Rohan Sippy's Kuch Naa Kaho hits the marquee on September 5.
Its makers organised a special screening for the film industry and the media at a suburban theatre in Mumbai.
Here's what Sukanya Verma, who attended the screening, has to tell us:
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How was the Kuch Naa Kaho experience?
It's a long story. The movie was supposed to begin at 9.30 pm. But there was this pre-release party before the screening, which was attended by Rohan Sippy, Ramesh Sippy and his wife Kiran Juneja, Zayed Khan, Shahid Kapur, Sanjay Kapoor, Arbaaz Khan, Amrita Arora and MTV veejay Aditya.
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Then, after 30 minutes of playing time, the central speaker in the theatre stopped working. So the screening was further delayed by about 40 minutes.
After so many interludes, there was no need for an intermission.
We meant the movie experience.
Oh, it's basically a love story. A tad unusual, though.
Why do you say that?
See, there is this guy called Raj (Abhishek Bachchan), who lives in New York with his doctor mom (Suhasini Muley). Like all moms -- filmi and non-filmi -- she wants her son to find a good girl and settle down.
So Raj doesn't want to tie the knot?
It's not like he has a problem with marriage. But he doesn't really care for the I-will-check-the-girl-out scenario. Can't really blame him. The arranged marriage scene does suck.
The story?
Raj comes to India to attend his cousin's wedding. Raj's uncle (Satish Shah) seizes the opportunity and puts his favourite employee Namrata (Aishwarya Rai) in charge of hunting a perfect bride for his reluctant nephew.
After a hat-trick of misadventures with three wannabes, Raj falls for Namrata.
No offence meant, but any guy would trip for Aishwarya over some available ho-hums.
Why and how does Raj fall in love with Namrata?
Oh, it takes a swish of Namrata's perfectly straightened hair on Raj's cheek. That's enough for Raj's fantasies to take over his otherwise sensible brain.
Then comes the first twist. Namrata belongs to the cannot-be-approached category. She is already married and has a seven-year old son, Adi (Master Parth Dave).
What?
Yeah, turns out Namrata's greedy husband left his pregnant wife in the lurch to run after money.
Who plays her husband?
Sorry, I cannot reveal that one. He is supposedly the surprise of Kuch Naa Kaho. But the minute this character makes his entry, the movie goes downhill.
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So what is it you are trying to say?
Well, barring the climax, Kuch Naa Kaho is decent fare.
The movie has some catchy music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The soundtrack evokes more emotion than the script.
If only the dialogues (rather flat fare from Naushil Mehta and Nidhi Tulli) could convey the complexity of the romance.
But there are some genuinely funny moments between Abhishek Bachchan and a bunch of uniformed kids. Also, Abhishek's encounter with his three prospective brides evokes a chuckle or two.
Is Kuch Naa Kaho a mushy romance?
It's not. But the interaction between Raj and Namrata's kid; with Namrata watching them in a hopeful manner is straight out of Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire.
Is the desi Dorothy Boyd -- Renee Zellweger's name in Jerry Maguire for those who don't know -- good?
Aishwarya's Namrata is wimpy. Till the pre-climax, you think she is sensitive and sensible. But once the plot takes a second twist, Namrata turns into a whimpering, stereotyped Bharatiya nari [Indian woman].
By the time she realises it is time to speak up, the dialogues fail her.
How about the acting?
Aishwarya is not very convincing as the mother of a seven year old. Whenever she utters the word beta [son], it takes a moment to register that she is referring to her son. You know what I mean?
But the woman does look ravishing in the song sequences. Especially the title track, in which she prances about in white-and-silver Vikram Phadnis ensembles.
What about Abhishek Bachchan?
Truth is Abhishek is more comfortable with the kids than his heroine. He shares a better rapport with the little boy than with Aishwarya.
Also, he looks different in every frame of the film. Actually, the movie took some time to get ready. So Abhishek looks straight out of his second release, Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya in parts. In others, he looks terribly distressed with dark circles under his eyes... and it's not even a crying scene.
The same goes for Ash as well. She looks positively harried at times.
Is Kuch Naa Kaho worth a watch?
Yes, but try not to looking at Kuch Naa Kaho as Rohan Sippy's debut.
Rohan displays a knack for comic scenes and a trendy presentation. Check out the cool opening credits.
It is an inconsistent entertainer. But it has good music, snazzy camerawork, clean humour and decent performances.
CREDITS
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Satish Shah, Suhasini Muley, Master Parth Dave, Himani Shivpuri, Jaspal Bhatti, Tanaaz Currim
Director: Rohan Sippy
Producer: Ramesh Sippy
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Screenplay: Neeraj Vora
Dialogues: Naushil Mehta, Nidhi Tulli
Cinematography: V Manikandan
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