More than a film for the sake of a film, Naach gives the impression that it’s been made cuz of two consenting adults. Antra Mali and RGV. Antra Mali wanted a solo lead. Ramu wanted to make a cinematic comment on the bollywood besides giving Antra a lead. With Abhishek B caught in between, unaware of the whole deal!
For a film, its bits of cabaret strewn across a weak story of love set in bollywood grind.
More than a film, its a showcase of AM’s body, after Ramu must’ve discovered to his use that it shud be put on 35mm. So u’ve slue of cleavages born dark to white fatty parents, always popping out of AM’s forever convulsing body, looming large over the gasping audience, without a reason (other than the obvious).
Given the boldness of her character thru her outfits, her character in film infact, is ironically short of it. What promos of the film promised me of AM was - she as this bold, cocky, in your face kind of girl and AB as this reticent, brooding type. In film they come across as if they’ve had swapped their characters. Struggling to play the other’s.
Ramu’s interest in making this film doesn’t seem to be other than criticizing bollywood. His ’agreeable’ dislike for usual bollywood fare has been evident in the spoofs he so regularly makes of contemporary films, in his own films. But this time he’s traced the roots n taken on the whole, the popular bollywood. The director Johars, choreographer Khans... so on. With Naach he’s written a sort of critique on unevolving bollywood courtesy of its reigning inhabitants, their subordinates, in toto for the cause of bollywoodian circus in the name of a film.
I completely buy the idea but its rendition in the film is half-cooked, very mediocre, even for a sub-plot. And when sub-plot reaches its threshold, main plot (the love story) fails to take over the burden. Climax is so pathetically insipid that I was appalled to believe it had a RGV tag.
It is half this-half that, cohesively as one, its nothing. It is this ambiguity of it that left me with the impression that Naach is a personal comment, not a film. AM’s character becomes the face of RGV n his Factory and AB’s the rest of bollywood. With AM’s attitude he defends his kindof films, including Naach, with AM’s success he patronizes them. With AB he explains bollywood paradox, criticizes n ridicules it, and finally having him to come to AM for redemption, he (tries to) drives home the approval.
What’s quite remarkable about Naach is its cinematography. It has captured a lot of erotica but it never appears sleazy. Visuals are tender n thotful. All this probably cuz of a woman cinematographer. Choreographers also share some credit for this. Some montages are brilliant, frames composited well, edited well. Editing is good initially but missing afterwards. BGscore is great where its not waiting desperately for the dragging visuals to get over and then sighs a relief note.