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In the
picture
Aa Dekhen Zara***
*ing:
Neil Nitin Mukesh, Bipasha Basu and Rahul Dev
Directed by Jehangir Surthi
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Money
is power. Power is seduction. It can seduce anyone, even the simplest
of men. Can one cheat death? Can fate be fought? These are the questions
that Aa Dekhen Zara poses as a film.
But make no mistake. This isn't a moralistic film. It is pure suspense
with a dose of fantasy but the questions keep coming back as the
film progresses and therein lies the beauty of this film.
The young hunk Neil Nitin Mukesh plays Ray Acharya, a freelance,
broke and struggling photographer who is a straightforward enough
guy. With the death of his grandfather, Ray inherits a camera that
can take pictures of the future. But there is a catch. A black photo
means death.
On the other hand is his neighbour, the beautiful Bipasha Basu (Simi
Chatterjee) who is a DJ. As they fall in love and Ray figures out
the real purpose of this futuristic camera, one is taken on an adrenaline
ride that gains pace as the reel rolls on.
As Ray makes the moolah, he changes. A small time photographer is
suddenly wearing Armani suits and driving around in a Mercedes.
Personal gain and greed should not be toyed with. But human beings
are flawed and greed finds its way into Ray's life very quickly
despite the fact that he plays a genuinely upright fellow, one whose
motivation was never money in the first place. Lack of opportunities
in the harsh city of Mumbai pushes him towards the shortcuts. But
there are consequences. And those consequences are the real reason
why Aa Dekhen Zara is worth a watch. |
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Relationships
are put to some serious tests as the lovebirds struggle amidst
lies, deception and run out of options quickly. As they move
from Mumbai to Bangkok, the action sequences start and because
they are few of them, they stand out. This is not an out and
out dhishum dhamaka film and that is a relief. A jump from
a high-rise building by Neil Nitin and Bipasha stands out.
The whole idea of a futuristic camera sounds unrealistic and
ridiculous but this is fiction at work. Like Shekhar Kapoor's
Mr India or the Keanu Reeves-Sandra Bullock starrer The Lake
House where the two live in two time frames - one is in the
past and the other is in the future two years later - these
are all fictional ideas and they have all worked because they
have been executed sharply. Same goes for Aa Dekhen Zara.
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Come to the acting and the combination of young
Neil and slightly older but smouldering Bipasha Basu makes an interesting
pairing.
For once, Bipasha has a film where she is the crowd pleaser, the
bigger star. In the first half, she is wasted. Beyond looking good,
she has nothing to offer. But it is in the second half where Bipasha
Basu shows off her craft as an actress. Fear, love and bravery,
she switches from one emotion to another with equal grace.
For Neil Nitin Mukesh, this is an important film. His debut Johnny
Gaddar won critics over but it failed to make a mark at the box
office. In Aa Dekhen Zara, Neil proves once again why he is one
of the new age actors to watch out for. He plays the role naturally
and that is his biggest feat in the film. This isn't a hardcore
drama but it is a film that requires a varied range of emotions
to be played out. From struggling freelancer to super rich man drowning
in the seduction of money to a man on the run, Neil pulls it off
with a natural grace. The fact that he is a good-looking guy makes
him even more appealing.
Another man who makes his mark in a supporting role is Rahul Dev
who plays Captain. His role appears somewhere in the second half
but his villainous ways are enticing. And the bad guy is always
impeccably dressed and looks rather sexy. And he is a very good
actor with films like Asoka, Insan and Kidnap to his credit. His
roles may be supporting but he delivers every time. In this film,
he shines out.
The main flaw, one that is common in most Hindi films, is the film's
length. It is over two hours long. The first half drags on and it
could've been easily chopped. On the upside, there are few songs
in the film and that comes as a relief especially since most songs
are typical numbers. The title track, 'Aa Dekhen Zara', which one
first heard on Sanjay Dutt's Rocky has been remixed and sung by
Neil Nitin. It is an average song. In fact, the slower lounge version
is far more interesting. The other track worth a listen is 'Gazab'
which has been running on airwaves consistently. It's catchy and
both Bips and Neil look good together in it. The rest of the numbers
are dull so ignore them.
For director Jehangir Surthi, this film is a first and as a debutant
director, he does deliver. He has ended the film on a note where
a sequel might be possible. So watch out, there just might be a
sequel with time travel in the makings.
Aa Dekhen Zara is not groundbreaking cinema but it is intriguing.
The suspense quotient is sufficient to keep one glued to the film
till the end.
So far, Indian audiences and critics have slammed the film. But
then it is the same audience and critics who gave a film like Rock
On!! two thumbs up even though it was a mockery of the rock music
genre.
Currently playing at cinemas in Pakistan, give this film a watch
if you're looking for paisa vasool entertainment.
–
Maheen Sabeeh
*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME
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