Albela
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Raja Hindustani Part II, with Govinda and Aishwarya?
Two of the hottest Bollywood properties paired should work magic on screen, bringing the
much-needed cheer to the beleaguered box office, so badly in need of a hit this year.
Right?
Apparently not. High were the expectations from the film, and alas, the chemistry
between the lead pair must have the least visible on screen in a long time. As an
Austrian Governor's daughter, Sonia, Aishwarya Rai, definitely looks the
part. But fails to bring any zest to it. But the blame perhaps lies as much with her
co-star.
Yet again Govinda proves his strong point is buffoonery, not adult romance.
Although they mouth all the right romantic dialogues, they wouldn't convince a blind,
mentally challenged two-year old. There is far more conviction in the fleeting scenes
between Prem (Jackie Shroff) and Sonia, told in flashback.
And the plot does not help any. Sonia runs into Tony, a caricature Goan
guide when she comes there in search of her mother's grave. It is another matter that in
remarkably little time, celluloid or otherwise, is spent in doing that. Instead they moon
around in beaches and churches while Sonia's father, Herr Heinz (Saeed Jaffrey)
growls from some place one assumes is Austria, even as chaperone Nanny hangs around
anxiously.
Tony soon assures himself his 'madam memsaab' is deeply in love with him, and
begins acting accordingly. This deeply hurts Nina (Namrata Shirodkar), his
spunky neighbour who runs a café alone and thinks of Tony as the right husband material
for her. And with the arrival of Prem in Malaga, once again the romantic 'triangle'
resolves itself into a quadrangle whose four parts initially seeming to strike
discordant notes, but settling down by the end.
After a slow start, the tension slightly builds up when the flashback of Sonia and Prem is
narrated as they accidentally (?) run into each other in Malaga. And rekindle their
romance even as Tony, oblivious to all of this, and Nina's love for him, prepares for the
life of Viennese gentleman.
The only time the film comes alive is when Sonia and Prem talk, or sometimes just struggle
to look into their lives, past or future. Or when a little exchange of ideas between the
governor and the guide, when Govinda is doing what he is suited for, buffoonery.
There is little else to commend in the film, not even the music or rather lacklustre
Aishwarya or the lovely beaches. We've seen better on screen, be it beaches or couples,
even when they come in pairs. |
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