Arshaad
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| Wed Oct 17, 2007 1:53 pm BHOOL BHULAIYAA and LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG |
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BHOOL BHULAIYAA
Rating: 2.5/5
This is not the Priyadarshan that we know so well. Bhool Bhulaiyaa is not an out-and-out comedy as most of his films are wont to be. Priyadarshan changes track in this film, ever so slightly, and delivers a film which has dollops of suspense, eerie ghosts and spirits. It is not devoid of humour but that is not its intent. Bhool Bhulaiyaa does not quite live up to its promise, but what it has is Akshay Kumar, who albeit, arrives a little late in the film but still manages to stage a complete takeover. The others in the cast too put in very good performances but fail to rescue the film from its confused fate.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a remake of Malayalam film, and its story is about a haunted haveli somewhere in the interiors of India. Siddharth (Shiney Ahuja) and his newly-wed wife Avni (Vidya Balan) arrive home from the US to a warm welcome from their extended family in the village. Siddharth is insistent on staying in his ancestral mansion during his stay in India. His uncle Badrinarayan (Manoj Joshi) is very vocal about his displeasure but the couple is insistent. There is a particular door which has been kept locked for years and there is a deadly mystery attached to it. But Avni opens the door one day and strange events start taking place, some of which are life-threatening. Siddharth calls upon his friend Dr Aditya (Akshay Kumar) from the US, to find a solution to the problem. Dr Aditya is supposedly a man of science, but in the end, he too resorts to all the usual mumbo-jumbo of tantrik rituals, and exorcists beating up their victims to drive the spirit out.
The director manages to weave a convincing and absorbing first half. The intent is very clearly spelt out in this half and once Akshay's character is introduced the film, it does seem to look up. Actually, Akshay's presence injects a fresh lease of life into the narrative. Priyan builds in the suspense quite deftly but somehow the second half is not carried forward by anything remarkable in the screenplay. It is just the actor who carries the movie forward. He indulges in a little bit of comedy as well but even that is not enough to salvage the film.
Technically, the film is, like most of Priyadarshan's films, very well shot and visually quite stunning. It has the 'look', credit for which should be given to cinematographer Thiru. The film's music, composed by Pritam, is doing extremely well, specially the 'Hare Krishan Hare Ram,' number, which is currently topping the charts. The number, unfortunately, is not worked into the main narrative of the film but appears in the end with the credits, which is a little disappointing.
Most of the actors put in very good performances. The usual Priyan gang is there, what with Rajpal Yadav and Paresh Rawal leading the field. Akshay, of course, is top notch in his role as Dr Aditya, which is laced with humour. It would be no exaggeration to say that he is the soul of the film. Paresh Rawal, who has been the backbone of many a Priyadrashan film, sadly does not have a meaty enough role. But being the great actor that he is, he still puts in a very good performance. Manoj Joshi too comes up with a sterling performance. Amisha Patel is quite okay, while Vidya on the other hand, is quite a treat to watch. Shiney is quite subdued in the film, especially once Akshay makes an appearance.
LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG
Rating: 3/5
Pradeep Sarkar’s Laaga Chunri Main Daag reveals the same sensitive touch that the director revealed in his first venture, Parineeta. The only area which seems to be weak here is the story, which is age old and ridden with clichés. But it is Sarkar’s greatness that he manages to use this age-old material, clichés and all, and still manages to deliver a film which tugs at your heart.
The story is one that is often told in Hindi films—the small town girl who comes to the big bad city and is cheated into sleeping with the manager of a call centre on the lure of a job, and then finally slips into the flesh trade, in this case, she becomes a high class escort girl. Badki, or as she is called by her loved ones, is the eldest of two sisters of a middle class family living in Banaras. The two sisters, Badki and Chutki (Konkona Sen Sharma) live a carefree life in Banaras despite all of their family’s problems. Their father has retired, and has anyway lost all hope in life, while the mother stitches petticoats by night to supplement the family’s meagre income. Badki is all too aware of the precarious financial situation of the family. Their house is under litigation and matters reach a head when the father falls sick. Promising to be the son that the father never had, Badki leaves home and heads for Mumbai to find a job. Of course, here one has a quarrel to pick with Sarkar, about why he had to resort to the cliché of women only resorting to the flesh trade anytime they want to make money.
But be that as it may, Badki transforms herself into this high class escort girl and earns in lakhs. The family’s fortunes take a turn for the better. The house is repaired, Chutki manages to finish her education and lands a job at an advertising agency in Mumbai. The father’s health improves, as does his disposition. Chutki also finds a boyfriend in Vivaan (Kunal Kapoor). All is fine till Chutki and Vivaan decide to get married and Chutki stumbles onto her sister’s secret life. The rest of the film is about how Badki gets a second chance in life to find her own happiness, bolstered no less by her sister’s love, acceptance and support and by the support that she receives from the man in her life.
The film truly belongs to the three actresses, Rani Mukherjee, Jaya Bachchan and Konkona Sen Sharma. The men appear as mere appendages in this film, though admittedly very charming ones at that. But it’s the interaction between the sisters or the ones between the mother and her daughters, which really tug at your heart strings.
Despite the clichéd nature of the plot, the film still comes across as a moving story. One of best things about Sarkar’s treatment is the subtle touches that he brings to the film. Nothing is overdone. There is no huge drama happening with over-the-board, high voltage emotions. Everything is as it should be. Of course, his actors have helped tremendously in the manner in which they have executed his vision.
Sarkar’s use of colour, his stunning visual sense, specially the scenes at the ghats of Benaras, is captivating. Benaras and its ghats have been a subject of fascination for many filmmakers, beginning with Satyajit Ray, all of who have brought alive the piquant dichotomy of this city. Everything seems to come full circle at its ghats. While not getting so philosophic about the city, Sarkar has managed to capture its myriad bylanes and the boisterous nature of its ghats as well as their serenity. The film’s music, given by Shantanu Moitra, will probably settle in with time. But the number – Hum To Aise Hain Bhaiyya is easily the most popular and should definitely top the charts.
The film should ideally belong to Rani Mukherjee but Konkona manages to steal the show in most places. The scenes between Konkana and Kunal, easily one of the most charming actors on screen, have a life of their own. They provide a delightful interlude to the emotion laden scenes between Rani and Jaya or Rani herself. Konkona seems to be growing as an actress with every film. In this film, she manages to play a typical Bollywood heroine, dancing, singing and romancing. What is most endearing about her is her naturalness. In front of her, even the effervescent Rani seems slightly jaded. Kunal Kapoor is an apt foil for her. If Konkona comes across as spontaneous on screen, Kunal comes across as extremely charming. This is another actor too, who keeps improving with every film that he does.
Jaya Bachchan too delivers a stellar performance as the stoic mother. Anupam Kher has little to do in his role of the defeated father, but he manages to do full justice to it. One would have loved to see a little more of Abhishek Bachchan, but he is there in what almost seems like a guest appearance. He exudes his own brand of charm and manages to leave an impact in the little bit of screen time that he has. The film is Rani’s in most parts. She essays the role of Badki and then later Natasha, the call girl, as only she can. It is another nuanced performance by this actress.
Sarkar’s film retells an old story but still has the power to captivate. He is a master storyteller and Laaga Chunri Main Daag best exemplifies this.
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