Insan Review

This is one of those movies that builds up all the anticipation that an uphill ride in a roller-coaster does. The downhill ride is exhilarating, too. But only if you are the anticipation. Get our drift?

At last count, the movie had three hundred and fifty one characters in pivotal roles. That is to say, that together all they could do was move the movie in circles. It just never got anywhere. The actors, though, boldly went where no man has gone before - up-skirt, for instance.

It all begins with cop Ajit Rathore (Ajay Devgan) smooth-talking a dreaded terrorist, Masood, into not escaping. In the next scene, Amjad Khan (Akshay Kumar), an auto driver, rescues a bus full of pilgrims from the wrath of fanatics. Just when you are settling down to watching a brainless action movie, comes in Tusshar Kapoor (as Avinash). Now, you know that the movie is going to be stupid. Still, that is not a crime. Giving him the role of a struggling actor (?) is. Agreed, art imitates life but does it have to be so cruel an apery?

You will notice that we have said nothing about the women in the movie, yet. That is partly because there is not much they have to do in it. But, mostly because we want our readers to read at least half the review. It is a bit like why Swami Vivekananda was always asked to speak last - the audience waited up for him.

The picture has four heroines. Of them, Indu (Laila), Avinash's opposite number, sticks out like George Bush in a peace convention in that she is fully dressed. Meghna (Lara Dutta - hot as usual) and Heena (Esha Deol - clueless as usual) respectively fall in love with Rathore and Khan. Sonali (Koena Mitra - too much she is) does what she is expected to - don shorts that make those worn by the other two look like pants.

Too much digression, is it not? Probably, the director felt it as well. He brings back Khan's brother, Munna (a blade-chewing Rahul Dev), as Azhar Khan - the man who takes all of Bandra station hostage to secure the release of Masood. Good thinking. Airplane hijacks were becoming too mundane. Let's give the audience something else to barf on.

So far the film had traits of Fiza, Zameen, Sarfarosh, and Gangaajal. That is okay. After all, the inspiration has to come from somewhere. But, adding the Mother India effect by getting Amjad to kill Munna thoda zyaada ho gaya. Also, what kind of a Bollywood hero is Rathore if he lets Munna escape whenever he puts a gun to a woman's head?

Basically, the film tries to ride on the shoulders of Ajay Devgan and Akshay Kumar. Strong though they are, it is quite a burden to trudge the movie without support from any other corner. Especially, when the music makes you wonder if you could not have done a better job.