An interesting story can sometimes miss the mark if the captain of the ship [director] fails to get the message across convincingly. That’s precisely the case with Umar.
This story is about three men, played by Kader Khan, Satish Kaushik and Prem Chopra. While the first has no family , the other two live as servants in the home of their own children. They often dream of being able to do something more substantial to get away from their monotonous and miserable life.
And then they meet Jimmy, a hard working orphan and good Samaritan; the kind of guy they wish was their own son. Jimmy falls in love with Shenaaz, the daughter of a rich businessman (Shakti Kapoor).
But the twist in the story comes when another businessman, Dalip Tahil, plants a murder case against Jimmy.
The director Karan Razdan and writer of the film seem heavily inspired by Bollywood films of yore. Coincidentally, the story of the flick also bears a slight resemblance to the recently released Baghban. Unfortunately, in this case, the drama is not riveting, the direction is half-baked and the light moments fail to bring a smile on your face.
The story starts in such a fashion that you take time to grasp the goings-on. The script has several loopholes, with several questions left unanswered.For example why would any murderer not make sure his victim’s cellphone is in his possession after he’s committed the murder .
Also, the pace of the film drops alarmingly soon after the intermission and with no strong content to talk of, the proceedings tend to get boring. Even the climax is a complete letdown.
Karan Razdan’s direction is very old fashioned..He had an interesting plot on hand, but he ruins it with inept handling.
Besides, the film moves at a snail’s pace, gathers momentum, slows down again and picks up .Now, this is all the more disturbing for the viewer who in any case has been subjected to an oft-repeated storyline.
The music is no great shakes either. In fact, given the theme of the film, Umar should’ve been a songless film. In fact, the songs seem to have been inserted to provide some relief and divert your mind from a depressing issue. But, sadly, the ploy doesn’t work. Despite the fact that the songs have been picturised on foreign locations, they hardly appear to be picturesque.
Among the cast, it is Jimmy who leaves a mark. He carries the role very effortlessly. In fact, it is his performance that infuses life in an otherwise drab film. Shenaaz is alright. However, she needs to be more relaxed in front of the camera. Kader Khan performs well but he is loud at some places and irritates at places. Satish Kaushik hams and overacts like there’s no tomorrow and prem Chopra is pathetic.
Umar neither entertains, nor enlightens.