Indian movies

Obsession. The word has been a hot favorite of dream merchants in Bollywood. From Abbas-Mustan's DARAAR to Yash Chopra's DARR, to films made to this date, a number of storytellers have woven themes around the obsessive streak of individuals.

Ananth Narayan Mahadevan's AGGAR also does that. A number of thrillers have successfully explored the darker side of human personality with dexterity. AGGAR is a fine addition to the list, although the sole glaring flaw lies in the fact that the director has chosen to opt for an atypical end to the story.

When everything was so unpredictable from start till pre-climax [screenplay: S. Farhan], when layer after layer was peeled with such finesse, when the viewer was absolutely clueless vis-à-vis what lay in store, why Ananth why opt for a tame ending?

Yet, in all fairness, AGGAR keeps you involved in most parts. That's the hallmark of a good thriller, isn't it?

Becoming attracted to the wrong man can have deadly consequences. Janvi's [Udita Goswami] life seems ideal on the surface: she runs a thriving business and is married to Dr. Aditya Merchant [Shreyas Talpade], a psychiatrist. But a faint air of discontent begins to creep into her relationship when she begins suspecting her husband of having an extra-marital affair with Radha [Saadhika], an interior designer.

Janvi impulsively gets drawn into a steamy affair with Aryan [Tusshar Kapoor], who works in her company. But in a strange twist of events, she realizes that she has stumbled badly and tries to break off her affair. Aryan, however, is not willing to give her up so easily and his attraction to her soon becomes a dangerous obsession.

AGGAR has three interesting words below its logo -- Passion, Betrayal and Terror -- and AGGAR does justice to it in those 2 hours. There's never a moment that gives you the feeling of déjà vu. Not once do you feel that it's one of those been-there-seen-that kind of movie-going experiences.

Note the sequences: Sophie Chaudhary accidentally falling of from the rooftop mansion… The gradual attraction between Tusshar and Udita… Udita's outburst in the office. Ananth executes the written material wonderfully well.

But, as mentioned earlier, the culmination to the tale should've been equally unpredictable, not abstract mind you. A badly bruised Tusshar emerging from the pool and beating Shreyas black and blue is a complete cinematic liberty. Ditto for the end.

The other area where the film dips is Mithoon's music. The young musician showed promise in his earlier works, but the tunes in AGGAR sound similar to his recent work THE TRAIN [the songs of this film are still fresh]. Hello, why this need to repeat yourself? Have you exhausted your stock of tunes already? K. Rajkumar's cinematography is topnotch.

AGGAR rests on three characters mainly and each of them packs in a solid punch. Tusshar is a revelation. The actor has always come up with honest performances in the past, but he pitches his best work to date in AGGAR. We're used to watching actors hamming away to glory in roles of obsessed lovers, but Tusshar doesn't go over the top at all. Tremendous work!

Shreyas Talpade is in complete form. Enacting the role of a shrewd operator who's in search of a guinea pig to carry out his devious plan, the young actor proves his versatility yet again. His volte face will catch the viewer by surprise.

Udita Goswami is fantastic. She sinks her teeth in this challenging role and enacts it with gusto. AGGAR is one film that showcases her talent to the optimum. Excellent work indeed! Nauheed Cyrusi is adequate. Sophie Chaudhary makes her presence felt in a brief role. Saadhika is okay.

On the whole, AGGAR is a well-made thriller that should appeal to the multiplex junta primarily. But its business will get affected due to several vital reasons: The 20/20 cricket matches [the India-Pakistan match specifically], the commencement of the holy month of Ramzan and Ganeshotsav. Obviously, a large section of moviegoers will stay away from cineplexes in days to come. The poor opening will also tell on its business.

Right intentions don't necessarily translate into right results. NANHE JAISALMER is a case in point.

Director Samir Karnik's second outing is truly unconventional. It's a simple story with no commercial paraphernalia and trappings, stars a kid as a protagonist, there's no heavy duty drama here and nor is there the mandatory hero-heroine routine that Hindi films are made of. Oh yes, Karnik gambles big time this time around.

