xXx: The Return of Xander Cage turns five — Deepika Padukone's Hollywood debut never did justice to her acting chops

Many Bollywood actresses have tried crossing over to Hollywood but more often than not they have only been featured as a new exotic face.

There was Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's abysmal presence as an attractive villainess in Pink Panther 2 and Malaika Sherawat as a shapeshifter in the absurd Hisss. And then there's Priyanka Chopra, who regardless of her global recognition, still has a long way to go in securing meaty roles. 

Deepika Padukone also decided to try her hand at a Hollywood film, the terribly boring, testosterone packed xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, which was released in 2017.

The film has all the elements that would make it commercially successful — crazy action sequences, a long list of attractive and critically-acclaimed stars, and exotic shoot locations. It was a moneymaker at the box office, earning over $300 million worldwide. But what xXx lacks is a substantial story. One just gets lost in catching up with a cocky Vin Diesel dialogues.

The story is chaotic at best and no different than the masala movies that we have here on this side of the world. Machismo and braggadocio drive it from the beginning to the end.

One thing to be noted though is the expansive diversity in xXx's cast, something the Fast & Furious franchise had mostly been in the forefront of. Though the protagonist is white, his sidekicks, his eventual nemesis and cronies are not all monochromatic.

Padukone plays Serena Unger, whose initially on the bad side, stealing this device of mass destruction called the Pandora’s Box with Xiang (Donnie Yen). Padukone’s character, clad in a heist-appropriate black catsuit, is the one who features in the opening shot, a move that surprised me - I had expected her appearance to be a mere touch and go. It’s not a scene-stealing shot but it’s enough to leave some kind of impression on a foreign audience.

But I spoke too soon; Padukone’s character returns briefly on screen after a thirty-minute wait where she confronts her boss. I was expecting her to feign some kind of an accent, something that Priyanka Chopra had done in Quantico, but she didn’t so for that I give her two thumbs up.

Still, for someone who has only delivered dynamic and memorable performances with films like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Tamasha, Piku and Bajirao Mastaani, Padukone remained an under-utilised asset in xXx. She and all the actresses who have delved into Hollywood projects before her, deserve more, deserve better and should be treated more than just an experiment.

xXx: The Return of Xander is streaming on Netflix.