Fanaa

I’m as disappointed with this movie as I am with the Copa America final that was going on in the background while I saw the film. Both spectacularly failed to live up to their hype – Brazil is up 3-0 with 10 minutes to go in the match and there has scarcely been a murmur of protest from the Argentinians. Like the mercurial, talented Pakistani's in cricket, you never know with Argentina which side will turn up – the world beaters or the club cricket version. And as far as Fanaa goes, well where do I begin ?

I think the fact that the movie grossed over Rs50cr is a tribute to Aamir Khan – there are few people in Indian cinema who can play the lovable rascal, the endearing rogue, the charming heart-stealer as well, as naturally as him. Shahrukh can do this as well but only by going over the top. Saif, despite an Omkara, primarily can work only in upper middle class, rich boy roles. But Aamir can play in all those worlds – he can play the spoilt rich kid (Akash in Dil Chahta Hai), the tapori in Rangeela or the street smart, shayari spouting tour guide in Fanaa with equal ease, equal élan. I enjoyed watching him in the movie – though here too I felt that he has started to look old, the face was a little too puffed up and the make-up struggled to hide the years.

The rest of the movie was terrible – too filmi, too melodramatic, with a plot riddled with more holes than all the cheese in Switzerland. And it wasted a lot of very good, first rate character actors in bit parts which did them no justice. Tabu, Shiney Ahuja, Lillete Dubey, Kirron Kher – all were wasted. Even Kajol deserved better – her character deserved to be richer, have more meat, more real choices. From being the weak-kneed indecisive blind girl just waiting for her prince charming (does that still happen ? do mom’s actually still tell their daughters that ?) to well, being the indecisive, I love him or I love him not girl in the second half was a bit too much to swallow.

Watch it, only for the first half shayari and Aamir – the rest isn’t worth the price of the DVD. Argentina just missed a sitter, gifted to them by the Brazilians, its definitely the club side which has turned up today. It’s a day for mediocrity, of failing to live up to hype...