As a storyteller, Karnik gets it right with NANHE JAISALMER. He has grown as a raconteur and his handling of a couple of sequences is indeed impressive. But it's the writing, more specifically the pre-climax and climax, that ruins the show. Imaginary relationships were handled with dexterity in THE SIXTH SENSE and Karnik tries to do a SIXTH SENSE in NANHE JAISALMER, but fails to pull it off.

NANHE JAISALMER progresses smoothly [there're aberrations in between] and you're keen to know how Karnik and his team of writers would culminate this offbeat story eventually. But the climax is such an anti-climax!

In a nutshell, NANHE JAISALMER appeals in bits and spurts. But that's not enough!

Young Nanhe [Dwij Yadav], a 10-year-old kid, is the breadwinner of his family. He lives in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan with his mother and sister. Nanhe's room is full of colorful pictures and posters of his favorite movie star -- Bobby Deol.

Nanhe is a diehard Bobby Deol fan. He watches every film of his. He communicates to Bobby through letters written by his elder sister. Nanhe lives, eats, breathes, talks about his friend all the while. And one sunny morning, Nanhe comes face to face with his idol in the desert.

NANHE JAISALMER holds your interest at several points. You're awe-struck as you watch the kid carry the show on his puny shoulders. In fact, it's tough to hold the viewer's attention from start to end and the biggest of stars cannot guarantee that, but you're mesmerized by the kid here.

The emotional moments do strike a chord. The sequences between the mother [Pratiksha Lonkar] and the kid [Dwij] are well treated. Those between the kid and the grown-ups, especially after the 'Gadha' episode, are interesting.

But NANHE JAISALMER is not without its share of loose ends. The songs [Himesh Reshammiya] are a big bore. Barring the title track and to an extent, the marriage song, the two Bobby Deol songs seem forced in the narrative. Also, the sequences in the night school can do with trimming.

Binod Pradhan's cinematography is topnotch. The dialogues are simple and that works in a film like this.

NANHE JAISALMER belongs to Dwij Yadav. His performance can be rightly described in one word -- magnificent. He's adorable and supremely talented. So good is this wonder kid that all actors in NANHE JAISALMER pale in comparison. A matchless performance!

Bobby is a complete miscast. The role demanded a hugely popular star, someone like SRK, Salman, Aamir, Hrithik or Akshay. Had it been a superstar enacting the character, the identification with it would've been immense then. The viewer knows that Bobby is not in the top bracket and that's why this character appears fake.

Pratiksha Lonkar and Bina Kak are competent. Sharat Saxena, Vivek Shauq and Rajesh Vivek are passable. Vatsal Sheth is wooden.

On the whole, NANHE JAISALMER has been made with noble intentions, but will find very few takers. At the box-office, it's a non-starter.

It started with PARTNER eight weeks ago. Then HEYY BABYY three weeks back. It's DHAMAAL now. Howlariously funny, Indra Kumar's latest outing completes the hat-trick of laughathons that succeed in entertaining you from start to end. Like its predecessors, DHAMAAL is abundantly rich in humor and most importantly, has the right set of actors to carry off those roles with aplomb.

DHAMAAL lives up to its title. It's non-stop dhamaal for the next two hours. Sure, there're inane situations and jokes that cater to the popular tastes, but when did Indra Kumar and his team of writers [Paritosh Painter, Balwinder Suri, Bunty Rathore] ever set out to challenge Einstein? The mantra is simple: Let the auditorium reverberate with laughter. And DHAMAAL succeeds in its mission!

Any hiccups? The post-interval portions aren't as funny as the first hour. More on that later! But the film works in totality and that's what matters at the end of the day. With MASTI, Indra Kumar proved that he knows how to tickle the funny bone. With PYARE MOHAN, he tripped and ended up bruising himself. With DHAMAAL, he sprints back to the junta's hearts.

So what's the final word then? Go, watch DHAMAAL and have dhamaal. But do carry a rumaal since this madcap comedy is quite kamaal in parts. You'd cry laughing!

Roy [Riteish Deshmukh] believes that he is the best detective in the world. Manav [Javed Jaffrey] actually happens to be the biggest idiot in the world, but is blissfully unaware about it. His brother Adi's [Arshad Warsi] half knowledge about everything only adds to the great expertise of this group. The final component is Boman [Aashish Chowdhary], who's Mr. Scared.

