Some movies are special because of their story telling. Some movies become special because a decent story is fused with brilliant technical finesse. Kurbaan falls into the second category. Karan Johar, in my opinion is a much better producer than a director (we haven’t seen My Name Is Khan, hence obviously I’m not taking that into account). In Kurbaan, he leaves no stone unturned in ensuring that his director gets the best possible technicians along with a dialogue writer in Anurag Kashyap (who has ranted about him many a times in the media) so that the film gets the best possible justice. And the results are quite stunning.
Hemant Chaturvedi’s crafty cinematography, Nakul Kamte’s world class sound design and Salim-Sulaiman’s scintillating background score (will talk about their songs later) raise the bar by many notches for other filmmakers in India. Other than that, the entire cast has delivered quality performances. Be it Saif, Kareena, Om Puri, Kiron Kher or Vivek Oberoi, you won’t find a false note in their acting.
On the flip side, in spite of great production values, the story is where one notices a seen-before feel. Yes, one can draw analogies with New York and Fanaa. The terrorism angle has been seen before. There are certain aspects of story telling which are similar to New York while the love story is reminiscent of Fanaa in a way. Also, the motivation for the acts of Saif and gang seem a bit hazy. Still, Rensil Desilva’s screenplay is engaging for most parts and he’s succinctly aided by fine dialogues of Anurag Kashyap and Niranjan Iyengar.
Ehsaan Khan’s (Saif) ruthless persona smeared with restrained-yet-overpowering love for wife Avantika (Kareena) is the highlight of the film. It is not the fundamental preachings of Bhai Jaan (Om Puri) that stay with you when the movie ends. It is the overriding love of the torn-apart-between-ideologies couple that explodes in your mind. Riyaaz Masood (Vivek Oberoi), like Neil Mukesh in New York is the progressive American Muslim voice that opposes backwardness and needless killings.
Saif as the calculating, focussed, cold blooded terrorist is in great form. Here’s an actor that completely moulds himself according to the demands of the film that he’s doing. There are many scenes where his eyes and body do the talking. Without saying anything, he manages to express so much. Signs of a towering actor. Kareena, thankfully gets out of the Tashan and Kambakkht Ishq mould and delivers a class performance on the lines of Dev, Chameli and Jab We Met. Her bare back love making scene in Rasiya is one of the highlights of the film. Tastefully shot, its one of the most explicity love making scenes in Hindi films. And yes, the real life couple have been generous with kissing scenes in the film.
Vivek Oberoi is a dependable actor. And he doesn’t disappoint. Yes, his Amerrican accent looks a bit forced but then a desi born n brought up in USA is expected to brew up an accent. Naturally. Kiron Kher’s Afghani act is fantastic. Her diction, body language and chilling persona are incredible. Dia Mirza in a special appearance fits the bill.
Salim-Sulaiman’s music is exceptional. Ali Maula, Shukran Allah and Kurbaan Hua are fantastic compositions. The music arrangements, singing and lyrics by Niranjan Iyengar-Irfan Siddiqui are special. Asif Ali Shaikh’s editing is a sore thumb in the film. The slow pace and the length of the film are its biggest liabilities. Rensil Desilva, one of the writers of Rang De Basanti, makes an extremely promising debut as a director. His script sense and knack for technical brilliance are exemplary. He never hammers across any point-of-view. The movie doesn’t end with figures of how many people have been killed in terrorist attacks or what creates a terrorist. You carry home a decent story with yourself and not remnants of a ’Cause’. And that’s where cinema triumphs.
Go watch Kurbaan for a coming-of-age cinematic experience.
PS: My Star Rating: 3 1/2