As director, Pooja Bhatt missed the bus in PAAP. Will she get it right the second time, with HOLIDAY? Yes, she does! Holiday is a feel-good film and though it has its share of loose ends, the outcome leaves you feeling thoroughly fulfilled.
Dr. Suri (Gulshan Grover) lands up in Goa on a vacation with wife Nandini (Anahita Uberoi) and their two daughters, Samara (Nauheed Cyrusi) and Muskaan (Onjolee Nair). There’s a marked difference two offspring: Samara is the superficial bimbette while Muskaan, the sweet and simple Cinderella.
Dino and Alyssa (Kashmira Shah) are two professional dancers at the hotel and Muskaan is impressed by their acts. She later discovers that Alyssa is pregnant and the father of the child is the hotel owner’s Casanova son (Sanjit Bedi), who has now taken fancy for Samara.
When Alyssa goes on a break, Onjolee volunteers to learn her steps and take her place! As Dino teaches her the steps, they fall in love, much against the wishes of Muskaan’s father. The rest of the drama is routine, interspersed with some innovative Latin-American dancing.
Holiday creatively covers one girl’s coming of age. Adding to the film’s appeal is the dancing itself. Director Pooja Bhatt — best known for her skin show affair Makes audiences Feel Like Dancing — gives this film more foot tappin’ fervor .
Holiday actually starts off as one of those routine love stories. The initial portions between are plain ordinary. But you do sit up once Dino enters the frame… and Onjolee Nair ’s life.The film develops this relationship fairly well, and the audience feels the attraction between them. What’s more important, the film maintains a high energy level throughout. So, it’s probably to the film’s advantage that there is little plot to get in the way of the romance, the music, the dancing, and the pure force of the events .Dino and Onjolee as lovers are easy to watch, if only because their maturity is rarely seen in today’s screen teens .
Holiday belongs to Dino Morea completely. No two opinions on that! He sneaks his way through the role like an expert, drawing audience the way a magnet collects iron filings.Onjolee has a sugar-and-sweet character till the pre-climax and she does it well. And when she does get the opportunity to display histrionics [climax], she doesn’t let the opportunity pass by.She giggles inappropriately, she curses herself for not getting dance steps right. By embodying every awkward young adult emotion about falling in love, she makes you want the romance to work.
Gulshan Grover underplays his character ably. Nauheed is alright. Kashmeera Shah is excellent .
If you haven’t seen ’’Dirty Dancing’’ before, keep your expectations moderate and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.