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REVIEW
Movie Review: Kurbaan
November 20, 2009
Kaushik Chatterji
Kaushik Chatterji
While watching the brilliance of Rang De Basanti unfold on the screen, it was almost impossible to imagine that the same person was also responsible for the extremely stylish crap that was Aks. Of course, Delhi-6 earlier this year put things into perspective. So far so good. Then in the past couple of months or so, we have been inundated on our trips to the cinemas with trailers of a film called Kurbaan directed by Rensil D'Silva. Rensil who? Oh, he was the guy who along with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra co-wrote RDB. As things stand now, that gem definitely seems to have been a fluke.
The director's name apart, going into this one I was expecting a predictable combination of Fanaa and New York, with a hint of a criminalized Prof Geelani (remember that Delhi college professor who was implicated in the Parliament attack case?) thrown in for good measure. As it turns out, in almost every situation in a typical Bollywood flick such as this, it is either this way or that - so chances are half your guesses about the plot will turn out to be true. In a stunningly distasteful and utterly negative portrayal of Islam, every Muslim is shown to be a radical fundamentalist who wants to avenge the massacre of innocents in Afghanistan and Iraq and who genuinely believes that the bloodshed and carnage is the will of God (The only exception - and thereby a good Muslim - is the one who claims to be an American first and a Muslim later). Each one of them is either actively involved in terrorist activities or at the very least is a sympathizer. Most of these Muslims haven't read the Quran or even if they have, haven't understood it. Oh, and every Muslim teaching at any college in Delhi is part of an Islamic terrorist network.
From the very first scene, the glaring inaccuracies leap in front of your eyes. No one - and I mean no one - can take such liberties while driving down Raj Path. How a car that has withstood a flash flood of bullets can, with just one carelessly aimed shot, explode into a ball of fire is inexplicable, while the build-up to this scene is equally inane - the writer seems to have mistaken the stereotypical trigger-happy drug addicts found in every shady by-lane of New York for Islamic terrorists. Admittedly, there are some scenes which, wholly or partly, seem quite real - the scene where Avantika (Kareena) tends to Ehsaan's (Saif) bullet injury is an example of partly real. The visuals are compelling to say the least, but Saif's accompanying reactions of controlled pain are laughable. Thankfully, there are a couple of other such sequences which are somewhat believable, including parts of the final chases.
The dialogues are trash, be it the initial romantic bits or the done-to-death rhetoric about 9/11, US war on terrorism, jihad, et al - seriously filmmakers, move on! If you can't handle such sensitive issues, offer a new line of thought or depict the real anguish then please stop making such films and pretending that mainstream Indian cinema is maturing, because it is not. Everything still boils down to one and only one thing - love. No, not metaphoric love for an inanimate object, a thought process or a living creature. Romantic love. Its depiction may or may not be explicitly sexual, but it still remains the sole reason for anything - in this case, the hollowness of the terrorist's ideology. Since it is Bollywood (not to mention Dharma Productions), you know that the bad guy will go down at the end. As to how, well, it is either this way or that.
If you like your films to be formulaic, go for this because you'll find this gritty and what not, and in all probability will love this one. Here's an FAQ which should help you decide: How do you woo a girl? How do you get into USA legally? How does a female obtain secrets from the enemy who's a male? If you think you know the answers to these, skip this old K-fest in a new bottle. Else, go for it, and be prepared to brave what is an out-of-place editing style - almost every scene in the first half ends with a slow fade-out, followed by a fade-in to begin the next. Braced yourself? Still interested? Head to the nearest cinema now. It's not my money at stake, is it?
The director's name apart, going into this one I was expecting a predictable combination of Fanaa and New York, with a hint of a criminalized Prof Geelani (remember that Delhi college professor who was implicated in the Parliament attack case?) thrown in for good measure. As it turns out, in almost every situation in a typical Bollywood flick such as this, it is either this way or that - so chances are half your guesses about the plot will turn out to be true. In a stunningly distasteful and utterly negative portrayal of Islam, every Muslim is shown to be a radical fundamentalist who wants to avenge the massacre of innocents in Afghanistan and Iraq and who genuinely believes that the bloodshed and carnage is the will of God (The only exception - and thereby a good Muslim - is the one who claims to be an American first and a Muslim later). Each one of them is either actively involved in terrorist activities or at the very least is a sympathizer. Most of these Muslims haven't read the Quran or even if they have, haven't understood it. Oh, and every Muslim teaching at any college in Delhi is part of an Islamic terrorist network.
