THE PHARMOOLA WORKS!!!

Ok~I am giving a warning right at the beginning that this is going to be a surprisingly positive review of a movie which is supposedly the most disappointing and worst film since Jhoom Barabar Jhoom hit the the screens last year. The fact that both these films belong to the esteemed Yash Raj Production house makes it even more intriguing. But while I to agreed to every bit of criticism that was directed JBJ's way, I will however give Tashan two thumbs up for making one of the most entertaining movies I have ever seen.

Most of the critics are right about the film when it comes to the movie following the 80's masala potboiler formula but I don't exactly see what's wrong with following that formula. Let's face it, Vijay Krishna Acharya makes no two bones about the fact that his movie is nothing more than a masala entertainer. The promos of the movie never said that this one was going to be the next Rang De Basanti or Taare Zameen Par. They never highlighted that Tashan was going to blow you off with it's excellent script and sensitive handling of cinema. Tashan was never about path breaking cinema. It was always about how exactly in your face entertainment can get. And while this brand of in your face entertainment gets a bit irritating at times, for most parts this one's a complete joyride.

There's no fantastic plot here. The plot is just an execuse to dish out more and more brand of formulaic cinema that you have been treated to for ages and it works. The treatment is stylish but the Indian way. In fact this is the closest we are ever going to get to an Indian treatment of a wsternized plot. For some time now we have seen the westernized treatment of Indian plots in Bollywoood, it was high time some one attempted to do the opposite. And Vijay Krishna Acharya comes out with an east meet west story like never before. The plot is pure Hollywood, the treatment is classic Bollywood. And that's where Tashan scores.

The story is about how two lovers, Jimmy(Saif Ali Khan) and Pooja(Kareena Kapoor) dupe a don, Bhaiyyaji(Anil Kapoor) of 25 crores. Pooja turns out to be a femme fatale of the awesome variety as she dupes Jimmy too and makes a run alone with the 25 crores. Enraged Bhaiyyaji hires recovery king Bachchan Pandey(Akshay Kumar) to track down Pooja and thus the chase begins. Really~not much to boast there. But as I have already said Tashan was never about a great script, it was just about how you can keep the adrenaline pumping and the plot does that work pretty well here.

Major twists come along the way, the alliances of the characters keep changing and so do their reasons to be on this wild goose chase. From a movie whose tagling reads 'THE ISHTYLE...THE GOOD LUCK...THE PHARMOOLA' you really couldn't expect anything more. And if you were~too bad. The movie rushes from one plot twist to another keeping you on the edge of your twists through out. If there's anything to complain here, then it's the lack of action sequences. For a movie that relies on style more than enything else there should have been more pulsating action sequences to keep the adrenaline flowing. The fact that there are actually just two, both after the interval, is a bit of a let down. Even the two action sequences are not as fantastically shot as they should have been. The climax turns out to be a bit of a dampener because of that. The action seems almost rushed with more time given to show how stylish the actors are rather than them shooting their bullets and beating up the baddies.

The cinematography, though good, should have been of a much higher standard seeing as this is for a large part a movie that relies on outdoor locales. Also again, the cinematography is a downer when it comes to the action sequences.

Vishan Shekhar's music is undoubtedly an asset with Dil Haara and Chhaliya being the standout songs. While Dil Haara is the best track of the lot, it's picturization is also fantastic. Chaliya is a decently composed number but it is it's picturization that takes it to another level. Dil Dance Maare is a really fun number and adds its bit to the proceedings. A special mention for Falak Dekhoo, a romantic track with great lyrics and well composed and even better shot. Even though it comes at a very crucial juncture in the movie and therefore dampens the high spirits a little bit, there's no doubt that this is a fantastic romantic track. And Kareena looks like a million bucks.

Vijay Krishna Acharya handles the script, screenplay, dialogue and direction of the movie. And for a first time director, this is a really good attempt. Though there's no doubt it's his techinical skills as a director which are highlighted in the movie, he isn't a bad story teller at all. There's scope for improvement as at times he seems to get confused on whether to narrate a story or focus on the glam quotient, especially during he climax where je just seems to think that the Indian audience will lap up any sort of action sequence as long as it it stylized but for most parts he achieves his aim with disctinction. Definitely a strong debut.

Of the cast, only Saif Ali Khan quialifies to be called a disappointment. He's almost relegated to the role of the side kick in the movie and though he gets the maximum screen space, more often that not he's over shadowed by the looming presence of Akshay Kumar. Even in his scenes with Kareena Kapoor and Anil Kapoor, he's almost reduced to a bit part player. He tries his level best to rise above the minimal character scope that he's been given, but when you have Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor as co-stars, there's not much that you can do.

Bhaiyyaj works simply because of Anil Kapoor. A lesser actor would have made Bhaiyaaji sound more hamming than evil but all credit to Anil Kapoor as he makes a less than convincing villain look agonisngly bad. He's nowhere near as evil as Mogambo or Gabbar, but if it weren't for Anil Kapoor, Bhaiyyaji would have been more of a comic character than an evil one. His take on Amitabh Bachchan in Deewar is fantastic.

Kareena could have so easily been reduced to being just the glam quotient of the movie but luckily she isn't. While there's no doubt she provides the oomph factor to the movie, there's more to her character than just wearing a lime green bikini and showing off her zero size figure. While she won't be winning the same amount of praise or awards that she did for Jab We Met, there's no doubt she gives another rivetting performance. See her expression after Akshay Kumar narrates his love story to her and then watch her as she finally comes clean with Saif Ali Khan, two scenes where she really shows her capabilities as an actress.

Akshay Kumar is the life and sould of Tashan. Without him, this movie could have so easily been just another have been. But he holds the movie together like a glue and prevents it from falling apart even in its worst moments. He really is a true blue superstar. You wait breathlessly for 40 minutes to see him on screen and when he does, he as expected, eats up each frame that he stands in. His growth as an actor can be completely realized in Tashan. Whether it be his introducion as Ravan or his intensity in the action sequences, he's the one man for whom Tashan should not be missed. This can be completely understood in that scene when he narrates the story of his childhood sweet heart to Kareena Kapoor and his reactions after that. The man enters the frame like he owns it and it shows. He really is the Tashan behind Tashan.

The formula that Tashan follows may be simple but the execution is really that much difficult. To pull off a masala pot boiler in these days with elan is just not possible. And though Tashan doesn't exactly do it with elan either, faltering on more than one occasion, for the most times this is a movie that entertains the way it's supposed to. If people think Om Shanti Om was an entertainer, then this one certainly qualifies as an entertainer as well. Really~the ishtyle and the pharmoola works, all Tashan now needs is good luck. With Akshay Kumar in the form of his life, how can that be far behind!!

Rating: ***1/2

THE STYLE THE TASHAN THE ENTERTAINMENT!!