Can the man who made you laugh at varying degrees with his previous three films, pull off a serious movie this time around? Nagesh Kukunoor delivers in style, with the support of some popular faces of Bollywood.
The stories of three prisoners, sentenced to death, unfold by means of a documentary film-maker. In spite of a few side-plots, the movie almost becomes a docu-drama, when the last half hour brings some twists and leaves the audience very satisfied.
Kukunoor perfects his no-frills-attached story-telling here. Humour is just another element, unlike his earlier ventures. Jail-life is covered fairly well. Though a ’Hinglish’ movie, the language sits a bit uncomfortably on some characters and some scenes.
Naseeruddin Shah rules the roost, in his role of a ’’care-free charmer’’. He is centre-piece of the movie, in more ways than one. Juhi Chawla comes good, with some subtle acting. She is found wanting only in one scene, though the direction is more to be blamed. Kukunoor himself shows improved acting skills. Jackie Shroff and Gulshan Grover do little apart from adding to the star value of the movie.
Yet again with no songs, Salim-Suleiman’s background score quietly provides soul to the moving pictures. The technical aspects are again significant improvements compared to the earlier movies of Kukunoor.
Overall, this is a good movie to learn a few things about our Indian systems, wear the thinking cap for a while and also at the same time, be entertained in a not-so-usual way.