From the very first scene, the glaring inaccuracies leap in front of your eyes. No one - and I mean no one - can take such liberties while driving down Raj Path. How a car that has withstood a flash flood of bullets can, with just one carelessly aimed shot, explode into a ball of fire is inexplicable, while the build-up to this scene is equally inane - the writer seems to have mistaken the stereotypical trigger-happy drug addicts found in every shady by-lane of New York for Islamic terrorists. Admittedly, there are some scenes which, wholly or partly, seem quite real - the scene where Avantika (Kareena) tends to Ehsaan's (Saif) bullet injury is an example of partly real. The visuals are compelling to say the least, but Saif's accompanying reactions of controlled pain are laughable. Thankfully, there are a couple of other such sequences which are somewhat believable, including parts of the final chases.
The dialogues are trash, be it the initial romantic bits or the done-to-death rhetoric about 9/11, US war on terrorism, jihad, et al - seriously filmmakers, move on! If you can't handle such sensitive issues, offer a new line of thought or depict the real anguish then please stop making such films and pretending that mainstream Indian cinema is maturing, because it is not. Everything still boils down to one and only one thing - love. No, not metaphoric love for an inanimate object, a thought process or a living creature. Romantic love. Its depiction may or may not be explicitly sexual, but it still remains the sole reason for anything - in this case, the hollowness of the terrorist's ideology. Since it is Bollywood (not to mention Dharma Productions), you know that the bad guy will go down at the end. As to how, well, it is either this way or that.
If you like your films to be formulaic, go for this because you'll find this gritty and what not, and in all probability will love this one. Here's an FAQ which should help you decide: How do you woo a girl? How do you get into USA legally? How does a female obtain secrets from the enemy who's a male? If you think you know the answers to these, skip this old K-fest in a new bottle. Else, go for it, and be prepared to brave what is an out-of-place editing style - almost every scene in the first half ends with a slow fade-out, followed by a fade-in to begin the next. Braced yourself? Still interested? Head to the nearest cinema now. It's not my money at stake, is it?
Keep reading for comments on this article and add some feedback of your own!
Aaman
URL
November 20, 2009
11:58 AM
Sounds like a terrible movie.
PP
November 20, 2009
05:34 PM
Totally disagree with this review. It was a good thriller and keeps one hooked till the end. Everyone has given good performances and dialogues seems very real. The songs blended with the movie and it was worth the money spent on the ticket
Ashok
November 20, 2009
06:07 PM
I agree. So boring. They take us for fool.
It's a boring script and you know what's going to happen. The teenagers in the audience were
laughing at this movie. So far there are some unfair and bias film critics in india giving this movie good reviews but I have a feeling these critics are bought by Karan Johar's camp. And went on Youtube saw the first day show crowd. I look at them, they are all so wrong and they havn't see american films.
How could an audience like a movie that is so predictable and full of cliches. And these directors are so out to lunch. If this was shown a Cannes, the audience would laugh at it or fall asleep.
How many times do we have to see a movie like this. Yes similar to Faana, but Faana had one of the worst ending in the world of cinema.
And the action in Kurbaan is so silly and un-real and very amateurish.
Forget this movie.
Go see 'NEW MOON' instead, it made 30 million in one day.
Stay away from Bollywood movies. Forever out of my life. So silly and boring and very forgettable. Get lost bollywood.
Priya
November 20, 2009
07:00 PM
New moon? Twilight? Are you serious? That's even more patheic! Trust me, i know the story, i've read the books. And not all Bollywood movies are bad, at least the love stories are better than twilight. (DDLJ, Jab we met, Vivah, etc) And as for Kurbaan, haven't watched it and, judging by this review, i don't think i will.
ashok d silva
November 20, 2009
11:01 PM
saw the film and it was paththtic.wasyed money on it.didnt like it.fuck kirbaan
now eagerly waiting for 3 idiots.i think it would be paisa vasool film because there aamir in it
Rashmi
November 21, 2009
01:19 AM
Awful movie, spare yourself from the torture. The filmmakers obviously think that the audience is juvenile. A UCL in New York...really???? Kareena kapoor realizing that she has been used for a purpose after 2/3rd of the movie is over (and after she has been literally TOLD that she is just a pawn)....she is a Psychology professor at NYU for crying out loud!!! The FBI agent surviving a massive bomb blast where everyone else dies (and not too mention, driving in the next scene), a car that has survived many crashes and bullet shots, being blown away by Saif's gun shot!! I will be SHOCKED if this movie does well at the box office.
