I saw this flick at 2 am. I was planning to see a part of it and then leave the rest of it for the next day. Well it turned out that this one had a way of keeping me hooked on right till the end. There are very many movies which have tried to do the multiple story lines mixed into a single movie. I have never come across a tighter script and a better directed than this one among any of the Indian films. Each one of the story lines was captivating in its own right.
Lets start with the most endearing, impeccant and sinless one. Dharmendra still has the ability to light up the screen with his smile. I wish he had not become a mockery of his old self in the past few decades and only acted in roles which suited him better. I am thankful that Nafisa Ali was cast instead of someone like Hema Malini or Sharmila Tagore as it would have made the story very filmi.
The track involving Irfan Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma is probably the most mirthful of the lot. It has a lot of guffaws laced with a few thoughtful moments. Irfan Khan is the usual brilliance personified. Konkona does not tread too many untrodden paths but gives in a good performance nonetheless. 'Take your chance, baby!' is probably the best advice given on screen.
The romance between Shilpa Shetty and Shiney Ahuja is very well directed. It has a lot of moments which have the romantic undercurrent in the face of adultery and could have been a full length movie. They exude real good chemistry on screen. Though Shiney does not have a meaty role, he does his bit pretty well. Shilpa Shetty has been looking better with age. She looks ravishing in every frame of the movie. Her scenes with Kay Kay Menon have her go beyond what she is given credit for. Her breakdown scene is the most amazing. Kay Kay acts very well in the role presented to him. But I would have liked his character have more grey shades than black ones. There is no part of his character that we want to align ourselves with. Overall though the 'triangle' is something Karan Johar ought to look at for how sensitive issues like adultery needs to be handled. It is notches above KANK from the gloss factory.
Now lets look at the most complex and probably the most controversial story of them all. The film maker must have seen the candy floss 'Yes Boss' and said to himself 'Well that was a good movie. But is that how it would have taken place in real life?' Carnal pleasures have never been shown in a form as raw as this one. Even so there is not a single scene made to titillate the audience just for the heck of it. Kangana Ranaut for once delivers a scratchy performance. She has the look, talent and charm of the younger Juhi Chawla. But she botches one of the better roles of the movie in some scenes due to bad diction. Sharman Joshi as the modern day 'Rahul' is a perfect fit. He shows a lot of range in his acting repertoire and holds this track together. I feel he is one actor who should be given his rightful place in the film industry.
The camera work is imaginative all through. The music is melodious and holds the film together during the songs. The songs convey the feelings of majority of the characters whenever they play. All the songs have scenes intertwined in them so they do not impede the story lines. The star of the show has to be the director. Anurag Basu is in prime form with this one. I think he will be one to look out for in the long run to give us very good cinema.
All in all this one is for someone who likes drama driven thoughtful films. It has enough to keep you interested in all frames.
