Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Bollywood Thrillers Coming of Age with RACE !!!


Like most of the other established craftsmen in the tinsel-town, the Director-Duo of Abbas-Mustan have lost the plot in their last few flicks. The usual thrilling element was missing and ever-so-mounting boredom was taking a toll over the audiences. But kudos to the Burmawalla-Brothers that inspite of recent box-office debacles they struck to their well known territory. Whether RACE will go in record books just as a gallant attempt or it'll stamp their Numero-Uno position in this genre of movies, let’s find it out for ourselves by Racing across this review:

H'Some Hunks & Long-Legged Lasses: This stylish and slick suspense thriller boasts of three sexy-sirens in their seductive best. Bips playing a dusky seductress and Kats, an innocent-faced smiling-assassin, keeps audiences guessing about their true color and loyalties. Their counterparts, playing musical chairs with the leading ladies, are Bebo-tatooed Saif and Abb-Must new favorite Akshay Khanna. While Saif, sporting a new smart and suave bearded-look, gives a decent performance, Akshay, on the other hand, dons the same cap which he has used for earlier Abb-Must movies. Despite of repetition, he plays his part with panache and adds the much-needed humor in otherwise fast paced thriller. Then there is age-defying actor Anil Kapoor who goes a full 180 degree swing from his last release and plays a new-age Karamchand gulping at all the possible fruits. The role was not demanding for the actor of Anil’s caliber and needless to say it was a cake-walk for him. Sameera Reddy plays the sexy-bimbette-Secretary to Anil and her revealing outfits adds to already soaring mercury level of the movie.
Allah Duhaai Hai: Nowadays every second movie has music composed by Pritam, and I presume, it pumps him more to churn out commercially successful music. When it comes to the suspense flicks, Songs always works as fillers and slows the pace of the movie as well. Although few songs do the same in RACE, but since the songs are good so no body complains a great deal. Arguably the best song of the Album, Pehli nazar me by Atif Aslam comes from no-way in the movie and hence fails to leave the same impact on the audiences as it does on their personal iPod. Similarly another chartbuster Allah Duhai delays the proceedings and hence the ultimate inevitable. Khwaab Dekhe is the other decent song which again comes from no way. Dekho Nashe me and Touch Me finishes at bottom two in the Race of Music.
Unsung Heroes: The heart and soul of any movie is its background score and Salim Sulaiman gives a top-notch performance in this regard. Ravi Yadav does an awesome job of capturing the luscious locales of South Africa in his camera. Allan Amin, the Action-Coordinator, as usual tries hard to narrow the gap between Hollywood flicks and our Bollywood Thrillers. Editor Hussain Burmawala’s flawless work also helps to tighten the screws through-out the Movie.
Thrillers Champs: The Director duo of Abbas-Mustan have carved a niche for themselves as Thrillers’ experts in Bollywood. And with RACE they have taken a huge leap forward. The movie in question has a gripping story with all the twists-n-tales in the offering that would leave the audience on the edge-of-the-seat for most of the time. RACE proves the fact that there is grey shade behind every persona and that becomes lethal when there is huge amount of money involved; as a result that gives birth to conspiracy, infidelity and betrayal.
Harjeet’s Verdict: If you have a sweet tooth for soft-romantic entertainers, then give RACE a skip. But if you are game for a helluva roller-coaster ride with needle-of-suspicion shifting from one reel to another, give RACE a shot.
Don’t harp for logic and you will enjoy the thrill pills. For others…. STAY in PEACE!!!!!