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Film: "Raqeeb"; Cast: Rahul Khanna, Sharman Joshi, Jimmy Shergil, Tanushree Dutta; Director: Anurag Singh; Rating: * From
director Anurag Basu's "Metro" last week to Anurag Singh's "Raqeeb"
this week - what a gigantic leap in terms of vision, intent and impact!
Outwardly
both "Metro" and "Raqeeb" are contemporary in content. They make more
than whispering mentions of sex, sexuality, cyber-sleaze and other
supposedly scandalous and hitherto-taboo subjects.
In one of the
initial sequences, the benign Rahul Khanna shouts, "I'm not gay!" to
Tanushree Dutta across an eatery and then proceeds to smooch her to
prove so.Well Mr Director, tongues do lie, you know!
"Raqeeb" is so busy trying to shock us with its high-voltage wantonness, it forgets to pause for refuelling its creative motors.
The
narrative moves at a breakneck speed creating a highly charged
sexually-defiant version of Abbas-Mustan's "Humraaz" about the
benevolent husband, the adulterous wife and her amoral lover. Jimmy
Shergil sports theatrical rhetorics, and flowing henna-coloured hair
that really doesn't suit him.
There are three heroes, one
heroine, two item songs, three romantic songs, three attempted murders
and a couple of funerals. There's also a rather vulgar item song by
starlet Sherlyn Chopra.
Even the film's only main female lead,
Tanushree, dresses and acts like an item-girl. And to impress the naпve
millionaire Rahul Khanna, she also claims to enjoy Shakespeare.
Sure,
we believe you. As much as we believe in the fast-paced film's perverse
quadrangle, featuring three besotted men and one girl. Tanushree does
have potential... if only she would stop doing such inconsistent roles.
Director Anurag Singh cuts his material with the relish of a chef carving turkey for a thanks-giving dinner.
Alas,
there isn't much to be thankful for in "Raqeeb". Unless you're looking
at the scenic locations where the songs are shot - the pristine-blue
waters and pure-white sands.
Pritam's soundtrack goes by the crass requirements of the narrative.
By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service
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