The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Smart narrative meets deft camera work

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Smart narrative meets deft camera work

Arresting: A still from ‘Tum Mile’.

Film: Tum Mile

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Soha Ali Khan

Direction: Kunal Deshmukh

Turning natural calamity into a character is known to be a Hollywood speciality and trimming every exotic speciality to suit the Indian palette is a forte of Bollywood’s good old Bhatt Brothers. This time round it is the much talked about Mumbai rain and floods of July 2005 that provide this love story its bargaining power at the box office.

Director Kunal Deshmukh, who surprised us not long ago with Jannat, once again shows that the usual could be made arresting with a smart narrative technique and deft camera work. Humungous budgets are not always necessary to create the impact of a monumental tragedy. Add to it competent performances here by Emraan Hashmi and Soha Ali Khan and you have a film which touches you where it matters. And when it drags, Pritam fills in with some pulsating tunes.

Emraan plays Akshay, a struggling artiste who paints truth and to eke out a living part-times as a delivery boy. He falls in love with well-heeled writer Sanjana (Soha Ali Khan) whose heart beats for environmental issues before Akshay brushes everything aside. All is well till Sanjana moves to live in with Akshay. As usual after the initial mush, the economic divide starts to make its presence felt but refreshingly Kunal has kept the tone in check. Despite ample scope, neither of the characters resorts to loud histrionics. It is all subtle, sensitive and, most importantly, mature. So are his biting comments on the elitist world of art, which suggest that Mahesh Bhatt’s ghoul is round the corner.

It is another matter that Kunal takes the liberty to set the subject in South Africa without any valid reason. After the sparring in South Africa, the two meet again in Mumbai on what turns out to be the eve of the natural catastrophe and the rest is predictable.

Yes, the metaphor that relationships, like environment, should be handled with care does ring a bell.

Soha was deft as the control freak in Dil Kabaddi and here again she is at ease portraying similar shades. She is shedding inhibitions in more ways than one. Here she helps Emraan get away from his core constituency.

Kunal has accentuated her strengths. You believe her when she says she doesn’t laugh at Akshay’s lowbrow jokes but Akshay himself.

Emraan loves to play within his range and here as the uncompromising artiste he plays out his characteristic raw emotions in a refined environment. Don’t expect a deluge, and you won’t be disappointed!

ANUJ KUMAR

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