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[Sharmila-Sweet]

Kurbaan Film Review [SPOILERS]

First things first. Kudos to Karan Johar for shifting gears completely and entering into serious territory. Of course, we do love him for his K-class cinema: all his crunchy popcorn films beginning with K, ever since Kuch Kuch Hota Hai redefined mainstream romance. But Kurbaan doesn't need the popcorn at all. It keeps the screen on overboil for most of its screen time with its hard-hitting storyline that dares to venture into undefined territory.

Like Khuda Kay Liye, Kurbaan too looks at the other side of Islamic fundamentalism and puts the post 9/11 tumult in perspective. Who are these guys who carry anger in their hearts, revenge in their heads and bombs in their pockets? Why are they hell bent on blasting the world, irrespective of the anguish it spells to all and sundry? Can there be a purpose behind their madness? Is one man's terrorist actually another man's activist? Kurbaan, written by Karan Johar, raises these pertinent - and extremely topical - questions, without glossing over the one undeniable truth: a suicide bomber can never solve the inequities of the world, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, notwithstanding.

So we have Ehsan Khan (Saif Ali Khan), the Pakistani who lost his wife and kid to American excesses, seething with a desire to avenge his loss. He isn't the archetypal, skull-capped, bearded fundoo, mouthing soliloquies on jihad and intifada (uprising). On the contrary, he's suave, sophisticated and a charmer, tutoring the world on the misconceptions of Islam in the modern world. Small wonder then he manages to win the heart of college professor Avantika (Kareena Kapoor) and follows her to New York on her stint with NYU. But the domestic idyll is short-lived as Avantika soon discovers it isn't her neighbours (the Afghani extended family, headed by Om Puri) alone who have suspicious antecedents. Husband Ehsan too is an integral part of the plot to bomb America for its excesses against Muslims, the world over.

In a classroom sequence, the film tries to put Islamic fundamentalism in perspective by linking the rise of the Muslim terrorist to America's oil-grabbing foreign policy and its questionable attempts at destabilising oil rich countries in order to remain a superpower. Almost every member of the sleeper cell that comprises the Afghan family has a sad story of loss and horror that drove them into becoming fidayeens (suicide bombers). And before you begin to question the filmmakers for going too lenient on terrorism, you find Avantika who remains a non-convert till the very end. Articulating the voice of reason - and non-violence - she questions her husband and oscillates between love and hate for the man who has fathered her child. A prisoner in her own house, her only hope is Riyaaz (Viveik Oberoi), the undercover journalist who has his story of personal loss that pitches him on the other side in this war. He is determined to fight the terrorists and derail their plot of bombing America.

Karan Johar's story has gravitas. Renzil D'Silva's narrative keeps you on the edge of the seat, for most of the time. Salim Suleiman's music score has a melodious feel. Hemant Chaturvedi's cinematography serenades both Delhi, where the Saif-Kareena romance blossoms and New York, where it cracks up. And the performances by almost all the lead characters are gritty. If Om Puri paints a chilling picture of the terrorist who masquerades in the garb of the commoner and Kiron Kher makes the myth of a suicide bomber plausible, then Viveik Oberoi lends credibility to the voice of the progressive Muslim. But it is the chemistry between Saif and Kareena that lights up the film as the duo bring to life a picture of passion and restraint as the doomed lovers. We do however wish their relationship had a stronger emotional graph, post the startling revelation. How did the duo contend with the fear, hate and disillusion that crept in after Saif revealed his true identity: a bit more on that? And a bit less in the length of the film which could do with some taut editing in the second half. Also, there are a few inconsistencies that mar the film's realism. Why does the FBI loom large like a know-it-all, do-it-all figure? Not only do the FBI sleuths always be a step ahead of the terrorists and arrest them without actually knowing who they exactly are, they also emerge unscathed in a suicide bombing attacking where almost everybody crumbles. Super Uncle Sam, did we say!
But Kurbaan sure does strike a chord and sets you thinking on stuff that needs to be sorted out before the new world order - a more humanitarian, less violent - sets in. Don't miss it.

A word about

Performances: Saif and Kareena transport their off screen tuning to the big screen. While their passionate encounters are a class in aesthete, their delineation of Ehsan and Avantika is mature, restrained and realistic. Om Puri, Kiron Kher and Viveik Oberoi are in sync too.
Music: While Salim-Suleiman have come up with an entire audio track which fits in with the ambience of the film, it is Shukran Allah and the title track, Kurbaan Hua which have lingering notes. More importantly, the songs blend in seamlessly with the story and have not been filmed as your run-of-the-mill song-dance numbers.

Dialogue: The conversation amidst the diverse protagonists has a realistic edge and seem straight out of life. It's only when he tries to explain the theoretical basis of Islamic fundamentalism that Anurag Kashyap, dialogue writer, seems to enter the realm of text-book knowledge. The exposition seems a rattling of newspapers headlines.