These four idiots live and work together. Their idea of work? Doing small-time con jobs! The thought of earning an honest living has never even crossed their minds. One day, while trying to save a dying man, Bose [Prem Chopra], they get their big break. Their life is made! Unfortunately for them, Inspector Kabir [Sanjay Dutt] has been chasing Bose for the last ten years. He finally finds him. Only dead!

Desperate for his promotion, he questions the suspicious-looking foursome he finds next to the body. Inadvertently, they blurt out the secret before managing to escape. Now begins a marathon chase.

DHAMAAL begins with gusto. The introduction of the four characters at the very start makes the viewer aware of what to expect from each of them. The sequences that follow [taking the horse painting at condolence meetings] are rip-roaringly funny. Ditto for the sequence when they're mistaken as gangsters and arrested by the cop [Murli Sharma]. Another sequence that's sure to bring the house down is Asrani's vintage car going up in flames and also Sanju tying the four to a tree. The first hour rocks big time!

The writers continue to inject humor in the second hour as well. Only thing, the jokes work at times, but look forced at places. Take, for instance, the track of the robbers inside a bus and their interaction with Ritesh. Non-happening! The aircraft portion [Asrani, Aashish] is excellent, but one should know where to end a joke. Never stretch it beyond a point, but the writers do. Resultantly, the impact gets diluted. Sanju's accident and the entire cliff track, again, is mediocre. The search for the 'Big W' in the park, beneath which lies the treasure, is funny, not hilarious.

Directorially, Indra Kumar is in form. Opting for a new team of writers this time around, he gets it right on most occasions. The two songs at the very start [Adnan Sami] are interesting. Vijay Arora's cinematography is nice. Dialogues are excellent.

The one performance that stands out from the rest is that of Javed Jaffrey's. He's magnificent in a role that seems tailor-made for him. What timing! The viewers are sure to go into raptures. Arshad Warsi is not in his element. Also, why is he looking so tired? Ritesh Deshmukh is dependable yet again, although his track suffers in the second hour because it lacks meat. Aashish Chowdhary is a revelation. Confident and easygoing, he shows a flair for comedy. Sanjay Dutt is alright. Asrani is mind-blowing. It's a treat to watch this veteran in a meaty role again. Suhasini Mulay, as the landlady, is first-rate.

On the whole, DHAMAAL is one joyride that should keep its investors smiling!

Last Friday, RGV received flak from all and sundry for attempting a remake of SHOLAY. The venom spewed in views, opinions, reviews, sms-es… everywhere. RGV has lost it, was the unanimous feedback.

Yet another RGV offering hits the marquee this Friday -- DARLING -- but this one is no remake, although it does bring back memory of two films mainly, GHOST [which, in turn, inspired a slew of Bollywood movies] and Bhatts' RAAZ. Though dissimilar, flashes of BHOOT also cross your mind as you watch DARLING.

It's difficult to slot DARLING in any one category. It's eerie, it's humorous, it has the song-n-dance routine [well knitted in the plot], it doesn't belong to any particular genre. Actually, DARLING is a novel experience since Hindi films have rarely combined horror and comedy -- two diverse ingredients -- in one film. Trust RGV to think out of the box and fortunately, it works!

The eerie moments before the ghost appears don't make you break into a cold sweat, but they do make your heart beat faster. Similarly, there're ample moments in the narrative [Fardeen, Isha visiting the hospital to meet Zakir Hussain; also Isha wanting to make love to Fardeen on their anniversary and the ghost is watching it all] that are thoroughly interesting. The final scene, of course, is a brilliant stroke, with the viewer not being prepared for the turn of events.

In a nutshell, RGV can heave a sigh of relief this weekend. Last weekend was dark and depressing, this weekend should bring in sunshine for this maverick film-maker.

Aditya [Fardeen Khan] is living every man's dream. He's got a beautiful, traditional wife [Isha Koppikar] at home and a stunning wildcat girlfriend [Esha Deol] at work. Balancing the two women with clever lies, he gets to experience the best of both worlds.

