Friday 28 June 2013

My Review Ghanchakkar

Director : Raj Kumar Gupta

Starring : Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajesh Sharma, Namit Das



Ghanchakkar is the story of a Safe breaking expert Sanju (Hashmi) who after being nudged and poked by his wife Neetu (Vidya) agrees to do one last job, where his share of Rs. 10 crore will ensure a luxurious retirement. The duo of Pandit (Rajesh Sharma) and Idris (Namit Das) have approached him, where everything else is ready and all they need is Sanju to get into the safe where Rs. 30 crore have been kept. So far so good. The robbery is successful and Sanju has to now keep the money safely for 3 months and then the share will be split. Three months later, Sanju has forgotten all about the robbery due to partial memory loss post an accident, Pandit and Idris, and where he has kept the money.

The premise is very interesting, a heist with a twist. But that is what it remains, a promising premise.

The execution and storytelling leaves too much to be desired. I found Vidya's over the top character irritating. The Punjabi accent was coming and going at will, much like Sanju's memory. The clothes were totally wrong given the fact her constant companions were Vogue and Cosmopolitan, and given the interiors of the plush house, hard to digest. I actually am surprised that an actor of her caliber actually agreed to do such a flimsily etched character. It whiffed of  "lets do something hat-ke".

Emraan is okay, and looks suitably confused and lost (pun intended). Rajesh and Namit share a great chemistry and do have some moments where one chuckles.

The film opens interestingly but then its just downhill somewhere before interval. I liked the bank robbery sequence, which is the highlight of the film according to me. But these kind of films need to be crisper and not repetitive. The entire process makes you shift uneasily and murmur, come on, get on with it now.

Raj Kumar Gupta, the director shows sparks in some scenes, I liked the bank robbery sequence, some moments between Sanju and Neetu, specially as things get tense in the later part, some quirky bits with Rajesh and Namit, but too little, too thinly spread.

What must have sounded interesting on paper gets yawn inducing, and the climax, which was actually my favorite part of the film comes too late, when I am already half out of my seat waiting for it to end.

There are many entertaining and quirky films in the genre, in English and other languages, the key is to keep it moving and here the duration is 137 mins, which is way too long for the tale being told and considering there are hardly any songs in the film.

The stars given are purely for the attempt to tell a different tale.

My rating : Disappointed.

Ok, to be fair 1.5/5

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