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`Zinda´
Between a paisa vasool and a chalega |
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JAN 15 - 'Zinda' explores the world of crime - integrating
thrill, revenge, drama, intrigue and suspense - Bruce Lee style or
any South East Asian flick - very dark, brilliantly violent and
characteristically unapologetic.
Sanjay Dutt plays the male
lead of Balajeet Roy. It is said to be one of the most
challenging roles ever for him. John Abraham plays Rohit Chopra.
This is also John’s first film with Dutt.
The former beauty queen Lara Dutta who hit a No Entry last year
acts as Jenny Singh. This is also the first time she is starring
with Dutt. Another beauty queen Celina Jaitley who sports bikinis with aplomb, plays Nisha Roy, also for the first time with Dutt. Mahesh Manjrekar
is
Joy Fernandes.
Produced and directed by Sanjay Gupta, 'Zinda' comes after
Kaante and Musafir and appears to be his darkest movie
ever. It works primarily because of its gripping, although
unoriginal, story and a noteworthy acting performance by Sanjay Dutt.
One thing Gupta certainly has an eye for is offbeat, hard-hitting
stories. His movies ‘Kaante’ and ‘Musafir’ had stories that weren’t
seen in Bollywood cinema. It is another thing that they were
inspired from Hollywood flicks. But Gupta knows well how to give a
good story a new garb, a new look, with a little bit of his own
original inputs in the edgeways.
And let us not forget, cinematic stylization is Gupta’s forte. The
camera angles, the tone of the film, the slick editing,
fade-to-black shots – all this makes ‘Zinda’ a visually appealing
movie. However, the bloodbath and slaughter that is unapologetically
depicted in the second half may put some viewers off. It is
authentic and repulsive at the same time.
Visually, ‘Zinda’ is a dark film. The tone and ambience of the movie
is like a metaphor to the life of its protagonist, Balajit Roy
(Sanjay Dutt).
A software engineer, Balajit came to Bangkok with his wife Nisha
(Celina Jaitley). One fateful day, Balajit was abducted and put in
solitary confinement. There is not a clue as to why he is held
captive, or who his captor is.
Living, rather existing, in this black hole, Bala begs, curses and
damns his captors. But all his pleas fail to change his fate. Bala’s
only touch with the outside world is a TV set from which he comes to
know that his wife has been murdered and he is the prime suspect.
Months turn into fourteen years. From within his cell, Bala sees the world
outside change on the TV set. He resigns to his fate, but still
nurtures a hope to find out answers to the questions that burn
inside him – Why is he held captive? Who his captor is?
Then one day Bala is
set free without any explanation. It is another riddle in his mind.
A free man on the streets of Bangkok, Bala now has sole aim – to
hunt down his captor.
In his search he takes the help of a cabbie named Jenny (Lara Dutta)
and his friend (Mahesh Manjrekar). He makes a deal with Jenny to
show him around Bangkok and every single restaurant that serves
wantons. Wantons are his only link to the unknown enemy. During
fourteen years of captivity all he was served with as meal were
fried wantons, fried wantons, more fried wantons...
Like a volcano waiting to explode, Bala drills, hammers and axes
people to get close to his captor until the day he comes face to
face with the man – a businessman named Rohit Chopra (John Abraham).
What roused a filthy rich business baron like Rohit Chopra to take
upon himself to send Bala to hell and back? That's what the second
half of the film deals with.
‘Zinda’ is inspired from the Korean film ‘Oldboy’. But it is not a
dumb copy. Gupta must be commended for the way he has presented the
story - and changed the motive. Right from the initial reels, the movie grips you. The
sequences showing Dutt in confinement, the torment and gradual
transition he undergoes in this black hole, keeps a viewer glued to
the screen. Allusions to the story’s mysteries are planted evenly
throughout this half, but things become clear only at the fag end,
like many pieces of a jigsaw puzzle falling in place.
The original, directed by Park Chanwook, involves incest. Perhaps
Gupta thought that would make 'Zinda', which is already high
on aggression, impossible for the orthodox moviegoer to digest.
Sanjay Dutt deserves all praise for a performance that shows his
range as an actor. For the major part of the first half, he is
disheveled, tormented, persecuted and vulnerable. In the second
half, he breathes fire, breaks bones and spills blood. Take him out
of the movie and you are left with below-average actors, uninspired
dialogue and a crippled plot twist.
Celina Jaitley has a mere five-minute role. Lara Dutta acquits
herself well playing the cabbie, while Mahesh Manjrekar overacts.
John Abraham looks suave and dandy. But his smug attitude does not
compliment his sincere efforts at appearing vicious as the
revenge-thirsty tycoon.
In a nutshell, ‘Zinda’ is a finely made movie with a story
that throws unexpected twists just when the going seems to get
smooth. The movie has two songs Yeh Hai Meri Kahani by Strings
- Pakistani pop group, and
Zinda
Hoon Main by Shibani Kashyap, but they play in the background.
The second half of the movie is morbidly violent and gory. It is
raw, rugged and in-your-face. Those who can stand this would find
it worth watching, once at least. In short, you got to be angry,
demented, numb, a Sanjay Dutt fan to be able to enjoy 'Zinda'.
For desis/deshis abroad, 'Zinda' may be a no go - if you are
looking for a family entertainment, but a paisa vasool if you
are a lonely, single, struggling, beer guzzling individual who needs
something to watch. For desi/deshi couples looking for weekend
entertainment, stay away - you can find a better one than a 'Zinda'.
Watch 'Ghost' instead! |
Rating: ** 1/2
Director: Sanjay Gupta
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, John Abraham, Lara Dutta,
Celina Jaitley, Mahesh Manjrekar |
Rating
Index:
* * * * * Just brilliant
* * * * A cut above
* * * Enjoyable
* * Average
* Bomb |
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Top
10 Desi Movies |
1 Salaam-e-Ishq
2 Guru
3 Risk
4 Vivah
5 Dhoom 2
6 Bhagam Bhaag
7 I See You
8 Kabul Express
9 Lage Raho Munnabhai
10 Don
As of Jan 28,
2007 |
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