Force - Review

Force

Producer: Vipul Shah
Director: Nishikant Kamat
Cast: John Abraham, Genelia D’Souza, Vidyut Jamwal, Raj Babbar, Mohnish Bahl, Mukesh Rishi, Sandhya Mridul, Kamlesh Sawant, Anaitha Nair 

Lately, we’ve had a string of releases that were Southern remakes, many of them enjoying a successful run at the ticket counter. The common elements in these films are a protagonist with a six-pack, muscular body; edge-of-the-seat action; and a dreadful villain. In other words, they’re all-out, total masala – paisa vasool.

Force is a remake of the Tamil superhit, Kaakha Kaakha. Just like the other Southern remakes, this film is entertaining too. The hero is a cop. He has a six-pack, sculpted. His leading lady is naïve. The villain, who has a revengeful eye for the protagonist, also has a penchant for hard-hitting action. Force is a film that has the perfect formula for success.

The film tells the story of Yashvardhan (John Abraham), a hard-headed senior narcotics police officer. He believes the only way to eradicate crime is to give criminals the bullet – not handcuffs. In the midst of his most dangerous operation to crack down on India’s drug cartels, Yashvardhan encounters a ruthless enemy who will stop at nothing till he gets revenge for the damage done to his business by the narcotics team. He also meets the free-spirited Maya (Genelia), whose love pushes him to make a choice between the life he already knows and the life he could have with her. Director Nishikant Kamat has done a commendable job connecting each scene in segue. His confident approach is apparent in each frame. Cinematography is good. Background score compliments the story. Editing is sharp.

However, after a good start, the momentum drops a little but picks up post-interval. No doubt, the lead pair complement each other but the right chemistry is missing. The major highlights of the film are two action sequences between John Abraham and Vidyut Jamwal. Very impressive. But more than the action, it’s the malice of the villain that impresses you. During the second half, you’re actually trying to anticipate what the villain will do next.

Though the story is far from unique, what works here is the screenplay, which keeps you riveted although the execution lets you down sometimes. The good part is, one scene blends perfectly with the next even though the momentum is inconsistent.

Performance-wise, John Abraham plays his part with ease and is superb in action scenes. This is his best to date. Genelia D’Souza looks good and plays her part with panache. In some scenes, her acting is over the top, especially when she refers to John Abraham as “DSP Sir”. Vidyut Jamwal makes an impressive debut. Raj Babbar has very little to do. Mohnish Bahl is his usual self. Mukesh Rishi makes his presence felt. Kamlesh Sawant impresses.

READ MORE - Force - Review

Mausam

Mausam
Director: Pankaj Kapur
Producers: Sheetal Vinod Talwar, Sunil A Lulla
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Aditi Sharma, Supriya Pathak, Manoj Pahwa 

When a film is made by an experienced theatre personality, an actor who is on top of his game with offbeat cinema, anticipation soars. Unfortunately, Mausam fails to capture the essence of a timeless love story, as the film’s tagline goes.

The film is about a Punjabi boy, Harry alias Lt Harinder Singh (Shahid Kapoor), who falls in love with a Kashmiri Muslim girl, Aayat (Sonam Kapoor). The two meet but keep losing each other due to the Hindu-Muslim strife, which is also chiefly how they met in the first place.

Aayat’s father wants to keep his daughter safe from the trouble in the Kashmir Valley, so he sends her to his sister Fatima’s (Supriya Pathak) house at Mallukot in Punjab. Here, Aayat meets Harry and there is an instant connection between the two. The rest of the story is about how they keep coming together and then separating all over again.

Pankaj Kapur, who is making his directorial debut, tries to tell an eternal love story but fails to provoke any emotions or empathy for his lead characters. He strokes many sensitive issues – riots and blasts, from the ‘90s communal tension to 9/11. The basic premise and the story are praiseworthy. Oddly enough, the protagonists meet each other very often, which is a bizarre case of serendipity.

Though the first half is reasonably enjoyable, the film disappoints post-interval and the climax is ridiculous. Thus, the film is enjoyable in bits and parts. Having said that, kudos to the way Kapur has handled the few dramatic moments in the film. One of these is the confrontation between Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor, where they meet in Scotland. Another moment that has been captured beautifully is Shahid’s outburst, when he locates Sonam in the train. Also presented well is the simpleton life of the small village and the blossoming romance between the lead couple. If only there were more scenes like these, this film would have been a treat.

Even if you don’t fall in love with the characters, you fall in love with the locations, and tend to overlook the scripting flaws. Background score, music and cinematography deserve full marks. Editing could have been better. The segue between the scenes is unpleasant and it fails to connect with the audience.

The film provides some genuinely affectionate moments — one where a song turns almost into karaoke as the lovers scribble notes making up the lyrics – and some curious but lovely detailing that is beautifully captured. The absurd climax completely brings down the early shades of pleasure. Also, since the film is a little over two and a half hours long, it is too long to have a post-climax scene.

Performance wise, Shahid Kapoor is the soul of the film. He plays his part with panache. He gets into the skin of his character beautifully. As an actor, Mausam is entirely his film. Sonam Kapoor looks elegantly pretty. She brings the required fragility to her character. It is her best performance to date. Supriya Pathak plays her part exceptionally well. Anupam Kher is wasted. The rest of the cast performs well.

READ MORE - Mausam