Nov 04, 2006 09:44 AM
2527 Views
Thats it---- Nazar na lage.......
A good attempt by JP Dutta and his team.
But not as comparable as the classic. This is by far Ash's best performance after HDDCS.
Watch the movie to see her emote, feel human, at a loss when fate strikes a blow to her destiny.
I think after a very long time, I saw any on scren chemistry bet. Ash and her hero. They were blowing hot and cold thru out the movie.
I wouldnt waste much space on the storyline, as most MSians have already chalked it out.
Ash in her role of Ameeran was riveting, if not superlative. She cries, laughs, shows ada, nakhras,nazakat so well. She was able to touch Rekha's masti and ada and nakhra, but just so. She did not add any further dimension to the charachter of Ameeran. Her tawaif dresses were lovely and exquisite. Seema lot of research has been done on that. And her jewels were mind blowing too. So were Shabana's. Ladies watch out for the beautiful nawabi, stone, polki, pearl jewelry.
Men, be ready to dole out cash at the jewellers this weekend. I also hope that with this movie silk, gazals, shayari make a huge comeback, as these have been used to pepper the movie extensively.
Abhishek, as the nawab Sultan and Ash's lover did a good job, if you dont mind the dead pan expression that his name has become synonymous with. As the true pathan ka bachha, he left an impression of a true, fearless lover even when the society and his father were against his liason with Ash. He stood his ground even though his love was a nautch girl. This was a new twist to the tale told by MUzzafar Ali some 25 years back. This adds interest to the story and takes us back to the era of snail speed way of courting one another. Of standing by each other in the face of societal opression. Ash too stood out in this portrayal of true undying love, when she did not let go of her values as a lover, get mauled by Khanum Jaans attempts to send her on the path of lust and money.
Shabana Azmi is an established actor already. And critisizing her acting skills would be harakiri.
As the owner of the kotha in Lukhnow, she displayed all the nuances and nakhras that one is supposed to have. Her mother Shaukat Azmi did the same role in the classic, and here SA did her role with aplomb and tastefully. She has added a feather to her cap with this role.
Himani Shivpuri and KK did justice to their role too. No where did one feel that they overacted. Under playing the charachter was the keyword here.
The shayari was not a patch on the old classic. The lyrics are not memorable nor the music haunting and penetrating the soul (what I remember of the classic). In this age of sms and simple, straight hindi lyricd, the heavy lukhnowi shayari seems lost on the audience and does not find many takers. Many people chose to take a break during many of the dance and music sequences.
Nevertheless, the attempt to create an interest in the lost art of shero shayari is well augmented and lets hope that this saga helps to create the same magic for shayari and gazals what LRMB did for Gandhigiri.
Costumes and jewelry wre the highlight of this movie, many a times drawing more attention than Ash's own dialogues and emotions. Worth a dekko really.
Cinematography was executed well. Many parts of Lukhnow are covered and also the country side of Uttar Pradesh for the songs and dance sequencing.
Editing could have been better. The movie was too long, and at times too slow and detailed painfully not painstakingly. Although the exchange between mother and daughter and son was a scene not to be missed( which was not given much footage in the old movie). Also notable was the exchange between Ash and AB when they separate, is commendable( again given a miss in the old movie). But, a few scenes could have been deleted, which were slowing down the pace- When AB comes drunk to the Kotha and repeatedly says Ghulam.......
All in all, an applaudable venture by JP Dutta, witha few minuses here and there.
