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Film: "Naqaab"; Director: Abbas-Mustan; Cast: Akshaye Khanna,
Bobby Deol, Urvashi Sharma; Ratings: * 1/2 Come, bask in the mask.
If you want to see a smile-worthy sangam (blend) of tradition and
trend, then try "Naqaab". On the one hand there's the ultra-hip
super-cool Kiss-Miss Sophia (newcomer Urvashi) who lives in with
Richie Rich Bobby Deol and romances the devil-may-care dude
(Akahaye Khanna) and even runs away from her church wedding (a la
Julia Roberts in "Runaway Bride").
But get this contradiction. On the other hand when the clandestine
couple Khanna and Urvashi break into a mela song, Abbas-Mustan
(bless their suspenseful soul) does a quick dissolve with the
camera to indicate to the audience that the song is a dream
sequence.
The problem with our cinema is, it takes on the mantle of the new
millennium without knowing where it is going.
In "Naqaab", the female protagonist goes from being a flaky burger
waitress in a Dubai restaurant to an unsuspecting actress in a
reality film to a vengeful Mata Hari ... to God knows what else.
Ooof .... this time Abbas-Mustan tires us out. Gone is the well
thought-out paciness of "Baazigar", "Soldier", "Humraaz" and
"Aitraaz". There're many wheels within wheels simulating a sense
of well-oiled movement in the plot.
But check the editing patterns (Hussain Burmawala). The narrative
is just not getting anywhere. Yup, this time Abbas-Mustan have lost
the plot.
Some early scenes when Akshaye, playing a struggling actor, and
Urvashi, playing a grappling go-getter, have a punchy perkiness.
One episode of masti (fun) between the couple in a posh hotel
(where Khanna treats Urvashi to a banquet by ordering for room
service from a foyer phone) seems to have been ripped off from
Vikram Bhatt's "Life Mein Kabhie Kabhiee".
But what the heck! There's a mood of anything-goes in the
first-half that doesn't quite get into the required tempo.
Abbas-Mustan's creative output has lately been on the decline.
"Naqaab" makes you feel they are now lunging for effect. Even when
the earlier films were Hollywood rip offs they conveyed a sense of
streamlined momentum.
Everything in "Naqaab" is calculated for an effect. And that goes
for the characters too. They are constantly trying to be what they
are not, and therefore perpetually tying themselves up in knots.
Most of this film is about a whacked-out filmmaker shooting a
secret improvised reality-film with characters that are actors
rather than characters and is shot on elaborately done-up sets
representing cool clubs and sweaty bedrooms. They add to the
feeling of claustrophobia that assails us from all sides.
Akshaye Khanna and Bobby Deol struggle to establish a sense of
logic to the wacky plot. Khanna succeeds to some extent. Bobby,
veering from devoted passion to demented creativity, fails.
The new girl Urvashi seems to have some fun playing the feisty miss
who's engaged to a placid tycoon and is swept off her feet by a
wicked stranger.
"Mills & Boon"? That's old world. Kick off your shoes and
enter Abbas-Mustan's web of virtual reality.
Here, anything can happen. Alas, nothing does. At least nothing to
sink our teeth into.
By Subhash K. Jha
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