The going is good. Till his girlfriend shocks him with the news that she is pregnant. Aditya is cornered. He has to confess to her that he cannot leave his wife as he has been promising her all along. His girlfriend is devastated. She flies into a rage. A brutal fight ensues, in which she accidentally dies.

Terrified, Aditya disposes off her body and returns home, thinking that the worst is behind him. But he couldn't be more wrong. For the nightmare has only just begun. His wild girlfriend is back as a ghost…

The USP of DARLING is its unpredictability. Had it been an out-and-out horror flick, you'd have guessed the sequence of events sooner or later. Had it been the story of a man torn between two women, again, it wouldn't have taken much time to guess what's in store next. But RGV steers clear of predictable stuff from the start itself.

Although the screenplay is captivating and keeps you hooked to the proceedings, the only time it takes a dip is in the post interval portions. Otherwise, the sequences involving the cop [Upendra Limaye] and his colleague [a lady called Malati] are excellent. Also, the sequence when Esha's father breaks down in front of Fardeen is incredible.

DARLING may not be amongst RGV's finest works, but it does rank among his better films. With a music company [T-Series] producing the flick, it ought to be embellished with a good score and at least two songs have already grown popular -- 'Tadap' and 'Aa Khushi se Khudkhushi Karle'. Amit Roy's cinematography is splendid yet again. The background score [Prasanna Shekar] is effective.

Fardeen Khan is a revelation. The actor catches you with complete surprise as he enacts a difficult role with panache. Esha Deol is excellent in a role that's nothing short of a challenge. It would've boomeranged had it been entrusted to any inferior actor, but Esha is in terrific form here. This should be the turning point in her career. Isha Koppikar doesn't have much to do in the first half, but more than makes her presence felt in the second hour.

Upendra Limaye is fantastic. And so is his colleague [a character called Malati]. Zakir Hussain is superb.

On the whole, DARLING is a well-made product that will find flavor with the multiplex audience mainly. Has the merits to grow with word of mouth!

It's difficult to strike a balance if you sail in two boats. APNA ASMAAN tries to do that and ends up being neither here [appealing to lovers of serious cinema], nor there [appealing to those with an appetite for commercial fares].

Debutante director Kaushik Roy chooses a serious theme to begin with and you expect him to stick to realism as the story unfolds. But somewhere, in between, the film changes lanes and moves away from the core issue. What it sets out to narrate [a moving story of a young boy] and what it eventually narrates [the ills of wealth] come across as two different stories packed in one film.

In a nutshell, it's the writing that lets the film down, yet again. How one wishes Roy would've stuck to the serious issue, instead of spicing up the proceedings in the second hour.

The movie is about today's urban aspirations as represented by a young couple living in Mumbai. The wage earner [Irrfan Khan] works in the field of plastics. His wife [Shobhana] gives up her early promise as a classical dancer in order to settle into marriage, which is threatened when their only son [Dhruv] turns out to be autistic.

His condition distances the parents, the father torn with guilt and the mother craving success points from him. But a drug works wonders on the boy, but at a severe cost.

APNA ASMAAN mirrors certain truths. You identify with the goings-on initially. The portions involving the child and the anxiety of his parents are captivating. The sequence of events that lead to an angry Irrfan Khan injecting the 'Brain Booster' to his son is the highpoint. But things deteriorate the moment the son opens his eyes and become a genius within minutes. Now what was that?

That's not all! He becomes a great mathemagician and starts indulging in all kinds of vices. He even disowns his parents. That's where the writing goes haywire. How and why does he get such negative traits are left unexplained.

The end too is bizarre. The culmination to Anupam Kher's character, plus the son being administered the antidote and the sequences thereafter are difficult to absorb. Actually, it seems quite bizarre.

Director Kaushik Roy knows the technicalities right, but it's the writer in him that lets the director down. Music is strictly okay. Cinematography [Barun Mukherjee] is alright.

Irrfan Khan is good, not excellent -- something that's expected from him, keeping his body of work in mind. Nonetheless, he's brilliant in the sequence when he loses his temper and injects the booster. Shobhana does a fine job. Anupam Kher's character is half-baked. Rajat Kapoor is sidelined. Dhruv is loud.

On the whole, APNA ASMAAN has precious little to offer.

