Kurbaan Review

 Can you call it a pudden-head idea of Karan Johar? Maybe! The film doesn't boast off anything exceptional in terms of narrative aspects. For better results, filmmakers can just give a break on making films based on Islam and fundamentalisms. It's really sickening to watch it over the screens with a disconsolate backdrop and an inevitable tragedy.

So, what's `Kurbaan' all about? A strong replication of Manirathnam's `Dil Se' with a blend of Kabir Khan's `New York' and `Shoot on Sight'??? There's no doubt for it. How could Karan just gear down with a neither flimsy script, which spells out emotions nor at least shoot-up our adrenaline rush.

Kurbaan lacks everything in terms of script, screenplay and dialogues. In simple terms, one cannot afford to watch this flick merely for the backless shot of Kareena and her lovemaking scenes with Saif.

Avantika (Kareena Kapoor) is a teacher in a university in Delhi. She has come back from New York where she teaches, because her father has suffered a heart attack. During this period, she meets a temporary Professor called Ehsaan Khan (Saif Ali Khan). Soon they begin seeing each other and love blossoms. A few months later, Avantika receives a call from her university in New York, asking her to come back for the Fall Semester. Avantika breaks the news to Ehsaan. He in turn, tells her he doesn't mind coming to the States with her, to find a job. But first they need to get married.

Soon after the marriage, they leave to start a new life in New York. They buy a house in an Indian neighborhood and move in. Just as they are setting up home, their conservative Muslim neighbors, Hamid and Anjum, invite them over for dinner. The next morning, Salma, one of the women Avantika met the night before at the dinner, visits her under the pretext of gifting her sweets. When Avantika invites her in, Salma tells her that she is in grave danger.

What unfolds next is a series of unexpected twists and turns where Avantika is left despaired and has no one for rescue except a journalist (Vivek Oberoi). Well, for the journalist it's not about saving Avantika, but something more.

Rensil has ardently pulled over the exact traits of a Manirathnam film - darkish backdrops and low-volume dialogues. The complete film shot in dark tones just doesn't work any wonders for the film. At least Rensil could've delivered variation over the first 35mins of romantic sequences.

Lots and lots of loopholes in Karan's script. How come a single man bump off security forces during midnight and just elopes back to his home?  And the next thing to pick apart is the weird characterization of Vivek Oberoi. Though the actor sweeps on with a fantastic performance, Rensil has made his intentions so unjustifiable. He has a clear-cut picture about his girlfriend's death as Kareena reveals the secret lying beneath it. Vivek isn't really a brave guy and is it necessary to take on a one-man mission. Naturally, he should've followed the `cloak-and-dagger' method with the aid of FBI.

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor have done their best job over their performance. Om Puri marks an awe-inspiring show while Kiron Kher is marvelous (though you feel irritated as she persistently keeps blabbering about the death statistics of Musalmans being massacred). But its Vivek Oberoi scoring 5/5 delivering intense emotions over every sequence. Especially, watch his remarkable adeptness in penultimate sequences.

Of course, Karan Johar deserves a special pat for engrossing everyone with next-to-last 25 mins of the sequence as everyone is sure to get over to edge-of-their seats. Oops! But again, there's a spoiler with the background score. Had the duo Salim-Sulaiman just closed their eyes during the rerecording sessions? None of the sequences has a synchronous score. It's a sequence of matter of death and life in climax and you'll hear a romantic guitar music played. Cinematography is top-notching with eye-catching visuals and editing could've been yet sleeker.

On whole, `Kurbaan' doesn't deserve a watch as it's brimmed with lots of ambiguities and absurdities. If you've still decided to watch, just enter the theatres, 30mins prior to climax.

Verdict: Fails to hold your attention

Rating:  **