Apr 26, 2006 01:40 AM
4095 Views
(Updated Apr 26, 2006 04:09 AM)
Some films gather a huge amount of expectations. The next thing we know, only a small minority of these films register the impact that justifies their hype. Large is the number of all-hype, no substance products. However, TAXI NO 9211 is one film that falls in the former category.
For starters, it has a team that is composed of actors very different from each other. In the lead, there is Nana Patekar who is an amazing actor in rough roles. Next, there is John Abraham who belongs to the upcoming generation of actors. Then there is a hot model in Sameera Reddy. There is also a critically acclaimed actress like Sonali Kulkarni. Last, but not the least, it has the gorgeous Miss World Priyanka Chopra in a guest appearance. From Milan Luthria the rest of his crew to the rest of the supporting cast, everyone is talented, yet not top-notch. Yet with Vishal Shekhar giving a jazzy musical score and the promos doing the trick, TAXI was expected to register an impact. And so it did!
Before one is about to view TAXI, one feels that the movie has to be good. And when it constantly meets the expectations, one feels a certain kind of satisfaction for giving time and money to such a movie.
The plot is simple: two frustrated losers in life come from different backgrounds. One is a poor taxi driver (Patekar) and the other a spoilt son of a dead millionaire (Abraham). The latter has to fight for a will that gives him the right to his late father's property. As soon as the former finds out, he wants the same not only to help the cause of his own financial crisis, but also to defeat the latter due to a rivalry that has developed between the two. In this battle, both of them lose what they already had. They realize that furthering the battle will only hurt them. Will this realization be any good? Or has it come too late? To find out, watch TAXI as soon as possible. It's worth it!
Milan Luthria does all his technical work soundly. From editing to cinematography to screenplay to direction to performances, everything is near perfect.
Nana Patekar gives a flawless performance. Right from the initial reels to the climax, Nana sticks to being the character he is assigned. Not only does he convincingly carry off his part, but he also takes the viewer's sympathy on many occasions where the sympathy should be divided. Why? Because his performance is just that good. He leaves one speechless with his performance in the finale of the movie when he realizes he needs to regain what he has already lost rather than go for what was never his.
John Abraham supports Nana very well by being a great foil. While in certain scenes John does go overboard showing his inexperience as an actor, on the whole this performance marks a major growth in him as an actor. In the climax, for instance, John is a complete natural as he makes his presence felt.
Sameera Reddy is alright but this role might not get her places. While Sonali Kulkarni completely steals the show from Sameera when it comes to acting, even Priyanka Chopra leaves a better impact in a special appearance. Shivaji Satam gets only a couple of scenes to show his talent and he does it with brilliance. He is another actor to watch for in the movie's finale.
Overall, TAXI NO 9211 is a movie that stands out for offering something very different: an insight on the lives of two losers and how their own rivalry with each other helps them improve themselves as individuals. For its novelty, TAXI deserves a thumbs up and that's exactly the reason why it was a success story on the BOX OFFICE as well.
