Andhra Pradesh   

Hashmi does what he does aksar

THREE IS COMPANY: Emraan Hashmi, Dino Morea and Udita Goswami on `Aksar'.

Aksar (Hindi)

Cast: Emraan Hashmi,

Dino Morea and Udita

Goswami

Director:

Ananth Mahadevan

This one is a sinner's paradise. Right at the beginning we have Emraan Hashmi emerging from the ruins. The walls in the background need a fresh coat of plaster and paint. Hashmi needs to strip off a layer of lopsided masculine growth on his face.

We have Udita Goswami, she of dazed looks, pouting lips; she who believes life is but a ramp. Walk the walk and everything will fall into place! She gives us ample opportunity to survey her ample midriff. The camera does not linger as much at the top. Or the face. Can't blame the poor Nikon though: she looks tired, jaded, faded. Just like a woman who has not slept a wink for a couple of nights.

Skin show

And what do Hashmi and Goswami do? Well, Hashmi does what he does aksar: lip to lip, hands clasping hands.... The masses whistle. Then he does it again. And again. Then enters Dino Morea who still treats film sets as an extension of his modelling days. That is when Ananth Mahadevan raises his hitherto minor crime to the level of a sin. Morea plays a cuckold who himself believes in serial loyalty, and rediscovers his misplaced manhood and love on seeing his lady with another man. Interesting? Yes, the story of a man who hires a guy to serenade his wife holds promise. And one just about manages to nudge oneself into believing that Bollywood is finally turning the corner. That the industry is making bold to tackle subjects which rubbish stereotypes.

Storyline

After all, leave a "Shabd" here or "Astitva" there, how many films talk of a man's insecurity in marriage? Hold on, don't rush to give too much credit to Mahadevan. We soon discover we are actually watching a formula film. And decides that a suspense thriller with one of the men bumped off might just be a cleverer twist! If Mahadevan needed help to make "Aksar" little more than a few minutes' watch, he gets it from his lead trio.

They are so consistent in their performance that no emotion other than boredom registers on their face, spontaneity is unheard of, and method acting is actually another expression for rehearsed lines. Tired? Yes, trees may be able to act, but who is to make Morea and Hashmi nurture anything other than a logwood expression?

As for Goswami, well, she is still a babe lost in the woods. She should stay there. And cinemagoers, not interested in a skin show, not swaying to Himesh Reshammiya's music, can stay home.

ZIYA US SALAM

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Sarpanches' rally turns violent in Andhra Pradesh
Hashmi does what he does aksar
The message goes missing
A stale tale
Utsav mela
Announcement
Briefly

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu