing the forces that influenced his decision to step into the task forces. Through his words, Shetty, and by extension the viewers also get an insight into the lives of these people who selflessly serve the nation day in and day out.

The next portion of the episode involves Shetty’s mock drill where the unit gets an order that there’s information of militants hiding in the valley. 

Shetty’s involvement with the forces feels quite personal and is a delightful coincidence, considering the filmmaker has developed an entire cop universe in Bollywood.

The episode is shot in a rather slick manner. The CGIs and introduction cards give a very professional feel to the segment filmed in a documentary style. The background score also serves its required purpose and contributes to the emotional heft of certain scenes. 

Shetty’s warm nature actually helps as he easily bonds with the commandos and breaks the ice. In its attempt at providing a peek into.

Verdict: Mission Frontline with Rohit Shetty feels indulgent yet entertaining enough to hold viewers’ attentions till the 50-minute runtime. Theatrics aside, the episode is informative and the perfect blend of fun and serious.

Watch Mission Frontline on discovery+.