Raima sen plays out the oppressed, jaded and jilted housewife in this oppressive movie. Randeep hooda , the waxed cherub is the object of her fantasies, her ministering angel and her alter-ego. Arbaaz has earned and kept the tag of the adulterous husband after ‘fashion’.
Raima keeps her chin up and brings up her daughter inspite of the dysfunctional household and the cuckoldry of her loser husband who blames her for being unsupportive in his career moves. He suppresses her latent talent of singing, since he regards it as small- townish and profane.
From the unfairness of it all raima escapes into her fantasy world with randeep. He helps her realize her dignity and her destiny of becoming a famous singer, a rock star. Raima manages to look wide eyed and pretty throughout her ordeal of being an abused wife.
Even in her dreams, she manages to halt short of a sexual relationship with hooda, since she is the self proclaimed custodian of the typical tradition of the pativrata Indian nari. Hooda on his part does everything to seduce raima, including changing his costumes from a bandmaster, to Krishna, to zorro, to elvis the pelvis, and so on..
He is short, narrow chested, speaks in a dreamy drawl, has a smooth chest that would shame any lingerie model, a peach complexion and wears cowboy boots designed to tickle the imagination of any gay punk. he certainly has potential in dostana type movies.
It becomes tortuous after the sixth or seventh avatar of hooda, and one thanks god for that technological miracle, the nemesis of the slothful couch potato- the wondrous remote control and its fast forward button. We managed the flick in 30 mins flat.
The music is uninspiring and the low budgetedness of the movie comes across subtly . Raima and hooda are fiercely pitted against each other in competing for the least expressive face. The characterization isn’t strong and the director fails to bring out the emotional ordeal of raima. The climax isn’t emphasized and has little drama or relief.
The success of raima in the end is handled lightly, failing to enthuse the audience at the empowerment of a downtrodden underdog. The novelty of theme is there but the director restrains the fanciful flight of his full creative abandon, as if he is still testing the waters.But I would still complement the industry for treading on fresh ground and handling in a novel manner the now much browbeaten theme of the atyachaar of the Indian nari. Verdict – see the flick with a well oiled remote control , an open mind and plenty of refreshments and diversions ready at hand.