Khap Review

What is it all about?

Can you have a candy gloss feel, a romantic duet, a separation song, in a thought provoking issue based genre film...? Well Ajay Sinha accomplishes this feat with tremendous ease. The movie shifts genre faster than your TV channel remote without any remorse.

Exactly... who ever watches this flick will share the same sentiment - WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT? One film old helmer Ajai Sinha (Stop in 2004 starring Tejaswini Kolhapure and Om Puri) in the company of his four writers Ishan Trivedi, Vinod Ranganath, Vijay Verma and Alok Lal fail to tell us what exactly is 'Khap', what it does and from where it comes from.

The concept of Khap is ancient; written references are found as far back as Rig Vedic times. It was a system of social administration and organization in the republics of Northwestern Indian states such as Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. 'Khap' is a term for a social-political grouping and used in a geographical sense. Other parallel terms are Pal, Ganasangha, Janapada or republic.

But let us go into this `Khap' which is more on Honour Killings.

The Story... Of Course

'Khap' is based on the traditional custom of massacre, which exists in the villages of UP, Harayana etc. The film highlights the much talked about issue of Honour Killings, as there are still quite a few villages that follow this cruel age-old custom.

The story revolves around Ria (Yuvika Chowdhury) and Kush (Sarrtaj), who are in love with each other. Ria's father Madhur (Monish Bahl) left his village sixteen years back due to the custom of honour killing, due to which one of his friends was killed. On the other hand, Choudhary (Om Puri), who happens to be the Khap Panchayat's president is also Ria's grandfather, though she happens to be unaware of the fact.

In the meantime, the news channels start highlighting the death of Veer and Surili (casualties of honour killing). There comes a twist in the story, when Madhur is chosen to lead a commission to investigate the suspicious deaths of Veer and Surili. Moreover, his daughter Ria marries Kush. Ria is oblivious of the fact that they belong to the same 'Khap,' which creates further trouble for the family. The film progresses to find out if Choudhary is able to stand against his granddaughter or gather enough courage to go against.

What to look out for?

Whatever be the content the intent of Ajay Sinha who comes from a television background, with serials like 'Astitva', Hasratein, and 'Justajoo' and a film 'Stop' to do a film on this issue even after threatening of the Khap Panchayat in the initial days is appreciated. He manages a team of good and strong cast where Om Puri excels and Govind Namdev comes out strong along with Manoj Pawa. Yuvika impresses. Monish Behl is okay.

What not?

It's a turn off right from start and a powerful subject like this needed skill and mastery backed by insight which our dear director Ajay Sinha in the company of his four writers Ishan Trivedi, Vinod Ranganath, Vijay Verma and Alok Lal fails to deliver.

Agreed nobody will go inside the theatre expecting a documentary on 'Khap'. All we wanted was a cinema which had some teeth on the Khap and honour killings but the entire proceedings is so plastic that even the start where a couple is burnt to death by villagers for marrying within the same gotra (clan), computer graphics are used to show flames.

The viewer is left with an unpleasing effect to congratulate the maker for this mockery. Ajay Sinha is more interested in making a love story by using the sensationalisms of the powerful issue of honor killings. Priyadarshan's average thriller 'Aakrosh' starring Ajay Devgn and Akshay Khanna based on the same theme of Honour Killings emerges as a masterpiece in front of 'Khap'.

The dialogues are weak, other artiste fail to make an impact. Newcomer Sarrtaj is very raw; Yuvika and Sarrtaj lack chemistry. Narration is stale and mundane. A TV serial on this issue would have been better considering Ajay Sinha's limitations as a feature film director which gets exposed in `Khap'. Where he makes a mockery of the sensitive powerful subject by falling prey to the push and pull of commercial cinema in this so called issue based flick, the drama refuses to move along speedily, although there is a hasty look to the picture in general that lacks seriousness of going into the deep and adding layers.

Mr. Ajay even appears on screen in the end of that goody goody song which we see at the end of many flicks nowadays.

Last but not the least

The movie poster proudly says that it received nomination for the Audience choice award and Directors vision award at the Stuttgart Film Fest in Germany. Well for everyone's kind information, entry in Stuttgart isn't difficult at all.

Conclusion: A perfect miss

Rating **