Remaking a yesteryear hit is considered an easy route for winning plaudits and paisa. With a readymade script at your disposal, all you need to do is cast the right set of actors, hire a director who's equally charged to remake the film and who'd do complete justice to the material, retain the popular songs from the original [if need be]… Presto, the new avatar is ready for public viewing!

But the new avatar may not necessarily be as effectual as the original. That holds true for VICTORIA NO. 203, directed by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan. It's a great idea to remake a rollicking entertainer like VICTORIA NO. 203, but the 2007 interpretation lacks the heart and soul of the original.

One of the prime reasons why the original worked was courtesy the fun element, besides packing every available ingredient in those 2 hours. The new version starts off brilliantly, but runs out of breath after the initial 20 minutes. And the graph only goes downhill thereafter.

To sum up, this Victoria is hardly a fun ride. Not all diamonds sparkle!

VICTORIA NO. 203 takes off with a display of diamonds worth Rs. 300 crores. Bobby [Javed Jaffrey], a rich industrialist and his moll Devyani [Preeti Jhangiani], are smitten by the diamonds. Bobby is willing to do anything to acquire them. When the diamond owner denies his offer to buy the diamonds, his ego is hurt. He hires the services of Ranjit [Kamal Sadanah], who in turn hires a burglar, Tora [Tora Khasgir], to steal the diamonds.

Tora performs a daredevil heist and escapes with the diamonds. She has an agenda of her own and plans a double cross with her brother Karan [Rajesh Khera]. Just as she is about to escape, Ranjit stabs her. She escapes though and falls next to Victoria No. 203 in which she hides the diamonds. The Victoria driver Raman [Jatin Sial] offers to take her to the hospital and in the process gets caught by the police, who suspect him for attempted murder.

Raman's daughter Sara [Soniya Vinod Mehra] is forced at this stage to ride the Victoria in order to earn money for her father's trial. She is unaware that she is riding around Mumbai with diamonds worth Rs. 300 crores in her Victoria. Jimmy [Jimmy Joseph], an expert on diamonds, takes a ride on the Victoria and instantly falls in love with Sara.

Raja [Anupam Kher] and Rana [Om Puri] are two small time crooks who are released from jail. They hear about the diamond heist and are extremely impressed, hoping one day they will be able to do something of the sort. All the characters meet in a climax and none of them know where the diamonds actually are.

If you watch VICTORIA NO. 203 with a magnifying glass, you'd agree that it packs every masala on the shelf. There's a heist, there're light moments aplenty [courtesy Raja and Rana], there's emotional bonding [father - daughter], there's romance, a dash of oomph and of course, thrills. And all this is merged to create a wholesome entertainer that doesn't bore you even for a minute.

But the new version looks disjointed. Sure, the script remains the same, but the holding power is clearly missing. The heist at the very start is superb [reminds of SHALIMAR], but the comic scenes are far from funny. You do break into a chuckle at times, but Raja and Rana here aren't as impactful. The comedy falls flat. The romance too is far from exciting. Ditto for the thrills!

Director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan is a talented storyteller, but he's not in his elements this time. The music is a mixed bag. The two tracks from the original ['Do Bechare' and 'Thoda Sa Thehro'] are the only ones that work. Cinematography is eye-catching.

Om Puri is in form, but Anupam Kher isn't. Om seems to be enjoying his part, while Anupam looks mechanical. Jimmy Sheirgill deserved more footage. He's okay. Soniya Vinod Mehra has a long way to go before she can be called an actress. Javed Jaffrey is competent, as always. Preeti Jhangiani is a revelation. She looks alluring and enacts her part well. Kamal Sadanah does a fine job. Tora sizzles. Rajesh Khera and Jatin Sial are wasted.

On the whole, VICTORIA NO. 203 doesn't work. It's a bumpy journey for this Victoria at the box-office!

Let's get one thing straight! To remake a film that not only set box-office records and is referred to as a classic, but also one that by far has the biggest recall value, is playing with aag. Ramgopal Varma, the maverick film-maker, has the courage to remake SHOLAY, a film that continues to be one of the favorite entertainers across the globe.