Story: Karan Johar explores new depths with his insightful story on the world's most pressing problem: terrorism.

Cinematography: Hemant Chaturvedi uses his camera deftly to create stunning vignettes of Delhi and New York, without losing out on the seriousness of the plot.

Styling: Kareena looks svelte in dresses and tights and brings to life a glamorous professor who dons the hijab with equal felicity. Saif is his usual dapper self, making casual seem haute.


TOI

[Sharmila-Sweet]

Do Dooni Chaar: Movie Review

7 October 2010, 12:48pm ISTlGaurav Malani/INDIATIMES MOVIES


Director: Habib Faisal
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Aditi Vasudev, Archit Krishna
Rating: 3/5


Do not put two and two together and presume that a small-budget film without any big star value would end up being an average fare. Do Dooni Chaar is delightfully different cinema. It has a solid story idea supported by some excellent acting talents.

Never has the middleclass family been portrayed on the Indian screen with such authenticity since Sai Paranjape’s films or, in more recent times, with the likes of Khosla Ka Ghosla . So here you have a mathematics schoolteacher Santosh Duggal (Rishi Kapoor) who struggles to make ends meet for his family of four. Wife Kusum Duggal (Neetu Kapoor) manages the domestic arithmetic by keeping a tab on the household expenses. Daughter Payal Duggal (Aditi Vasudev) desires for an affluent lifestyle and son Sandy Duggal (Archit Krishna) secretly attempts to upgrade his standard of living by dabbling into betting business.

Santosh’s extra earnings from coaching classes can’t suffice his middleclass family’s high class aspirations. Even a measly raise in monthly income in the form of trivial tax returns has too many takers. But the real journey starts when the scooter-ridden Santosh Duggal decides to buy his family a four wheeler. Careworn between car models, bank loans, EMI and down payments, Santosh attempts everything possible to make his automobile fantasy turn into reality.

The entire film runs on a single conflict (Duggals purchasing a car), yet at no point the narrative gets one-dimensional or monotonous. The solitary dream that the protagonists passionately chase through the film bring back memories of neo-realistic classics like Do Bigha Zameen or the Iranian gem Children of Heaven . However the film, at no point, gets depressing and director Habib Faisal keeps the proceedings lighthearted yet pragmatic throughout and also opts for a happy yet achievable end.

What makes you connect compellingly with the chronicles of the Duggal family is the fact that, at some point or the other in life, you must have certainly come across such characters, conflicts or crisis. The car basically stands as an allegory for anything that you sought or strived to achieve in life. The writing by Habib Faisal and Rahil Qazi is very optimistic and laden with eventful episodes that keep you engaged. The characters are strongly developed, straight out of real life, charming and ones that you can easily relate to. The dialogues have a strong Delhi flavour and are funny, witty and, at times, very thoughtful.

Though Santosh Duggal is susceptible to situations, what makes him a true hero is the fact that he never resorts to anything dishonest. Yet the film never gets preachy in its outlook, despite the fact that Santosh is a teacher. Even when he gets to know about his son’s wrongdoings, rather than getting livid, he takes his son for a roadside feast and strikes a conversation which is casual yet so mature. This well-worded scene is one of the warmest father-son relationships portrayed onscreen in a long long time. Santosh’s bonding with his younger sister (Supriya Shukla) is so endearingly hilarious. Interestingly the younger generation Duggal siblings have no saccharine-coated affection for each other and are absolutely indifferent of each other’s existence – so very characteristic of today’s youth.

Director Habib Faisal resorts to minimalism in narrating a decent and delectable family drama. The characters he creates are likeable and their conflicts are relatable. The climax could have been more interesting. Nevertheless the movie succeeds in sustaining a sweet smile on your face throughout its runtime and that’s an achievement for a debutante director.

Art director Mukund Gupta perfectly sets the ambience for a middleclass house crammed with furnishings. The music by Meet Brothers is peppy and goes with the flow of the film. Aarti Bajaj crisply edits the film never letting you lose the narrative.

This is the perfect return ‘vehicle’ for Neetu Kapoor who gets to portray a well-etched character. Despite playing a mother, she gets to play the central protagonist and is not relegated to being a part of the secondary cast. Both, her beauty and her performance prowess, have not diluted one bit over the years. To see Rishi Kapoor play a suitable and sensible lead character is a treat. The vulnerability, spontaneity and maturity that he brings to Santosh Duggal is admirable. The chemistry between Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor is never exaggerated in the film and yet they seem to be so comfortably compatible with each other.

Both the kids – Aditi Vasudev and Archit Krishna are gifted natural actors, unlike the typical sugarcoated children in most films. They play their parts to perfection. Supriya Shukla and Rajesh Vivek are hilarious. The casting of the film is flawless with even the secondary cast actors coming up with impeccable performances.

This is ‘car’efully crafted charming cinema. Do not miss Do Dooni Chaar !