Slickness. That's where the admen-turned-directors score over others. They have
been taught to tell a whole story, impress the viewers and sell a product before
you can say "10 seconds". And here's an adman, Rajat Mukherjee, doing a splendid
job of his first directorial assignment, given to him by Ram Gopal Verma, the
man who has given birth to a genre of hard-hitting, low budget films with themes
that are inspired in the right manner. This film has been inspired from the Michael
Douglas-Glenn Close starrer, Fatal Attraction. Mukherjee ensures a stylish execution
of the script with some very powerful performances from the cast backing him.
Ria (Urmila) is the deliriously adamant daughter of a millionaire. Jai (Fardeen Khan) is a talented and a flirtatious fashion photographer. Their first meeting is not so pleasant - Jai, always on the lookout for some fresh faces, takes some snaps of her exercising in a beach, and later uses these snaps in the launch of a fashion magazine. The initially snooty Ria is eventually persuaded by Jai to start modeling, which she accepts. She becomes a successful model under Jai's tutelage. She also falls for Jai's attitude and charm, and mistakes his flirtatious nature to be a reciprocation of her love.
But she is shattered to discover that he is already married to Geeta (Sonali Kulkarni). Her love, aided by her adamancy, transforms into obsession, and she makes life miserable for Jai and Geeta with her suicidal threats and attempts to create a rift between the couple. When all fails, she turns diabolical and even attempts to kill Geeta, with the denouement being a very touching climax.
There is not one scene in the film that appears dragging or out of place, courtesy some very slick editing. Fardeen oozes style with his handsome features and, surprisingly, acts well too. His seeming vulnerability makes him tailor-made for this role. A guy who looks good, acts well and is a part of some good scripts is always welcomed by the audience. Sonali Kulkarni, the numero uno of Marathi films, looks gorgeous and plays her role, that of a wife who fears her husband being snatched away, to the hilt.
But the thunder-stealer is Urmila as the scorned Ria. Her transformation on screen as a glamorous model in the first half to a battered, diabolical character in the second is amazing. She gives a stellar performance, doing full justice to the negativity of the role. An example of that in the film is the scene when she desperately waits for Jai's phone call. There is always a chance to go overboard and start hamming in such roles, but Urmila underplays it to perfection.
The music is in sync with the script and adds to the simplicity of the script.
The song 'Kambakht Ishq' is very well choreographed, and Sandeep Chowta's background
music is almost a character in the film. Ram Gopal Verma lives up to the expectations
his banner creates. Few would wag their tongues if he manages to bring out the
best in Urmila. This one is a winner all the way.