I was pretty much dragged to watch this film and due to some screw-up in the ticket vending machine, contrived to miss the initial 5-10 minutes. Thankfully, I didn't miss much.
Apparently inspired by Nick of Time and the Filipino flick, Cavite, most of the reviews have been glowing and have predictably lauded Rajeev Khandelwal for his portrayal as the hapless doctor-hero. But, credit must go where it's due: the screenplay. A majority of Hindi films compensate for poor screenplays by over-the-top lines and unnecessarily slick cinematography. Aamir scores here because of its length, dictated by a simple and tight plot.
Having said that, I found a couple of scenes bit strange for my taste. For instance, what happened to the constable who chases Aamir after he makes the long-distance call? And why did he chase in the first place if he was in cahoots with the booth-owner? Also, the analogy of using a wound-up drum-beating doll as the remotely-controlled Aamir was a bit jarring and too obvious. However, these are small nitpicks in a flowing canvas and don't take anything away from the point being driven: that Mumbai (and India, by natural extension) is as much about the poor souls as it is about the wealthy, famous, and powerful.
In terms of performances, the director, Rajkumar Gupta, deserves the kudos for penning and executing a tight thriller, something Bollywood is not prone to do. It would be interesting to see the kind of fare he dishes out in the future. Next is Gajraj Rao, who breathes spiteful vengeance with his malevolent rhetoric. Jhilmil Hazarika, as the leering hooker, is crass and clichéd. The rest of them are just there to make up the numbers. However, Rajeev couldn't have asked for a better launch vehicle, given a meaty role most seasoned actors would give their right hands for. He emotes accurately at the right moments and as the bread winning protagonist, appeals to middle-class families.
Watch it without any expectations, but whether you want to delude yourself by thinking it can't happen to you, is completely up to you.
Apparently inspired by Nick of Time and the Filipino flick, Cavite, most of the reviews have been glowing and have predictably lauded Rajeev Khandelwal for his portrayal as the hapless doctor-hero. But, credit must go where it's due: the screenplay. A majority of Hindi films compensate for poor screenplays by over-the-top lines and unnecessarily slick cinematography. Aamir scores here because of its length, dictated by a simple and tight plot.
Having said that, I found a couple of scenes bit strange for my taste. For instance, what happened to the constable who chases Aamir after he makes the long-distance call? And why did he chase in the first place if he was in cahoots with the booth-owner? Also, the analogy of using a wound-up drum-beating doll as the remotely-controlled Aamir was a bit jarring and too obvious. However, these are small nitpicks in a flowing canvas and don't take anything away from the point being driven: that Mumbai (and India, by natural extension) is as much about the poor souls as it is about the wealthy, famous, and powerful.
In terms of performances, the director, Rajkumar Gupta, deserves the kudos for penning and executing a tight thriller, something Bollywood is not prone to do. It would be interesting to see the kind of fare he dishes out in the future. Next is Gajraj Rao, who breathes spiteful vengeance with his malevolent rhetoric. Jhilmil Hazarika, as the leering hooker, is crass and clichéd. The rest of them are just there to make up the numbers. However, Rajeev couldn't have asked for a better launch vehicle, given a meaty role most seasoned actors would give their right hands for. He emotes accurately at the right moments and as the bread winning protagonist, appeals to middle-class families.
Watch it without any expectations, but whether you want to delude yourself by thinking it can't happen to you, is completely up to you.