Lockdown blues? A surfeit of kidnap thrillers like the #Taken franchise, action potboilers like #Extraction and sinister Arabic dialects like in #Fauda? I watched a film that looked inspired by all this and set up an interesting first-half to then demolish everything in the second and make it look like a spoof!
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews #KhudaHafiz, the new #VidyutJaamwal starrer released last week on #DisneyPlusHotstar.
1. The first half is eminently watchable. It is 2008 and the scene is Lucknow. An industrious looking young man gets married to a comely looking girl. Both are working professionals and set out on their journey. The economic depression sets in and both lose their jobs. They apply for work in a foreign land, only to be sucked into a web of kidnapping, drugs and violence. So far so good. Actually, all good. It is refreshing to see #VidyutJaamwal in a different role as Sameer and #ShivaleekaOberoi as Nargis. They get married and look like the perfect couple, looking to build their life together. A shady looking travel agent sets them up for trouble. One phone call from Nargis stating that she is in trouble. The only thing missing was the classic Liam Neeeson touch of “Goodluck” or “I will come for you, will find you and kill you!”. I actually grabbed that bowl of popcorn and settled down to something special unfolding!
2. The fantastic locales of Noman (shot in Uzbekistan) and the cars, bike and fight sequences are a treat to watch. #AnnuKapoor as the genial Usman Ali Murad also in place to offer local support. But then I did not bargain for these:
a. Horrendous sounding Arabic twang first from #AnnuKapoor and then from the ISA (!!) officials played by #AhaanaKumra and #ShivPandit. As they roll their tongues over the rrrr s, your insides churn and threaten to pop the popcorn back into the bowl!
b. #ShivPandit in particular as Faiz Abu Malik is a character that is so badly visualised its actually funny!
c. Nargis looks all drugged and woozy in the first half (a la Taken style) but miraculously becomes all radiant and alert in a dulhan avatar in the second inside a trailer with the other women!
d. The Indian ambassador or the official breaks into a line of Arabic but thinks his role is to plead and wring his hands at every given occasion!
3. As a result of all this, you actually end up wishing that #VidyutJaamwal would actually take off his shirt, grab that AK47 and jump off the railings. His wide-eyed fear struck common man avatar is unpalatable!
4. Cinematographer #JitanHarmatSingh does do a decent job of capturing the locales and the fight scenes well. In particular, the scene where the mob is pulling the couple apart is extremely well captured!
5. Director #FarukKabir had noble intentions and almost managed to pull off an international looking action-crime-thriller but the second half caves in on the back of poor writing, confused characterisation and terrible screenplay. The dream sequence at the end is poorly conceptualised and totally out of place.
#KhudaHafiz leaves you frustrated because there was so much going for it. At the end, it is an object lesson that you may get all the ingredients right, but that does not merit the best final dish!
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