As is with everything else in India…it’s taken us 8 years to realize the impact of 9/11…or maybe it was 26/11 that made us go…”wow, there is a story in there”!
Kurbaan is (yet another) version of terrorism under the guise of religion, juxtaposed with a love story (without which there is no desi movie).
I felt it wasnt better than New York, and at the same time I felt there were moments which made the movie stand out (or made it feel realistic, which is not expected from a KJo production…for god sake…he called Kabhi Khushi his most realistic movie ever!)
Storyline predictable – Kareena (Avantika) is a Prof who lives in NY and is back in India because of her father’s ill-health. She falls in love with Saif (Ehsaan) and both of them decide to move to NY and start a life there, in the backdrop of an unwilling father.
Once in NY, the usual post-marriage love story unfolds…finding house, setting it up, kisses on way to office and back home from work, grocery bills etc etc. They move to an Indian neighborhood, which is a Muslim dominated area and thats where the trouble begins. Avantika realizes that one of her neighbours is in danger and in an attempt to save her uncovers a truth that rips her apart (cmon..we all can guess what it is!!).
This is where the movie breaks down! The characters unfold themselves in a fashion that is not normal…and honestly at no point of time are you able to connect to them, unlike New York (the movie).
The movie does attempt to (half-heartedly) bring out the other side of terrorism, pointing to the way the US has bulldozed the Middle Eastern Region due to selfish needs. And while the argument is not entirely wrong, the movie fails to really grip the audience into believing it.
And ofcourse, the high point of the movie is the realization that NY Cops are as useless as Delhi Police, when it comes to chasing convicts. To showcase simply this fact, Shiela Dixit should make the movie Tax-free!
However, to his credit, the debutant (Rensil D’Silva) does a fantastic job of making the movie LOOK awesome (but then again, its a KJo production! You would expect that, though I was surprised that Saif didnt sport any DKNY outfits throughout the movie). The cinematography is fantastic…there are some really brilliantly executed scenes which the Indian cinema has not been subjected to so far.
And if nothing, Vivek Oberoi’s American Accent steals the show, oh so totally! That guy is all set of join Genpact as Team Lead – US Processes!
Overall, good attempt. Though I wish New York hadnt happened before. Just in comparison, I would give this a lower rating
Rating – 2/5
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And while at it, this has got to be the best review of the movie possible…!