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All you guys who were disappointed with Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, there’s a good news. For, Salman Khan is in an awesome form in his latest big ticket London Dreams. It can surely rate
as one of the best performances of his career. But the movie as a whole has its loopholes and turns out to be a half baked attempt which is primarily watchable because of Salman’s energetic magic.
I’m all for cinematic liberties. But when it’s stretched beyond comprehension, it becomes a tad difficult to handle. Little Arjun (later Ajay Devgn) leaves his Punjab village and goes to London with his uncle (Om Puri) to pursue a career in music. He will do anything to realise his ambition and if at all the mind moves away from The aim, he literally lashes himself with his belt. No he wouldn’t fall in love with lovely Priya (Asin) till he gets his ’manzil’.
His friend Mannu (Salman), on the other hand is an incorrigible flirt and also a naturally gifted artiste. His ascent in the music world leads to jealousy and Arjun seduces him to the world of drugs and infamy. There is also the token Pakistani presence of Zoheb (Rannvijay) and Wasim (Aditya Roy) who complete the ’London Dreams’ band. Obviously the filmmaker wants to cater to the ’Asian’ community in the lucrative overseas market. Fair enough.
Every single frame involving Salman is a fantastic treat. He makes you laugh-out-loud with his desi flirting with the pretty air hostess in the flight. His wheeling-dealings with the local villagers makes you crack up laughing too. Even the way he woos ’Chennai Express’ Asin is funny and refreshing. Even in the emotional and dramatic scenes, Salman is in super form. He must do such character driven roles more often rather than sleep-walking Main Aurr Mrs Khanna.
Ajay Devgn is a gifted actor. His restrained energy and easy candour makes him endearing. He brings out the jealousy factor quite well. But the way his character is written, he is unable to rise beyond a point and is overshadowed by Salman effortlessly. After the superlative All The Best, his fans will be in for a disappointment. To give credit to both Salman and Ajay, their camaraderie comes out beautifully in the climax.
Asin is wasted. She is a background dancer with limited scope to perform in the band. She has her moments of fun-n-emotions but they are few-n-far-in-between. Rannvijay and Aditya play their part decently. The biggest disappointment of the film is its music. In a film based on music, Shankar-Ehsan-Loy’s score is a let down. Khanabadosh and Barso Re are fantastic compositions. But all the other tracks fall flat and fail to rise to the occasion. Even Prasoon Joshi’s lyrics lack the bite.
Sejal Shah’s cinematography is top notch. The manner in which he has shot the concerts (especially Barso Re) is simply brilliant. Amitabh Shukla’s editing is good, though the second half could have been curtailed. It tends to drag after a point of time. Ritesh Shah’s dialogues are impressive whenever Salman is mouthing them. Director Vipul Shah is a mixed bag. He successfully brings out the best in Salman but Ajay’s character is riddled with absurdity. The overdramatisation of several scenes (specially the Wembley Concert where the crowd throws bottles on stage as if on cue) was familiar with the movies of 80s but here it looks too contrived and out-of-place.
An Asian band gaining such mammoth popularity and that too within no time looks incredulous. Within six months, they attain the significance of say a Michael Jackson by filling in Wembley with 90, 000 people. Too far fetched. On the other hand, Shah handles the Punjab portions with a caring rustic zeal. You can feel the green fields and the cosy ambience of a typical dhaba. First half is pacy and very enjoyable, thanks to Salman-antics.
London Dreams is a one time watch film. All the Salman fans, don’t miss it!
PS: The three stars are primarily for Salman’s show
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Pros: |
Salman
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Cons: |
Overdramatisation of several scenes
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Plot Revealed In The Review:
Somewhat revealed
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Best to watch with:
Friends
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Movie Genre:
Drama
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Best part in the movie:
Cast
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