The phenomenal success of the 2015 Neeraj Pandey directed ‘Baby’ (oh yes, it was Akshay Kumar’s baby back then) undoubtedly inspired him to write ‘Naam Shabana’, a prequel to explain the female protagonist’s entry into the faceless agency that looks after the country’s security.

Shabana, a martial arts champion, lives with her mother Farida (Natasha Rastogi) in Dongri, Mumbai.  Her college-mate and reticent admirer Jai (Taher Shabbir Mithaiwala) finally plucks up the courage to pop the question. But on the way home they are ambushed by a group of four drunk, well-connected youths.  Shabana is spared when they realize they have murdered Jai.

A mysterious phone call, whose sender knows Shabana’s trouble history more than Google would, promises to help avenge Jai’s death.  But as is mostly the case — there’s an overt condition; she has to enlist in the agency.  Her handler (Manoj Bajpayee) has high expectations of her —to take out the dreaded arms-dealer Tony (Prithviraj Sukuraman). To perk up the pace of the film, the viewer is informed that if caught, he would be the world’s biggest catch in the last ten years.

NS, as a film, belongs to the gutsy, spunky, butt-kicking Tapsee Pannu.  After her much appreciated performance in ‘Pink’ last year, much was expected of her, and she doesn’t disappoint. But NS, as far as the story and screenplay goes, is a disappointment. Akshay Kumar (having worked with Pandey in ‘Baby’  and ‘Special 26’) as Ajay, in what can only be described as an extended cameo, makes all the right moves and gets a couple of good lines too. Danny Denzongpa as Feroze Khan, head of the agency, Anupam Kher as Shuklaji, the agency’s strategist, and Murli Sharma as the Minster’s secretary Guptaji, all reprise their ‘Baby’ roles in minor supporting ones. Sensei Percy Bahamani makes a small appearance as Chief Judge of the Kudo competition in the beginning of the film.

The first half is sedate as it explores Shabana’s troubled past; the second half largely belongs to action directors Cyril Raffaelli and Abbas Ali Moghul. The background score is largely loud and persistent as the viewer is transported from Vienna to Mumbai to Kuala Lumpur. With an extended running time of two-and-a-half hours and a not so taut script, Neeraj Pandey, having written the story, dialogues and script, must be ruing the fact that he desisted from directing it too.