1.5 / 4 STARS
DIRECTOR: SUBASH GHAI
ACTORS: AKSHAYE KHANNA, ANIL KAPOOR
ACTRESS: AISHWARYA RAI
MUSIC DIRECTOR: A.R. RAHMAN
STORYLINE:
Akshaye Khanna plays Manav, a foreign-educated student who comes back to a small town in India. His father is a big businessman named Jagmohan Mehta (Amrish Puri). Here he meets Mansi (Aishwarya Rai), daughter of Tarabhai (Alok Nath), a famous folk singer of some sort. The two fall in love. Manav eventually has to leave for the big city, but promises he'll come back.
Eventually, Mansi and Tarabhai go to Delhi to see him. Due to unforeseen circumstances, though, Jagmohan and Tarabhai become enemies and Tarabhai slaps Jagmohan. Seeing this, Manav, who has just entered, says emotionally, "Both of you get out!" and so Manav and Mansi split up.
Enter Anil Kapoor, a big music director who is fond of copying other people's songs. He falls in love with Mansi, and the two plan to get married. Manav, meanwhile, still pines for his lost love.
Will Mansi go back to Manav? Will true love win? Do we care?
COMMENTS:
The storyline is horrid, the dubbing terrible, and the sentiment overwrought and undeserved. We never FEEL for the characters. This might somehow become a hit as a Hindi movie, but as a Tamil one-- it has no future. The overall effect I had when leaving this movie in the theater can be summed up in one word: "BORING!" But two things saved the movie. One was Anil Kapoor's energetic acting. He at least kept the audience awake. The second was A.R. Rahman's extraordinary music. The music is one of the best tracks of the year and a surefire hit, and the audience's only expectation for the movie lay in wondering when the next song would come up.
Oh yeah, Aishwarya Rai's beauty didn't hurt either.
NOTE ON THE MUSIC:
The music has been excellently written and exquisitely performed. The major saving grace of this movie WAS the music. Kudos to A.R. Rahman for pulling it off. It's destined to be a hit. Best tracks: Kaadhal Yogi, Engae Yen Punnagai, and Kaadhal Illaamal.
RECOMMENDATION:
Wait for the video to see the songs. If you don't care about songs, skip it altogether.
VIJAY VANNIARAJAN