*Mild spoilers. Nothing maaaajor.* I'm not a fan of these inspirationalll movies where the hero/heroine sets out to do this great big deed, where everyone is against him/her, but then sheer hard work and perseverence and the fact that they "believe" makes them succeed. Bunch-a codswallop, really. If I wanted motivation, I'd read some sappy self help book (I hate those too, by the way.)
So, I knew exactly what I was getting into while I bought the tickets of AN. And while I dragged my grumbly, sulky best friend, who hates sappy movies more than I do. I managed to persuade her with, "It's Madhuri. Come on. We have to." (Uhhh. I also had to bribe her with the concept of nachos - her eternal weakness.)
Madhuri. She was pretty much the reason I went for this movie. I love Madhuri Dixit. I always have. Since I was an ickle toddler, capabale of moving around unassisted, I've been gyrating to "Ek Do Teen".... Madhuri, to me, symbolises the 90's. My "era". Of suggestive lyrics and crazy costumes and crazyyyyy gyrating dance moves that can be only found in the 90s. From the "dhak dhak"s to the "Channe ke khet mein", she's entertained me for a long long time.
So, the story is nothing great. Quite predictable. Dia (Madhuri Dixit) heads back to India, when a sudden phone call informs her that the man who taught her to dance, to live, is dying. She comes home to find her beloved theatre, where she spent many a happy day, about to be demolished. Dia talks to the MP of the area (Akshaye Khanna), who informs her that a shopping mall is to be built where Ajanta theatre stands. He challenges Dia to produce a show, with people from the town, and that too in 2 months. Dia takes up the challenge.
There starts Dia's challenge. The people of Shamili are not very accepting. They seem to shun her because of what happened in the past. Dia starts to cast auditions for the play. She manages to gather a motley crew of "actors" : Imran Pathan (Kunal Kapoor)- an interestingly named young man, who, despite his name, seems to pay no interest to cricket, much to my disappointment, since he's named after two great cricketers. He's the local mawali, the right hand man of a local politician, who is forced into the role of Majnu, much to his annoyance. Anokhi (Konkona) - The tomboy of the town, one with a perpetual runny nose, and a die hard crush on Imran. Mr Chojar (Vinay Pathak) - The govt. official, whose wife terms him boring, who secretly joins to prove to his wife that he is fun loving too. Mohan (Ranvir Shorey) - the local tea stall owner, who has always loved Dia. [Sandeep??] Mehta (Jugal Hansraj) - an insurance agent, who doesnt seem to sell much insurance. And so on. Slowly, Dia makes actors and dancers of all of them, and they work towards putting a spectacular show on. But will they be able to?
Performances:
Madhuri Dixit: She was OK. Not spectacular. But then, this wasn't a high performance role, like her role in Devdas. She looks slightly old in a few scenes and her Yank/Indian hybrid accent gets on your nerves at times.
Kunal Kapoor: Now he was the reason I really sat through the movie. I really like Kunal, especially since he was the only shining light in an otherwise pathetic Rang De Basanti. Also, I wasn't expecting much from him, as he was HIGHLY ANNOYING in LCMD. But then so was everyone else in the movie, so I guess he was trying to just fit in and blend. As scruffy Imran, who is roped into the romantic role of Majnu, vehemently against his wishes, he's quite funny at parts. Not to mention that he's exceptionalllllly hot. I love you Kunalll Kapoor!!!!!!!!!!!! đł *kishies*
Konkona: Annoying. She should stick to Mr and Mrs Iyer and all that. This commercial naach gaana isn't for her. đ¤˘
Jugal Hansraj: Endearing. đ
Vinay Pathak and Ranvir Shorey: I love these two. I do. I completelyy adore them. Both their characters were sweet and endearing and make you go AWWWWWWWWWWW. đł
Akshaye Khanna: Now his was an interesting character. As the local MP, he wants to build a mall where the theatre is. But he finds her determination both amusing and intriguing and challenges her to put up a show within the two months. But you'd think, as the local bigwig, he'd do all that he can to sabotage her plans. But he doesn't. He wants what the people of Shamili truly want. And if that's Ajanta theatre, so be it. So, he sits back and watches Dia build the show up. I've always liked Akshaye Khanna and this time was no different. Wish he'd do more movies though. đ
Now, I'm no professional dancer, but my majorrrrrr grouse with the movie is the choreography. In my opinion, it was HORRENDOUS. To work with a dancer like Madhuri Dixit and to give her such horrible steps is a crime on the part of Vaibhavi Merchant. They all look grating and weird, with most of them giving you the feeling that you've seen them before in some other song. The first westernish song is particularly annoying, sounding and looking like it was lifted from some 80's Michael Jackson song. Gahhhhh, SOOOOO ANNOYING. And that "Yeh Ishq" song? The less said, the better. Every time Madhuri does the step during the chorus, it's like having surgery with your anesthesia wearing off. Numbing and painful at the same time. And the pain doesn't wear off with every passing time she does it. It hits you wave after wave. Vaibhavi Merchant may have had hits with Kajra Re and Crazy Kiya Re, but she ought to be flogged to death for the dance steps in this movie. Why wasn't Saroj Khan, or even Farah Khan roped in for this movie, which is Madhuri's big comeback is beyond my understanding. Ok I understand Farah may have given up choreography except for her own movies, but at least Saroj Khan. Come on. So overall, an OK movie. A fun watch, if you're in the mood for something to pass your time. đ
Overall rating: 5/10 Edited by darkness_123 - 17 years ago
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