Samir Karnik's 'Vaada Raha... I Promise' isn't any different from his earlier three movies - 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na', 'Nanhe Jaisalmer' and 'Heroes'. Well, one wonders why Karnik would repeat Bobby Deol and Dwij Yadav when both miserably failed in his bobby and Dwij starrer 'Nanhe Jaisalmer'. Bobby hasn't succeeded in his filmi career like his elder brother Sunny Deol though he is a good and talented one. In this non-romantic movie , Bobby plays his role very well in the character of a surgeon who loses hope but regains it because of the living example of a young boy played by Dwij Yadav. In fact, the movie belongs to Bobby Deol as it moves around him, and Dwij Yadav.
In the movie, Bobby Deol (Duke Chawla) a surgeon, is feted by the American Medical Association for his research on cancer. His loyal friends call his life perfect as the gorgeous fiancée played by pretty Kangana Ranaut touches wood! However, all this disappears one evening when the surgeon meets with an accident. He suffers from paralysis. More painful for him is the fact that his fiancée refuses to see him after hearing the news of the surgeon's accident. She may have a reason though; she has a sick mother to look after. Heartbroken surgeon loses faith in life!
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He refuses food and medication, until the hospital orders injections for feeding him. This apart, he has a friend in Roshan played by none other than 'Nanhe Jaisalmer' star Dwij Yadav, who has been giving company to his cancer-struck sister in the hospital for long. The talkative child doesn't mind the surgeon's `get out' shouts at him, and finally succeeds in making the surgeon a friend. This makes the hospital staff very happy and relaxed. The movie has several flaws too. One could not believe that a surgeon of the Duke Chawla fame would behave the way he does by refusing medication and food, and throwing tantrums like insisting on going back home. Not only this he spits out medicines.
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Two, all kids are cute but not expected to be as wise as Roshan (Dwij) is made to be in the movie. After all, he is only ten-year-old but talks like a very elderly person. He says to Dr Duke, "I'm only giving you that what you've lost - hope"! Too much for a ten-year-old child, isn't it? Roshan lights up all the darkness inside Duke and motivates him to pursue his research so that he can save many other children like Roshan! This is indeed great. However, the third flaw in the movie is that the story loses grip midways and you're just left with nothing substantial to hold on to though Roshan infuses a ray of hope to live in an otherwise frustrated surgeon.
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Performance-wise, the movie is good inasmuch as its hero Bobby though looks like wooden yet succeeds in playing his character very well. Kangana Ranaut looks attractive in a sari though she has a very brief role to play. Dwij Yadav, who was previously seen in `Nanhe Jaisalmer`, does a good job again. The story is good and well written but confined to a hospital. Sameer Karnik's direction is good too though he fails in his attempt to create romance in the movie. That's why the dialogues have an upper hand. The music department has a mixed fare; while some songs are hummable, others are just okay.
