Indian movies

Sometimes interesting stories run out of steam if stretched beyond a point. That's the problem with KAISAY KAHEIN, directed by Mohit Hussein.

KAISAY KAHEIN looks at the problems faced by two young professionals in a metro. Sure, you identify with the storyline since you do come across people who think from the mind, not heart. In fact, the last sequence -- when the guy realizes that he may've attained the riches, but riches can't buy happiness -- moves you since it depicts a harsh reality. But KAISAY KAHEIN takes a long route to get to this point.

On the plus side, debutante director Mohit Hussein has handled a few complex sequences well. On the flip side, the narrative should've been shorter and crisper. The film needs to be judiciously trimmed by at least 20/25 minutes.

KAISAY KAHEIN is a love story that pits romance against career. Aditya [Raajveer] is a young banker with a bright future. At the age of 25, he's earmarked as the one most likely to climb into the COO's chair. He doesn't have a personal life except his work and is happy about it. Till Radhika [Neha Julka] steps into his life.

Radhika is a TV journalist and loves her work. She has left her native Mangalore and is dead certain that nothing, but nothing is going to keep her away from being the hottest young property in journalism. On the job 24/7, she conducts a sting operation during which she encounters Aditya. They fall in love, deeply in love, but their careers remain the priority.

Aditya can't leave his burgeoning career opportunities when Radhika decides to take a much-awaited promotion that would take her to another city, away from Aditya. It's not easygoing for either, but they give the long-distance relationship a try.

Director Mohit Hussein, who along with Surindra Bhatia has penned the screenplay, never loses focus all along; they remain faithful to the core issue. But there's a major flaw in the writing: It's the girl who commits the mistakes most of the times, but the guy is made to feel guilty every time and even apologizes for it. In fact, the guy is at the receiving end all through, even in the finale. Why?

In terms of narrating the story, Hussein knows the technicalities right. The director and his D.O.P. [cinematographer: M. Sethuraman] have shot the film well [the locales of London are enticing]. Music [Pritam] is okay. The title track is interesting. So is the Yana Gupta track.

Rajveer Dutt has screen presence and exudes confidence. He has the potential to climb the ladder provided he gets the right roles. Some more attention to his dialogue delivery will only help. Neha Julka acts like a seasoned performer. She impresses in most parts. Kunal Kumar [Raajveer's friend] is good. Chavi Mittal [Kunal's wife] is first-rate. Meghna Malik [Channel head] is competent. Aditi Govitrikar looks enticing. Zarina Wahab gets less footage. Prakash Pange [Raajveer's boss] does well. Abhishek Bachchan's commentary at the start sets the ball rolling.

On the whole, KAISAY KAHEIN is a fair attempt, but it should've been promoted aggressively.