Reviews

Sonia, of course, will have nothing of it. So a compromise is arrived at. If Mr Aspiring Singer can prove he8217;s capable of earning enough to 8220;look after8221; his lady love, then he can have her hand. Enter those good ol8217; friends again, who almost overnighthelp Rohit cut an album, and skyrocket him to instant stardom. The grand finale, naturally, will be a stunning stage show which will fill his coffers and therefore help him claim his love.

But just like all good things must come to an end, so does this gooey-gumdrops romance. On the day of his show, Rohit rushes to pick up laadla Amit from school, but ends up witnessing the murder of a police commissioner instead. If you8217;ve seen enough Hindi films in your life, you8217;ll know he8217;s bound to be noticed by the assassins at the scene of crime. He8217;s chased and finally his bike crashes into the railing of a bridge and Rohit lands straight at the bottom of the ocean.

Much rona-dhona ensues, and the lad is declared dead. Sonia can8217;t get him out of her mind, and her pyaare papa who8217;s leader of the drug-smuggling team that committed the afore-mentioned murder won8217;t have her moping around the house. She8217;s packed off to her uncle8217;s place in New Zealand, where still more hungama willfollow.

Once there, on one of those jaunts with her fuzzy-haired cousin Neeta Tanaaz Currim, Sonia spies a clean-shaven replica of her lost love. At a disco later, she spots him slithering like a snake and generally just having a good time. Could it be him? she asks herself. Could he really be alive? she wonders. No luck, lass. This is yuppy Raj Chopra who8217;s been living here all his twenty-something years.

Sooner than you could say Jack Robinson, Raj finds himself helplessly smitten by Sonia. For her part, she doesn8217;t want to have anything to do with him. He brings back memories of Rohit, and she can8217;t take it no more. So she8217;s off to India where she8217;s prepared to sulk for the rest of her life. But Raj follows her back. Barely do they set foot in India, he8217;s attacked by those who suspect that Rohit8217;s not quite dead. Raj, who figures out soon enough that this might lead to the real cause of Rohit8217;s death, decides to stay on and solve the mystery.

From there, it8217;s all bhaag-daud anddishoom-dishoom, and even an MJ-style live concert where Raj will finally unmask the culprits. Like you may have guessed already, all8217;s well that ends well. The khoonis

are put to task, daddy dearest is handcuffed and locked away, and the young 8216;uns finally embrace.

If you8217;re willing to overlook the occasional script flaws and the predictable climax, it8217;s a fairly engrossing film with rich camerawork by Kabir Lal. Rajesh Roshan8217;s music is top-class, almost every song a sure-fire winner. Choreography by Farah Khan deserves special mention, ranging from the subtle to the energetic. Rakesh Roshan is in full form, making sure he leaves no stones unturned in his quest to make a thrilling film.

Amisha Patel is likeable, bringing warmth to her role. But the show belongs to Hrithik Roshan, who lights up the screen with his presence. He is a pleasure to watch both in the songs and in the film8217;s action sequences. In the film8217;s dramatic portions, he oozes confidence and delivers the goods. Clearly,he8217;s going to be an actor to look out for.

RAJEEV MASAND

Best Laid Plans
So an out-of-cash Nivola is co-opted into becoming the getaway driver when his friends burgle a gangster8217;s house. The gangster discovers his identity and collars Nivola with a 10,000 dollar demand before the weekend. So Nivola hatches a scheme of sex and blackmail with girlfriend Reese Witherspoon to rob a dollar bill autographed by Abraham Lincoln. The rare bill is kept in a mansion being looked after by his wannabe academic friend Josh Brolin, whom the duo plan to deceive and rob. But that8217;s when the movie starts living upto its title.

Mike Newell8217;s name on the credits as executive producer raises some hope. He directed the hugely successful small budgeter Four Weddings amp; A Funeral. Helmed by Britisher Mike Barker, Best Laid Plans is a low-budgeter that appears to be really clever at first, with a gloomy Pulp Fiction-style ambience and flashback jump promising you a spin in a corvette. Butwatching it is like a carousel trip. You go for a ride, but don8217;t end up getting anywhere.

Above average performances by the cast of Nivola who played Nicholas Cage8217;s evil brother in Face/Off Brolin and Witherspoon in this average film. Watch it only if you8217;re absolutely desperate to see a new release.

Sandeep Unnithan