Movie Review: Boduguard: Stale Formula

The three consecutive Eid releases of films starring Salman Khan Wanted (2009), Dabangg (2010) and Bodyguard have a pattern to it. It’s a template that has finally got tiresome, the lack of creative control of the directors is certainly telling in all three instances. Khan’s introduction with exaggerated fight sequences, followed by a song visual extolling the hero, followed by a semblance of a story packed with more fight sequences and songs, the Khan shirt unravelling to profile the famous topless body and a happy villain-killing ending. While Wanted was a new experience in its presentation for the Hindi film audience, Dabangg had the spark of originality, a celebration of formula beneath its redundancy.  No such welcome escapism here.

Lovely Singh (Salman Khan) is a bodyguard. As the loose narrative unfolds, Lovely’s dad, also a bodyguard, succumbs to a road accident, while his pregnant mother is saved by a wealthy landlord Sartaj (Raj Babbar). Years later, Lovely is called by Sartaj to guard his daughter Divya (Kareena Kapoor) at her college. There is no back-story on why Sartaj or the daughter is targeted. Anyway, Lovely’s constant presence irritates Divya to such an extent; she pretends to be a girl in love with Lovely. The medium is the cell phone and an unidentifiable number. Events so unfold that Divya falls in love with Lovely, but for some unfathomable reason, she doesn’t reveal her identity. The villains are mere props, a brief but sturdy turn by Aditya Pancholi needed some space. The final thirty minutes go horribly wrong in its blending of love, betrayal and sacrifice. These parts needed flesh and reason and the script provides no explanation to the bizarre happenings. 

As for Salman flying from one moving local train to another one's rooftop, his power punches and bone crunches, we have seen enough. They are like a much-repeated product advertisement, not a film. Salman is earnest, his meeting scene at the garden is one of his best acted parts. Kareena plays her part well, the weak characterisation lets her down. The supporting cast has little to do. The comic attempts are an irritant.

Rarities

An obese man sports a t-shirt – SIX PACK COMING SOON. The other moment - Rahat Fateh Ali Khan lifts an average Himesh Reshammiya composition with his rendition of Teri Meri Meri Teri. Pritam’s guest composed I love you is a pleasure to listen, zestfully sung by Ash King and Clinton Cerejo.

Movie Review: 7 Khoon Maaf : Wicked, bleary, funny dark chronicle

The head still whirls, stepping out of Westend theatre, at Vishal Bharadwaj’s dark, nightmarish yarn about a woman killing off each of her husbands in the search to pacify her lovelorn heart. Through more than two decades of turbulence and rare happiness, Suzzana is aided in her executions by her faithful servants. By the end credits, she is ready to confess all, in a church though.

The humour is ink spreading on the blotting paper of betrayal, lust and human ruin. Although seemingly far-fetched as a story, the director paints black, dim lights and overcast gray, twilight-akin outdoors where his characters play out their little comedy. So there is a chauvinistic army man, a drug-addicted rock star and a perverted poet to be bumped off in the first half. In their midst there are allegories – be it the 1984 Operation Bluestar or the 1993 riots. The intermission message says – four more to go.

It is post interval that we get more edge in the proceedings, a Russian Spy is made to go down a well, the investigating police officer happens to fall in love with the murderer and goes blind in lust for her. A doctor thwarts a suicide attempt that leads to a chain of consequences. Finally, the narrator of the story meets up with Suzzana, now with silvery, boy-cut hair, and attends her symbolic seventh wedding, that gives away to a dervish-like dance, a culmination of all the haunting visual language the film uses.

Not for a mainstream audience, and purely filled with the director’s creative fountain flowing in each frame, 7 Khoon Maaf is a dark comedy, that could have been more fun and crazy. It is still a mesmerising watch for its unique storytelling, throbbing dialogues and mastery over the visual medium. For the die-hard cinema lover.

Priyanka Chopra gives her best performance yet of her career, the supporting cast are all competent, especially Irrfan Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Annu Kapoor and Vivaan Shah.

Wintry shroud
A snow-white cat walks over snow, and not a word needs to be uttered, it is a teasing riddle, a powerful visual punch when solved.