Welcome to the real world of the reel whirl. It’s 3-D battle at the boxoffice this week. Strangely all the three releases this week have titles beginning with the letter ‘D’ And all three have a social relevance beyond entertainment. I don’t know who Kamal Khan is . But his Desh Drohi addresses itself to the anti-North-India wave in Maharashtra. It does seem like a case of simply cashing in on a headline. But then who’s anyone to judge anyone’s artistic integrity ?
Who’s to say Karan Johar‘s colourful and much talked-about gay satire Dostana with the characters dressed in sunny attire , is any less socially relevant than Desh Drohi?
Dostana is an important film for Priyanka who goes from being seriously motivated in Fashion to being fashionably frisky in Dostana dressed in the skimpiest of beach wear.
Versatility at its ‘vest’ ? And if we’re to judge a film by its cast then every film featuring Sanjay Dutt should get the cash counters delirious. But that’s not the case. His latest release EMI, though a brave and relevant effort, has opened to average houses.
This is Dutt’s second non-performer in a row.Unlike Kidnap, EMI has redeemable ideas thoughts and moments all held together by the director’s tongue-in-cheel treatment of the loan scheme.
Coming to the third D-titled film this week, Dasvidaniya(goodbye in Russian), is a product of the Losers Inc. house of unheroic heroes. If it does well, the talented Vinay Pathak can claim he’s more than just Bheja Fry-day. He could make every variation of Dasvidanya including Sayonara, Adios and Au Revoir. Kabhie dasvidaniyan na kehna, eh?
While debutant director Saurabh Kabra’s EMI was an absolute original last week Rajshri release Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi was a straight-off remake of the Rajshris’ 1970s’ parivaarik blockbuster Tapasya about a woman played by Raakhee Gulzar who sacrifices marriage children and personal happiness to look after her young siblings.
Siblings grow up to be….well, not exactly selfcentred monsters, but close enough.
The charm of Tapasya lay in its ability to make the central character soft vulnerable and yet a woman in-charge.
Isha Koppikar in the central role struggles hard to get it right.
My main worry is not pretty Isha but the Rajshris. Why are they constantly remaking their own films? Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon reprised the Rajshris’ Chitchor, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun was Nadiya Ke Paar revisited and now Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi is Tapasya.
Is Bollywood so short of original scripts, or just lazy? The good news is that Ek Vivaah….. opened to sizeable crowds in Bihar and UP. In Bihar it opened two days ahead of other centres on the occasion of the Chath festival.
In vital ways Dostana about two heterosexuals masquerading as homosexuals is the opposite of Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi. While one is about sexual innuendos the other is about sexual innocence.
Let’s see where we go from here.
Star Of The Week: Sanjay Dutt in EMI. Goofy and uncertain about the ways of romance Dutt as the loan collector allows himself to look foolish as the worldly-wise Arjun Rampal prepares him for a date with the lovely widow Urmila Matondkar. Dutt’s expressions of unconditional devotion at the romantic candle-lit dinner at the pier are endearing in their directness. This is Munnabhai on the dock.
By Subhash K Jha
