Sukanya Verma in Mumbai
Sukanya Verma explains what went wrong with one of her favourite directors's latest film.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
With Main Hoon Naa and Om Shanti Om, Farah Khan, the choreographer-turned-director, demonstrated her flair for dazzling aesthetics and quick-witted humour. As it turns out, both films earned blockbuster status and catapulted her in the league of the leading Hindi filmmakers.
Ever since she announced her new project, Tees Maar Khan, expectations were understandably greater than ever. Moreover, thanks to the overwhelming amount of publicity generated owing to its ritzy item number, Sheila Ki Jawani, the con caper was slated to become Bollywood's grand finale to 2010.
Instead of a hat trick, Farah's rights-purchased remake of Peter Seller's After the Fox was ruthlessly ravaged by audiences and critics.
Expectedly, the film opened well at the box office last weekend -- it is Akshay Kumar's best opening ever -- but collections dropped dramatically after disappointment dawned.
What went wrong?
1. Tacky, pedestrian writing
The Kunders -- Farah's husband Shirish and his brother Ashmith -- had some nifty source material at their disposal. But instead of getting inspired, they botched it up to produce a rather pedestrian, lacklustre, sluggishly written screenplay that was preoccupied in forcibly plugging its titular character's coolness instead of providing a solid enough characterisation to root for him.
2. Tasteless humour
The jokes involving an Albino, gay cops or those snide remarks on industry wallahs are much too stupid or snarky to endorse.
3. Hamming actors
Here, she's got a reasonably talented bunch to work on, but the acting is completely out of bounds.
With the exception of Akshaye Khanna, everyone screams, hams, goes berserk.
It's almost like an audition for a circus.
4. You call this music?
TMK (Composers: Vishal-Shekhar/Shirish Kunder), on the other hand, has nothing going for it barring the title track and Sheila....
Honestly, those two numbers too wouldn't have caught our attention if it wasn't for the incessant promotions on national television.
The songs are oh-so-blah and boring that even Farah's vivacious choreography doesn't help.
5. What Overconfidence!
Given the manner in which they have advertised the movie, this inferior piece of filmmaking is a reminder of why Bollywood is in dire need of self-inspection and how easily its folk allow success to sway their judgment.
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