Comparisons with SHOLAY are obvious and one presumes, RGV knew it all along that's he's bound to feel the heat by those who swear by SHOLAY. To give the credit where it's due, RGV remains faithful to the classic, not once does he deviate from the plot, not once does he twists facts… you know exactly what to expect and where the story is heading.

Jai, Veeru, Thakur, Basanti and above all Gabbar are characters that attained cult status over the years, especially Gabbar. RAMGOPAL VARMA KI AAG does justice to those characters, especially Gabbar, who wore a sinister look on his face all the while. Terror has a new name now. It's Babban!

Shortcomings? Oh yes! The romantic track, involving Ajay - Nisha Kothari, is a yawn. To be more specific, the by-now-famous 'suicide' sequence doesn't work. Prior to that, Prashant and Sushmita's meeting with Nisha's parents to seek her hand in marriage for Ajay also falls flat. Besides, this is not for the faint-hearted who detest violent films. RAMGOPAL VARMA KI AAG is sure to give them hiccups.

To cut a long story short, the comparisons with SHOLAY will tell on RAMGOPAL VARMA KI AAG.

In the dark underbelly of Mumbai city, a nihilistic new leader has risen to rule the fetid underworld. His name is Babban [Amitabh Bachchan]. Cruel beyond imagination, psychotically violent and far more devious than any gangster the city has ever known.

Nobody has ever seen him and if they did, they didn't survive to tell the tale. But one man believed in his existence. And that is Inspector Narsimha [Mohanlal], who has a single-minded determination to finish Babban.

RAMGOPAL VARMA KI AAG is SHOLAY, yet different. Sure, the story is the same, but the setting and interpretation of the story are different, very contemporary. As a storyteller, the RGV stamp is visible in a couple of sequences. Note Bachchan's spine-chilling introduction. Nisha's introductory sequence also makes you break into a chuckle. The Sachin episode that gives birth to a bitter enmity is tremendous. The sequence outside the courtroom [Bachchan - Mohanlal face off] is remarkable. Bachchan avenging his brother's death by eliminating Mohanlal's family is terrifying…

After a riveting first half, the pace suddenly slackens in the post-interval portions. Courtesy: The prem kahani. These scenes are far from exciting and only add to the length of the film. In fact, the second hour should be judiciously trimmed by at least 20/25 minutes so that the events unfold at a feverish pace.

There aren't many songs in the narrative. The song that deserves 10 on 10 is 'Mehbooba'. The track is foot-tapping and Urmila's presence sets the screen ablaze. Abhishek Bachchan's appearance in the number will be greeted with surprise and of course, whistles. The Holi track is interesting as well, more for the picturization, not as much for the tune.

Amit Roy's cinematography is outstanding. Note the scene when Bachchan plays with an apple and simply watch the movement of the camera. Awesome! Dialogues [Sajid-Farhad] are in sync with the mood of the film. Besides, the writers haven't lifted any of those legendary lines ['Kine aadmi thhe?', 'Soja, warna Gabbar aa jaayega', 'Yeh haath mujhe de-de Thakur'], but provide interesting alternatives. Action scenes [Pradhyumna] cater more to the desi audiences. Do not expect the MATRIX stunts here!

Bachchan as Babban is exemplary. The veteran has portrayed a variety of roles in his illustrious career: Vijay in ZANJEER, Vijay in DEEWAAR, Jai in SHOLAY, Anthony Gonsalves in AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY, Don/Vijay in DON, Vijay in TRISHUL, Sikandar in MUQADDAR KA SIKANDAR, Vijay Dinanath Chavan in AGNEEPATH, Baadshah Khan in KHUDA GAWAH, DCP Anant in KHAKEE, Debraj Sahai in BLACK, Sarkar in SARKAR and Eklavya in EKLAVYA. Now add Babban to this enviable list!

Mohanlal is topnotch. He matches up to Bachchan in every sequence. Ajay Devgan is competent and balances the mischievous streak with the serious one with ease. Newcomer Prashant Raj does very well. He stands up to the veterans and looks confident all through. Sushmita Sen is restrained. Her performance is perfect. Nisha Kothari does well in her introductory sequence and maintains the pace all through. Sushant Singh is first-rate. Rajpal Yadav irritates. Virendra Saxena is okay. Rasika Joshi makes her presence felt. Sanjay Narvekar, Jeeva, Raju Mavani, Ravi Kale, J.D. Chekravarthy and Suchitra Krishnamoorthi are adequate.

