Of Riddles,Trash & Chidiya Ka Ghosla ... Review on Kyun! Ho Gaya Na

~-~-~-~

Riddle Of The Day: What did the overhyped effeminate director ask the invisible man?

~-~-~-~

Answer: Kyun ... Ho Gay(a) Na?

==================

Kyun ... Ho Gaya Na!

ing: Vivek Oberoi, Amitabh Bachchan, Charlie Chaplin's ghost, Trashwairya Rai etc.

Direction: Samir Karnik.

Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Rating: **1/2

==================

Film titles have always been a matter of fascination with yours truly and I love film titles like Wonder Car, Bunder Car et al. However, there is more to a film title than meets the eye. Quite often, the title is a giveaway to how the film would be.

The best example to illustrate this fact is Samir Karnik's directorial debut - Kyun Ho Gaya Na. While most goings-on in the movie force one to lament, ''Kyun?'', my recommendation for the flick would be a short and simple ''Na''.

The story of the film is older than the average Tyrannosaurus Rex. Arjun (Vivek Oberoi) is a happy-go-lucky, fun-loving prankster who has a rigid belief that a love marriage is not his cup of tea. Diya (Aishwarya Rai) attempts to change his beliefs and make him realise the existence of true love. Along the way, we encounter Uncle Raj (Amitabh Bachchan) who seems to have placed a bet on a horse called Charlie, as he keeps muttering ''Come On, Charlie'' more often than the revered Alok Nath flashes his beautiful, yellow pearls.

The screenplay and dialogues, which are credited to four people each, are a clear case of 'Too many cooks spoil the broth'. To their (dis)credit, they surprass Aruna Irani in the art of confusing the viewer. Finally, we do have a screenplay which is more confusing than the identity of Dev in Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand! Diya loves Arjun who does not know that he loves Diya, who thinks that Arjun loves her. Diya tells Arjun that she loves him, but Arjun, who does not know that he loves Diya, thinks that he does not love Diya. Suddenly, he realises that he loves Diya, and in spite of knowing that Diya loves him too, he refrains from telling her that he loves her. Confused? Never mind, move onto the next paragraph ...

To give credit where it's due, in spite of a cliche premise, there are certain beautiful moments sprinkled in the screenplay - wit abounds in a number of scenes involving Vivek, with the highlight being the scene in which he poses as a soft-drink seller in a train. Moreover, Oberoi's camaraderie and repartee with his father (Om Puri) are brilliant.

The latter half of the film has shades of Brahmachari, as Uncle Raj runs an orphanage, and the interaction between Amitabh and the children is sure to be a hit with the kids. To add a little spice to the scenes are Amitabh's wacky expressions and sense of comic timing.

The cinematography is breath-taking. While the foreign locales are beautiful, a couple of songs are wonderfully shot in and around Marine Drive, Bombay.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy must be commended for yet another good musical score. Aao Na is easily one of the best songs of the year, and the other numbers are quite hummable.

Vivek Oberoi is the life of the film. Be it his interactions with his parents or those with Amitabh, he does a good job. His expressions when he realises that Diya loves him are commendable, as is his acting towards the climax. Another scene where he excels is when he ticks off the couple who have come at the orphanage.

While one lead is the major plus point of the point, trust the other lead to spoil it all. Frigid as ice, (Tr)Ashwairya Rai is appalling. While she looks as beautiful as a doll with gorgeous chidiya ka ghosla curls, her doll-act is so convincing that you half expect her to say ''Mama'' if you press a button. Be it a romantic scene, a comic one, or an emotional one, Rai has a set routine - blink, flutter her eyelashes, giggle, twist her nose, flutter her eyelashes again, and then screech. I must commend her for the fact that she always sticks to the same order while doing the above routine. Vivek has always shared brilliant chemistry with most of his heroines (especially Rani and Kareena in Saathiya and Yuva respectively), but the chemistry between him and Ash is zilch. I don't blame him - it is rather difficult to display good chemistry with a mannequin.

Amitabh Bachchan is a trifle over-the-top, yet that is in sync with the character he plays. Bachchan displays the fact that his comic timing is still very much alive and his acting is particularly commendable in the scene in which he shares a drink with Oberoi.

Om Puri is a delight. His scenes with Rati Agnihotri and Vivek are quite witty. Rati Agnihotri, Tinnu Anand and Suniel Shetty are passable, while Dia Mirza lights up the screen with her effervescent smile for 7.43 seconds.

Kyun Ho Gaya Na is not a must-watch, but courtesy Oberoi, Bachchan and a few entertaining moments, it is quite watchable. While it is way better than recent releases like Gayab, Asambhav and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, the simultaneous re-release for Sholay is already telling on its collections. As I'm sure that the producer and director of this movie must be lamenting, ''Bahut nainsaafi hai yeh ...''

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Kyun ... comment karoge na ?!