Navin
URL
November 21, 2009
06:02 AM
Karan, you make a movie a year. why don't you give constructive script. its absolute disappointment and its not worth watching and spending. create something new and constructive and educative topic. seriously, you people think the audience are fools to accept such script. now a days you are making such a inglorious movies that disturb our culture... ex : dostana.
if u offer me a seat free of cost with all the amenities free free free then also i dont opt to watch such a idiotic movie. this is a wroung step of yours.
KIRAN KUMAR.
November 21, 2009
06:09 AM
Khel Khatam Dukaan Bandh....
Flpo of the year 2009.
Kareena this will be the result if you go around a person who is equal to your chacha... thumari chacha jaisa dhiktha hai saif... wrong turn baby.... Shaid rocks... Absolute blunder step by Karan.... Karan, make some goos epics like KKKG etc..DONT MAKE WORTHLESS MOVIES LIKE DOSTANA AND KURBAAN (JEHAD-THE NAME WHICH YOU OPTED EARLIER)
BAKWAAAAS MOVIE. DONT GO TO THE NEAR BY THEATRE.... MAKE BE KAREENA EXPOSING ATTRACTING AUDIENCE... NICE FORMULA KARAN... YOU USED HER....
Aaman
URL
November 21, 2009
06:31 AM
Jehad would have been a better title for this movie - at least people would have known what to expect.
anindita
November 21, 2009
05:43 PM
There is a difference between a 'prop' and a 'plot' when you make a movie and our man Rensil could not tell the difference.The prop was by now, a done-to-death 9/11 America and we got a veritable deluge of such 9/11 movies in the past few years,Therefore the 'plot' was the only thing that could have offered some distinctivity to the movie and much to my chargin Kurbaan could not deliver the goods.Save a few good dialouges and flashes of good camera work there was nothing interesting about the movie.The actors were good and Vivek.O was a surprise package.His acting was belivable and suitably underplayed.A far cry from his previous over the top performances.Saif was ok, nothing to write home about.Dont expect a langra tyagi form him though.Kareena did not have much to do.Well,she should be glad that she could combine bussiness with pleasure(if u know what i mean)and thats just about it.The movie had many a loop holes.One of them being Vivek Oberios induction into the terrorist camp whithout a prior background check.I mean shaadi.com would have probably carried out a more extensive search before introducing two marriageble hopefulls!There r many more of such regularities in the movie.Well one has to see the movie to know and hopefully agree with me.Kiron Kher had a v.powerful author backed role and she went about it brilliantly.Om Puri character was predictable and boring,what a waste of such a talented actor.Overall,the film is a one time watch and that too if u r a "Dharma=Karan-Johar" loyalist.O, i forgot, Karan like he has done in the past will 'declare' the movie a hit so writing a review is a futile excercise and i have fallen prey to it!
anindita
November 21, 2009
05:43 PM
There is a difference between a 'prop' and a 'plot' when you make a movie and our man Rensil could not tell the difference.The prop was by now, a done-to-death 9/11 America and we got a veritable deluge of such 9/11 movies in the past few years,Therefore the 'plot' was the only thing that could have offered some distinctivity to the movie and much to my chargin Kurbaan could not deliver the goods.Save a few good dialouges and flashes of good camera work there was nothing interesting about the movie.The actors were good and Vivek.O was a surprise package.His acting was belivable and suitably underplayed.A far cry from his previous over the top performances.Saif was ok, nothing to write home about.Dont expect a langra tyagi form him though.Kareena did not have much to do.Well,she should be glad that she could combine bussiness with pleasure(if u know what i mean)and thats just about it.The movie had many a loop holes.One of them being Vivek Oberios induction into the terrorist camp whithout a prior background check.I mean shaadi.com would have probably carried out a more extensive search before introducing two marriageble hopefulls!There r many more of such regularities in the movie.Well one has to see the movie to know and hopefully agree with me.Kiron Kher had a v.powerful author backed role and she went about it brilliantly.Om Puri character was predictable and boring,what a waste of such a talented actor.Overall,the film is a one time watch and that too if u r a "Dharma=Karan-Johar" loyalist.O, i forgot, Karan like he has done in the past will 'declare' the movie a hit so writing a review is a futile excercise and i have fallen prey to it!
Aneesh
November 22, 2009
08:41 AM
I haven't seen he movie yet and by the looks of things its best if it stays that way. I'm so bored of Jehadi sentiments on screen!
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