Before going to any films I look for its director. Star cast is only second importance to me. So, when I went for 36 China Town, I was fully confident that this will be a sure hit film as the famous Abbas and Mastan are the directors of the film. Cute boy Shahid and Bubbly Kareena with hot Akshay Khanna only increased my expectation. And the subject is being advertised as a detective one has added colour to my dreams since the specialist Abbas Mastan directs the same.
Last week saw the unexpected success of Gangster and this film was sure shot in my idea and I decided the heading of the review as ’’A Hit after a Hit…’’ Expecting that this will become a sure hit.
A well presented Detective film is a material for sure hit. But here, the story & screenplay (Yes the important duo) let Abbas Mastan fail.
STORY …..
Sonia Chang (Isha Kopikkar) is the owner of a big Casino in Goa. Her house is known as 36 China Town. She lost her child and given advertisement in paper, promising 25 Lakhs reward. Movie craze guided Raj (Shahid Kapoor) to Mumbai whereas Priya (Kareena) is in Mumbai to meet her boyfriend, asking him to marry her. Priya’s boy friend asked her to bring 25 Lakhs to start a business. Once the business grows bigger, he will request her father, her hand.
She gave him a slap and part from him. Raj got rejected by the film director, because he didn’t have 10 lakhs to give to him. Both of them are in need of money. They found the missed child of Sonia Chang and try to get the 25 Lakhs reward. Raj & Priya reaches to 36 China Town. There they find that Sonia Chang is been killed. There are several people in the casino (Which normally closes by 3 am). Rocky (Upen Patel) a full time flirt, Natwar (Paresh Rawal) a person who is sick of gambling, KK (Johny Lever) who came to gamble with blessed manthras. Payal Rohatgi (as Gracy) & Tanas Kurrim (as Ruby) also there, being wife of KK & Natwar. 4 from the above list went to 36 China Town that night for one reason or other. Inspector in charge (Akshay Khanna) is investigating the incident. Raj, Priya, Rocky, Natwar, KK, Gracy & Ruby all is under hit list of the police.
Now, I will not elaborate any further. It will not take off the suspense, if you wish to see the film.
PERFORMANCE
Shahid Kapoor is good, always energetic and trying to give life to the scenes.
Kareena Kapoor is ok. But don’t expect a glamorous Kareena. I thought Kareena will rock in this film and I can mention (Katrina, Kangna and now Kareena rocks…) but it didn’t happened. It is not Kareena’s fault, but she has only very little to do.
Akshay Khanna is wasted.
Rest of the caste is okay. Need to mention Paresh Rawal & Johny Lever’s performances, both in their usual spirit and tried to utilize the maximum out of the roles they got.
STORY, SCREENPLAY & DIRECTION
As mentioned earlier, a weak script is the main drawback of this film. A good product is good not only in the label, but in its quality content as well. The basic ingredient is the story and screenplay. If that is been selected wrongly, the whole product’s quality is been affected. Even a good cook cannot make good curry with poor mix. It is not only that the story has loop holes, but it is like there is no story at all. The story do not taken any effort to give a clue to the audience from the beginning and all the suspects are been released immediately out of their charges. Means the audience is in dark till the end. The motto behind the killing was so childish if not poor. A detective theme is treated as in a comedy film and the inspector in turn looks like a buffoon where all the suspects make mockery out of him and get away with that easily.
TECHNICAL SIDE
Cinematography is Passable. Glimpses of fine Camera works and some average frames. Background score is ok, (If somebody remembered Darna Zaroori Hai at least one or two occasions, we cannot blame them). Music is average and Choreography is fine. At least 3 songs are filmed well, being 24x7…… as the selected one. Editing is the weakest in this department. The film could have been easily trimmed by half an hour if not 45 minutes, especially in the first half. Even after passing of 20 to 25 minutes you cannot find any story started.
FEW UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Who is Sonia Chang? Where is her husband? Why she has to prepare a will on such a young age? Story doesn’t give any answers.
When one’s child is missing and 25 Lakhs is been offered. How can one mother go to sleep before midnight, where the child was to brought back at home by 1’o clock?
At11.30 it rained. (It is been told.) There are sequences on similar time and there is no rain or signs of it. Raj & Priya is always out and rain is afraid of them or what?
Natwar’s wife went to meet Sonia Chang, to yell at her. She found that Sonia Chang is dead. Then she goes to bed with Rocky? How funny!
Why Sonia Chang’s bedroom have an opening to the iron bar across the road?
Why Priya wanted money since she is already slapped her boyfriend and parted?
Why the Inspector went to Sonia Chang’s house and waited in dark where they could not find her body yet.
I can type atleast 20 such questions more in a flow.
A good detective movie will arouse the curiosity of the movie goers and keep it in suspense and break it at a critical moment. But this film failed to answer many questions. Even when the Inspector announces the villain, the audience is expecting something else and waiting, but nothing happens.
Overdose of comedy spoiled the seriousness of the movie many times.
PLUS POINTS
Few comic scenes.
Active Shahid Kapoor.
2 or 3 good songs and its Choreography.
Some suspense here and there.
Paresh Rawal & Johny Lever (Hey, did you noticed? Paresh Rawal is now regularly mortgaging things. In Malamaal Weekly, he mortgages ’Ghattu’. In this film he mortgages hotels. In the coming film Chup Chup Ke, he mortgages - you know what? Shahid Kapoor and Rajpal Yadav!)
Occasional jokes here and there. The scene where KK(Johny lever) see Sonia Chang’s body in the suite case was really hilarious.
CONCLUSION
This is surely not a must watch movie. The movie failed as a detective movie, but It may be a time pass for few. It is definitely not upto mark of an Abbas Mastan movie.
At box office, the film may fare as an average show. Watch this film if you still feel curious.