Film Reviews

Director Anees Bazmee seems to have favoured the safe but predictable formula-ridden path. The opening shot of Paris by night, complete with a glittering Eiffel Tower, holds promise. As does the clumsy but lovable Sanjana (Kajol), who is engaged to a wimp called Rahul (Bijoy Anand), and is terrified of flying. When boyfriend comes to India and dumps her for Ms Moneybags (Kashmira Shah), Sanjana finally steps onto an airplane, determined to woo him back.

Enter thief-with-heart-of-gold, Shekhar (Ajay Devgan). Andit’s hate-at-first-sight. Shekhar plants a stolen necklace in Sanjana’s bag when he spots inspector Khan (Om Puri) waiting for him at Mumbai airport. And the chase begins. Khan is after Shekhar who is after Sanjana, who is busy trailing her fiance to some place called Palam beach. On the way, Sanjana misses her train and is stuck with Mr Thief who takes her home (a khaata peeta Punjabi khandaan in the middle of nowhere).

Shekhar and Sanjana finally stop fighting and he promises to help her win Wimpy back. Naturally, in the process, pyaar to hona hi tha. So it all happens in true Aashiqui-Dil-Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya style.

While the film has its lively moments, it also has some incredibly insensible ones the pick of the lot being the exceedingly childish and irritating in-flight song. There’s little to talk about Jatin-Lalit’s music they too seem to be carrying a severe Dilwale… hangover.

Of the cast, Ajay Devgan is okay. Om Puri is wasted. But once again, this is Kajol’s filmall the way. Arguably the most competent actress of the current lot, she can lend credibility and class to even the most bizarre scenes. Just for her, it is worth watching this masala mix.

Director: Anees Bazmee

Starring: Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Om Puri, Bijoy Anand, Kashmira Shah, Harish Patel, Tiku Talsania

Showing at: Metro

Angaaray

There may just be an element of truth in Mahesh Bhatt ‘s rumoured absence from film sets. How else does one explain a shoddy product like Angaaray from a man of Bhatt’s stature. There no hint of consistency or even basic continuity in the film. Akshay Kumar seems to have walked in and out of barber shops in between takes sporting shoulder-length hair in one shot and a short crop in the next.

He is inspector Amar who’s brought in to crack down on the Mumbai underworld. But he discovers, to his great horror, that the people he’s looking for are his own childhood friends, Raja (Nagarjuna), Jaggu (Paresh Rawal) and Surya (Irfan Kamal).So, he takes it upon himself to reform his errant pals, with the help of Raja’s girlfriend Roma (if it’s a belly button, it must be Sonali Bendre), and his own childhood sweetheart, Pooja (Pooja Bhatt). Things hot up when Raja kills the brother of gang leader Lala (Gulshan Grover) to avenge Surya’s death.

Akshay Kumar tries to salvage the film with some dare-devil stunts. But otherwise, this Angaaray is just a case of smoke without fire.

Director: Mahesh Bhatt

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Nagarjuna, Pooja Bhatt, Sonali Bendre, Paresh Rawal, Gulshan Grover

Showing at: Minerva