The wait is over.**Tashan - Tauted as the biggest release this summer, has hit the screens.
And going by the reaction after whatever shows that have concluded, the message should be loud and clear for YashRaj films - that big hype, big stars, loads of glamour cannot substitute for a good story, script and execution!
So what is Tashan all about -
To be honest the movie starts off very stylishly and with a bang! A red Merc going zig zag(as if out of control) on a deserted highway and the radio inside alternating between "phirangi muzik" and our very own desi"Kabhi Kabhie"! The Merc goes off the cliff and falls in a water body., Underwater we see, **JImmy(Saif) trapped inside the Car, with a gun on his forehead! At this moment he starts recalling in a flashback about his life!
Jimmy works in a Call center and also gives accent/Angrezi classes to the wannabe call center executives.One day he is approached by Pooja(Kareena) for taking private classes! Being the casannova he is, he readily agrees(assuming its the lady, he needs to coach).But it turns out that he is going to be the "Guruji" to a certain wannabe Don, Bhaiyyaji(Anil Kapoor). Pooja is his assistant. Bhaiyyaji is obsessed with learning English and he always tries to speak in english.Result - he messes up and speaks something which is a khichdi of Hindi and English!
So, the classes start.And as Saif puts it - Bhaiyyaji’s angrezi makes no progress, but romance brews between Jimmy and Pooja! Jimmy is completely mad for Pooja. And one day when he sees Bhaiyyaji getting mad at Pooja and abuse her for a mistake, he decides to run away along with her.
Both decide to loot a very very big amount from Bhaiyyaji and escape!
But Pooja has some other plans. She dumps Jimmy and makes it away with all the loot.Jimmy goes back to Bhaiyyaji and surrenders! He is beaten black and blue, but obviously he doesnt know where is the money and ofcourse where is Pooja? Bhaiyyaji calls in Bachan Pande(Akshay) and asks him to take Jimmy with him and trace the money and Pooja.Bachan is a small-time goon and has grown up idiolizing Bhaiyyaji. So, both, Jimmy and Bachan embark on a journey to search Pooja.They are looking for Pooja at the bank of a river .They have put an ad in the local papers announcing a prize money of 10 lakhs for anyone who gets Pooja for them/Bhaiyyaji.Pooja sees Jimmy, Bachan and also the ad.She knows she is in trouble.
Cut to scene where the movie started!
From here on the narration is done by Bachan Pande! And the screen reads"The Interval". With the proceedings being average in first half, you expect things to get better and bigger in 2nd half! The 2nd half mostly has the trio(Akki, Saif and Kareena) running around different places to recover the money(looks she hid the money in parts and in different places, all over the country!) Also there are flashbacks about Bachan and Pooja’s childhoods!
And all the tracks converge into a action filled(read chaotic)climax! And the audience heaves a sigh of relief:) The ending shows something about "life after all this" for the trio . I did not bother to see that and nor did any of the audience in the theatre!
The problem with Tashan is the fashion in which it unfolds, that you can almost predict which way its going. There is a feeling of deja vu throughout! There are very very few scenes which hold your attention and for most part the movie is plain ordinary.The movie seems to be a a poor rehash of movies made in the **80’s.
Performances - There is nothing much to write about.
*If anyone tries to breath life in this otherwise dead venture, it is Akki. He is convincing. But again, I wonder what did Akshay see in the script and sign this film? Maybe its the Yashraj Banner.That should explain the presence of other actors as well:)
Kareena looks and acts as if she suddenly remembered her role in Fida. Her performance is ok. However she scores on the glamour quotient. She looks stunning throughout, especially in the Chaliya Song.
As for Saif, I m stunned.Saif to Tashan is like Upen Patel to 123! If he climbed up some steps after Race, he comes down atleast half of those steps with Tashan! Bad choice "Chotte Nawab"
Anil Kapoor’s role is interesting. But after a point of time his hindi/english ka mix bores you! But Anil convinces that he can do an out an out negative character with ease and style! Give him a right film, with a well written baddie character and he can do wonders! The guys who play Anil’s sidekicks(Sanjay Mishra and Manoj Pahwa) are ok! Yashpal Sharma as the cop is wasted.
Direction & Story - Vijay Krishna Acharya(who earlier wrote the Dhoom series) helms the responsibilities. Point to be noted that - Dhoom and Dhoom 2 never had extraordinary stories! And so does Tashan. This is an opportunity wasted, big time! Vijay Krishna Acharya looks to have made not much efforts! His writing goes off the track for 2nd half and his execution/direction leaves much more to be desired! No wonder story was kept under wraps, because ther wasnt one:)
Music - The music is good. Dil Haara and Dil Dance maare are hummable.Chaliya is picturized well and Kareena looks stunning.Falak Tak is a good song, but is a hindrance to the proceedings! And Tashan mein comes screaming every now n then in action scenes.
Action by Peter Hain, which should have been a highlight, is chaotic and leaves no impression.
Cinematography by Ayayanka Bose is good. The deserted roads, the rustic feel is captured very well.
All in all, Tashan leaves you high and dry.
And going by the trailers **(for Bachna Ae Haseenon, Thoda pyaar - thoda magic) with Tashan, I doubt if we have anything to look forward this year from YRF!
My verdict -1/2