Most movie-watchers feel jealous that film critics get to watch each and every movie on the very first day of the release and that too as an invitee. However, they know little that it is indeed an arduous task to watch each and every movie from the beginning to the end. And, especially when more than ninety per cent of the movies give them more headache than entertainment. It requires a great deal of patience to watch films when one feels like walking out on the very next scene.
I hope my dear friend Mahesh Bhatt will forgive me for putting his latest film in the same block. 'Inteha' tests the limit (Inteha) of your patience. Everyone will agree that Bhatt is one among few in Bollywood who have always dared to break the set path. But he should know that now even in small town people watch more English films on television than Hindi flicks in theatres. So, while he could pass away the climax of 'What Lies Beneath' in 'Kasoor' by using the background music of 'Sliver' in 'Criminal' and lift several scenes for his 'Gunaah' without giving a blink, his habit fails to impress even his diehard fans. There is certainly a void in teen-age horror thrillers in Bollywood, but it requires an honest and offbeat effort to make films like 'Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer' or 'Fred v/s Jason'. While it has done well at the US Box Office for horror films this season, in Bollywood not even a single film of this genre has left a mark.
When last week during the Indian International Film Festival in New Delhi a Swiss diplomat was raped by an educated and modern looking guy in a moving car, there were talks about these new criminals who do not have a criminal background. They live in five-star hotels, speak fluent English and are well to do guys. This incident is similar to the one in 'Inteha'. Debutant Ashmit Patel (kid brother of heroine Amisha) dons the same image in this film. Here he plays Ranbir who is at a hill station to make a seven-star hotel. He meets Tina (Nauheed Cyrusi) and both of them click with each other instantly. Fast age, fast love like fast food ! Enter Nandini (Vidya Mallavde); she is a beauty with a brain too. Though Tina does not like Vidya's interference in her matters, this stepsister will do anything to keep promises she made to their dying father. Nandini is now the guardian to Tina and sets out to find out the past of Ranbir. But she finds out that he is involved in some gory things. Characters keep popping as the film progresses and songs too. The film crawls to its climax where director Vikram Bhatt seems to have lost his patience too and allows everyone to do whatever he likes. His father Pravin Bhatt obliges by shooting whatever comes his way and the editor forgets that he has scissors too in his software.
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The Bhatt family is trying very hard to recreate the magic and mystique of their last film 'Raaz', but they fail in their attempts. Their last film 'Footpath' was a washout. Before that 'Saaya' too. Earlier, 'Gunaah' came crashing down. Now what next??? Mr. Bhatt only knows the answer, because it is he who writes or selects most of the stories made by his banner Vishesh Entertainment. His brother Mukesh only works like a cashier in his company. 'Inteha' is a total failure not for one reason. It has a very weak story that takes almost one hour to establish itself on the screen. I remember veteran scriptwriter K.K. Shukla (he wrote most of the films of Manmohan Desai), 'If a film cannot establish its theme in first two reels, then it is going to be a failure for sure.' And not only the story, 'Inteha' lacks in the screenplay too. Girish Dhamija does impress with some lines here and there as a dialogue writer but most of the lines at other points are oft repeated to leave any impression. And the worst part of the film is its music. Anu Malik is losing his magic. He is going to become a music composer of the past if keeps on wasting opportunities like this again and again.
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Among performers there are not many needing a special mention. Ashmit Patel has become hero thanks to the close relations of Amisha and Vikram. He comes up with a tidy look in the whole film with beard and without make-up. This makes him look deceptive. He hides his inability to emote in most of the scenes. But he won't be able to ride the chariot of success with these loopholes in his personality. He needs to groom himself better for next film. Nauheed shows some improvement from her first film 'Supari'. But best among these is Vidya Mallavde. She not only brings in the required sensuousness of an Indian woman but also performs ably in most of the scenes. She gets the most versatile role in this film and has guts to do better in future. She is the girl to watch in future. Ignore this film if you want to entertain yourself. 'Pinjar' is the best deal in this season and if you do not want to see a period flick then try your luck by throwing the money in some jackpot.
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