The Hindu : Karnataka News : Best not to go gaga over Radio

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Sunday, Dec 06, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Best not to go gaga over Radio

TUNED OUT: A frothy tale of relationships turns unintentionally into a comedy.

Radio (Hindi)

Cast: Himesh Reshammiya, Shehnaz Tresurywala, Sonal Sehgal

Director: Ishaan Trivedi

There was a time when music videos were the rage and each used to tell a story in five minutes.

In fact, Himesh Reshammiya’s burning desire to act on the big screen was ignited after he tried his limited skills to good effect in these videos.

Director Ishaan Trivedi presents Radio as one such long video shot aesthetically on a decent budget with some lively songs.

It has a single-line storyline. RJ Vivan is confused whether he loves his colleague (Shehnaz Treasurywala) or still has some feelings for his ex-wife (debutante Sonal Sehgal). It is a complicated thought that can only be resolved by the last stanza of a music video.

Somehow, the director has got it into his head that a complicated thought demands a convoluted screenplay. So he opens a chapter for almost every scene with ‘It’s Complicated’ stamped on it. Himesh Reshmmaiya has shed his cap and nasal twang to play Vivan.

His hard work is laudable, but his ambitions are not.

The man is moving away from his strength, sad image backed by emotional songs where his nose plays a decisive role. He is not an actor and can’t deliver.

The sooner he accepts the fact, the better it is for him and the audience, who have to suffer him here in a frothy tale of relationships meant for young things. Like for instance Shehnaz Treasurywala who looks very much the part as the giggly RJ besotted with Vivan.

Amidst plenty of non-action, when the screenplay reaches a point where both the girls are interested in Vivan, the film unintentionally turns into a comedy of sorts.

Time and again, Ishaan tries to rev up the script with some jokes, but most fall flat. Paresh Rawal is wasted for the second time this week. Paa doesn’t need him, here he is not used intelligently.

Himesh likes to laugh at himself and it does work for some time. But soon it becomes irritating as Vivan takes two hours to make up his mind even as the writing is on the wall from the first roll. When nothing works, breaking plates is propped up as a stress buster. Puerile!

This Radio demands some expert tuning.

A.K.

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