Footpath Review

I never dreamt that some day I would get to see an absolutely original and innovative Bollywood film. And thank God I never did, because it never happened. Footpath seems to take over from where films like Satya, Ghulam, Company, Supari et al left. Even so, it does have its share of moments.

Arjun and brothers Shekhar and Raghu are childhood chums. The group is completed by Sanjana - Shekhar's and Raghu's sister and Arjun's flame. Some union guys knock off Arjun's dad when these four were but adolescents. Shekhar finds out who the culprit is, and the three kill him. Following this, they pack Arjun off to Delhi, as the Police are looking for him all over.

Then 12 years later, a certain Inspector Singh manages to trace Arjun down. Eureka!!! I have finally cracked one of life's most profound riddles - why don't you find cops when you need them? Did you wait for 12 years, you schmuck? The cops will get there, they just need some time. Anyway, Singh gives Arjun an offer he better not refuse - help the Police apprehend Shekhar and Raghu who are major druglords now, and go on living his life - if he does not wish to go to prison forever.

Arjun infiltrates the gang. What follows is a pretty decently constructed sequence of events that depict the ruthlessness of Shekhar, the dilemma of Raghu, the predicament of Arjun, the confusion of Sanjana, and the apparent hopelessness of the situation. Arjun does not know whether he should side with the Police or help his friends, and when Sanjana gives him that choice - choose between me and 'them' (the ultimate in womanly possessiveness) - he makes the only logical decision of siding with 'them'.

And then the entire world of Arjun turns topsy-turvy. Raghu wants to right his wrongs. Shekhar does not want to be anything other than wrong. And Arjun is caught up between the two. Bullets fly, blood splashes and people die, so much so that in the end we only have two survivors in Arjun and Sanjana.

The film is not what you would term 'different'. The lead actors have all come up with good performances, but Irfan Khan steals the show from right under their noses in a cameo appearance. However the script is slightly weak, and that just might come in between the film and its success. Besides, I think Aftab badly needs to invest in a razor. A scene here or a scene there is fine, but to not shave in all his films?

So catch this flick, but do not expect too much from it - unless 'it' is blood, gore and violence. I, for one, expected too much of Bipasha, but I got to see most of her anyway.