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Big Names, No Substance

APK | May 28, 2006

Rating: **.75 (***** Very Good, **** Good, *** Fair, ** Average, * Bad)

Cast: Aamir Khan, Kajol, Rishi Kapoor, Kirron Kher, Tabu, Shiny Ahuja, Gautami Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Shruti Seth, Sharat Saxena, Lilette Dubey, Jaspal Bhatti, Vrajesh Hirjee, Master Ali Haji, Sanaya Irani and Others.
Action: George Aguilar.
Art: Nitish Roy & Sharmishta Roy.
Cinematography: Ravi Chandran.
Music: Jatin-Lalit.
Story & Screenplay: Shibani Bathija.
Dialogues & Direction: Kunal Kohli.
Presenter: Yash Chopra.
Producer: Aditya Chopra.
Banner: Yash Raj Films.
Release Date: 26th May, 2006.

Aamir-Kajol paired up for the first time (Aamir and Kajol were seen in 'Ishq' earlier, although not opposite each other), Kajol back after five long years, Kunal Kohli's next after the successful and well-handled 'Hum Tum' and Aamir's next after the hugely successful 'Rang De Basanti'. And moreover, a Yash Raj Films production. Can the expectations get bigger than this? It starts off on a promising note, but due to a slightly boring second half, Fanaa somehow doesn't hit the bull's eye.

Plot Zooni is a blind Kashmiri girl who goes to Delhi for a republic day concert and falls in love with the charming tour guide, Rehan. So in the first half, we have DDLJ's Kajol with Raja Hindustani's Aamir. Cliché. She stays back with him and calls her parents to Delhi and meanwhile gets her eyes operated. But as she regains sight, she is exposed to the news of a bomb blast and asked to identify Rehan's belongings. The story takes a new but predictable twist dealing with terrorism and the love story shifts abruptly to action sequences in snow-filled mountains and then back again to the slow-paced love track and an even more predictable end.

Story, Screenplay and Direction The movie has too many sterotypes-the Kashmiri girl who loves India, the terrorist organization which wants an independent Kashmir and a poetry filled romance in Old Delhi. That a powerful terrorist got into the Indian Army on a false identity is not very convincing. The character of Rehan has many dimensions that are not really explored, and which could have added more intensity.

The screenplay is the best part of the story, although it is extremely predictable. Kunal Kohli seems to show a certain liking for stretching a story for about a decade of reel time like in 'Hum Tum' and he does so again for this movie. Zooni, her parents, her friends and her son are all made into endearing characters and are well-written potrayals.

Unlike, say a movie like 'Roja' where the story is based on terrorism, 'Fanaa' uses it just as a backdrop. It is the theme, yet words like 'the world's biggest terrorist' and 'nuclear bomb' are all used casually, the ferocity of the situation is never established.

Performances Aamir Khan is charming, but not at his best although he still manages to rise above the script. After 'Rang De Basanti,' the expectations out of his movies and performances have reached unreal levels. Kajol, back after a five year gap, has such tremendous screen presence and reminds us of what a fiery performer she is. Rishi Kapoor as Kajol's father and Kirron Kher as her mother play their parts convincingly well. Tabu in a guest appearance has a short role, but it seems to be written just for her, and she does a good job of it. Master Ali Haji as Zooni's son is adorable. Lara Dutta and Shiny Ahuja have a one minute blink-and-miss roles.

Music: The music is above average but except for 'Chand Sifarish,' no song is exceptional. If it weren't for Aamir and Kajol who light up the screen (along with cinematographer Ravi Chandran capturing the essence of Kashmir beautifully in Poland) and elevate the music to another level, it wouldn't have been such an asset.

And the verdict is.. But for the lead pair, this would have been another terrorist flick. The love story is pretty predictable, and the director rushes from one track to another abruptly. With names like Aamir, Kajol, Yash Raj Films and Jatin-Lalit associated with it, the movie will get an initial draw, but sadly, 'Fanaa' is not up to the expectations.