The most exciting promotional stills ever.
A most fantastic music score by any standards.
A breath-taking backdrop to shoot the place.
Superb mystic and aura of the location.
Stunning looking beautiful people flaunting bodies on screen.
A slick technical team and quality packaging.
Woman director with outspoken different mind.
A production house known to make different movies.
A different subject and small length movie.
The power of lust and sin.
A delightful child artiste putting in a delightful performance
The sad part is thats just about in the movie. The good part is, thats still quite a lot going for it. Paap has almost everything going for it, other than needless adherance to conventions of the different cinema. For instance, movie should have been about 10 minutes longer, making the process of falling in love a little sweeter and believable. But, no ji! this is a different movie and first rule of a different movie is it should not be long. So there goes the cat and the bell can be donated to the temple instead.
Then, again the short length alone does not work. It needs additional boost in sharp cuts and the second half here is sharper than gillete blade alright, but its not smooth. One minute, come back; next minute, nursing; lust; get well soon Shiven; got well soon Shiven; conflict; conflict; end. Bang! Before you can possibly say, ’’Hello, One minute, I mean he was supposed to be really critically ill’’, the end credits have rolled on. But save for this over enthusiasm to cut and cut more, a major hurried climax that falls worse than an egg would from Qutab Minar, the movie is worth a watch.
Cinematography is a major major plus and along with most of the background and foreground (??) score, works to create truly a most magical experience. Now this one beats Chameli in shot taking abilities hands down and may just about bag best cinematography at year end awards next year (it is breath taking, just watch it). Not since Ashoka has something like this come on screen. Music is a major asset as well and goes with the mood of the movie completely, although they could possibly not have thought of a worse place to fit in Garaj Baras.
I mean come on, the guy is bleeding and all you can think of is a song? Something called common sense, or it might be that I just did not get it. What else is working for it? Oh yeah the screenplay though looks like having been squeezed off by a maha pyaasi atma completely in second half, starts on a very promising note indeed. The story itself has enough turns (no twists thankfully though) to keep you prepared for a ride to Spiti. And there is an overall thread as well. Art Direction, mostly shot outdoors, so the guy probably did not have much to do anyways.
A word for costumes, I mean whenever they were worn, classic, brilliant and imaginative. Infact, so imaginative that people in Spiti got to have wonderful imagination to imagine themselves wearing them. Visually and almost completely in Audio, the film creates a stunning impact. One more thing, if you want to see two beautiful bodies sun bathing and lots of other bathing, this is the perfect film. They dont look vulgar and have a sense of abandon, sick me.
Performances are among the weak points in the movie. Mohan Agashe and the guy who played the Monk, are fairly adequate, not that they had much to do in the movie anyways. Their presence as an opposition and conciliation (new word here, lol) is weakly depicted due to less screen time and hence, does not really register a major impact. Udita ’Chick’ Goswami sadly is not a chick. She is not hot, she is not beautiful, and I dont think she is exotic either. She can act a bit but thats about it. But you got to thank god for such nano-mercies.
What ever happened to John Abraham? I mean come on Jism and Saaya and now Aetbaar and Paap, all Bhatt production alright but his acting has taken a down turn alright (alright! what alright its all wrong :@). Here, he concentrates or is made to concentrate on making poses and looks like he is on photo shoot opportunities so much so that even when he is injured he flaunts his physique.
Some scenes he passes muster, but well, I guess no one else expects a lot from him anyways. The best performance surprisingly comes from the child artiste. He is brilliant in his expressions and infinitely cute. He alone is worth the price of the ticket.
Directorially, I do not find any new touches that Pooja Bhatt brought in here seriously. It was like Jism meets Ashoka mode of operation through out, only the basic idea itself saves the film. Next time to break some conventions, dont get stuck with some others.
The idea was superb, the resources wonderful and the whole formation excellent, but the formula of a different kind was applied, reaction happened, which although not a damp squib, could have been better catalyzed. No matter what, love just cant be hurried or enforced in a short time.
Overall - Worth a watch but dont expect much. Its atleast visually appealing and take my advise, for a relaxed outing prefer this to EHT. It’s got that sinful quality, which has its own charm.