On the whole, RAMGOPAL VARMA KI AAG has a strong first half, but a lengthy and violent second half plays a spoilsport. At the box-office, the film will find the going tough in the wake of its comparisons with the mighty SHOLAY. Its dull opening coupled with uninspiring publicity [the posters/billboards give an impression of an outdated film] will make a dent in its prospects.

Powerful. Thought-provoking. Disturbing. That sums up DHOKHA, directed by Pooja Bhatt.

After attempting PAAP and HOLIDAY, Pooja charters into a new -- and most difficult -- terrain with DHOKHA. With terrorism raising its ugly head in Hyderabad recently, a film like DHOKHA is all the more topical. In this case, the suicide bomber is the cop's wife. Whew, piping hot stuff indeed!

What sets DHOKHA apart from films of its ilk is that the film never takes sides. It doesn't blame any particular community, in fact it's not pro or anti any religion. It blames the people who spread terror in the name of religion. Also, it denounces terrorism in very clear words. DHOKHA hits where it hurts. You want to know the reason why people turn into jehadis. DHOKHA probes into the issue and provides the answers.

To sum up, DHOKHA is one of the finest and powerful films to come out of the Bhatt camp. This one dares to unruffle a few feathers!

Zaid [Muzamil Ibrahim] is a Muslim police officer in Mumbai. On the night of a deadly bombing at the New Century Club, he works tirelessly to help the shocked and shattered patients brought to the hospital. But this night of turmoil and death takes a horrifying personal turn. His wife's body, the beautiful Sara [Tulip Joshi], is found amongst the dead. Things turn even more horrific when the police coldly announce that Sara's injuries were typical of those found on fundamentalist suicide bombers.

As evidence mounts that his wife, Sara, was responsible for the catastrophic bombing, Zaid is torn between cherished memories of their years together and the inescapable realization that the beautiful woman he loved had a life far removed from their comfortable existence together. DHOKHA is two creative minds at their best -- director Pooja Bhatt and writer Shagufta Rafique. Sure, a film like this is not everyone's idea of entertainment, but let's get real. Cinema isn't only entertainment, but enlightenment. With terrorism raising its ugly head time and again, in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, New York and London, you cannot shut your eyes to all that's happening around us.

DHOKHA tells the story well. The director and her competent writer open the cards at the very outset, within 10 minutes of the start. But it's the second hour that's a complete eye-opener. The ugly past, narrated by Anupam Kher, shakes you completely. Brilliantly penned and executed, you're stunned by the atrocities committed by the men in uniform.

The writing wobbles at times. Take the end, for instance. Ashutosh Rana getting caught for his misdeeds looks too sudden. Prior to that, the confrontation between Munish Makhija and Muzamil, although interesting, is long-drawn and tends to get preachy. However, the climax at a Mumbai Railway Station -- the culmination to the horrific tale -- is spell-binding.

DHOKHA is Pooja's third and also her finest work so far. She has handled the disturbing issue with utmost maturity. Shagufta Rafique's writing packs a solid punch. Music [M.M. Kreem] is soothing and the best part is, it's smartly woven in the narrative. Anshuman Mahaley's cinematography is topnotch.

Muzamil Ibrahim is a discovery to watch. Sure, there're rough edges [at times] that he needs to work on, but considering it's his debut film, he pitches in an incredible performance. A real surprise, a pleasant surprise! Tulip Joshi looks gorgeous and although she hardly has any lines to deliver, she makes it up with the right expressions.

Anupam Kher is first-rate. Only a veteran with a terrific range could've essayed the part with such understanding. Gulshan Grover is perfect. He looks the character. Ashutosh Rana is menacing; very effective. The actor enacting the role of Tulip's brother is good. Bhanu Uday is admirable. Aushima Sawhney does a fine job. Anupam Shyam is alright. Munish Makhija is competent.

On the whole, DHOKHA is a well-made film. At the box-office, it's for multiplexes of big centres mainly.