Akshardham Operation Vajra Shakti Movie Review: Akshaye Khanna leads the charge in a gripping but familiar rescue drama

Akshardham Operation Vajra Shakti

‘Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti,’ directed by Ken Ghosh, was released on 4th July and stars Akshaye Khanna, Abhimanyu Singh, Pravin Dabas, Chandan Roy, Akshay Oberoi, and Gautam Rode.

A familiar story, told with urgency

‘Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti’ revisits the chilling 2002 attack on the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, where terrorists killed innocent devotees before being neutralized by the National Security Guard (NSG). The film focuses equally on the tragedy and the rescue, showcasing the precision and bravery of the NSG commandoes who brought the crisis to an end.

What makes ‘Akshardham’ work is its sharp pacing and refusal to stretch beyond necessity. Yet, it falls squarely into the well-worn mould of terror-attack thrillers. There’s very little by way of surprise or subversion in its narrative. Still, the film does not overstay its welcome or feel indulgent—its biggest win, perhaps, is that it keeps viewers engaged despite following a formula.

Flashbacks and familiar beats

The film opens far from Gujarat—in Kupwara, Jammu & Kashmir—where a tense hostage rescue is underway. Noor, the daughter of a minister, has been captured by terrorists, and the NSG, under the command of Major Hanut Singh (Akshaye Khanna), is called in. Singh disobeys orders to wait for backup and initiates the mission himself, resulting in a successful rescue, but not without consequences. A team member is killed in action, an emotional blow that continues to haunt Hanut. Meanwhile, intelligence sources flag a major threat in Gujarat, prompting heightened security around the Chief Minister. As four heavily armed terrorists slip across the border with Akshardham temple as their target, the film kicks into gear. What follows is a tense reconstruction of events, with Major Hanut once again at the centre of a life-or-death crisis.

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Fiction with real-world roots

While ‘Akshardham’ is a fictionalized account, it is clearly inspired by real-life events and attempts to balance authenticity with drama. The script avoids excessive detours or sentimentality. It stays locked into the action and the consequences of the attack, keeping the focus tight. Creative liberties are evident, but they don’t distract—if anything, they are used to reinforce the scale of the threat. The heroes of the rescue mission are grounded; they are not projected as invincible or impossibly heroic. At the same time, the film never digs deep enough. It doesn’t explore the socio-political implications of the event or probe into the aftermath. It remains on the surface—polished and efficient.

Performances that anchor the chaos

Much of the film’s credibility rests on its cast. Akshaye Khanna plays Hanut Singh with a calm resolve, staying away from exaggerated machismo. His trauma is suggested, not shouted, which gives his character some dignity. Pravin Dabas, though seen briefly as Colonel Nagar, leaves an impression. Abhimanyu Singh as the terrorist mastermind Abu Hamza is suitably chilling, but it’s the four young terrorists—played by relatively lesser-known actors—Iqbal (Abhilash Chaudhary), Hanif (Dhanveer Singh), Farooq (Mridul Das), and Omar (Mihir Ahuja)—who manage to hold the screen with unsettling energy. Their portrayal, while a bit theatrical at times, injects the film with urgency and menace. These characters aren’t given backstories, which works in the film’s favour—it keeps the attention on the mission rather than on moral ambiguity.

A re-release banking on momentum

‘Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti’ is essentially a theatrical re-release of ‘State of Siege: Temple Attack,’ which originally dropped on Zee5 back in 2021. Riding on the recent success of Emraan Hashmi’s ‘Ground Zero,’ the makers seem to be testing waters on the big screen. But to be fair, this film doesn’t come close to ‘Ground Zero.’ It leans heavily on pace and spectacle but offers little insight or emotional depth. There’s no fresh lens or bold questions—just a retelling that plays it safe and familiar.

Rating: 3/5