FILM PREVIEW: Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena (2005)

Starring: Fardeen Khan, Koena Mitra, Feroz Khan, Kay Kay Menon, Gulshan Grover
Director: Suparn Verma
Producers: Pritish Nandy Communications

Predicted Rating: 5.5/10

Bollywood’s father-and-son team Feroz and Fardeen Khan are reuniting once again for the forthcoming movie Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena. The thriller has been shot entirely in Mumbai and features heavy doses of action and some comedy too. It is being produced by Pritish Nandy Communications and marks the directorial debut of Suparn Verma (who wrote the scripts of Qayamat, Zameen and Karam).

The film tackles the subject of making heaps of ‘easy money’ through con jobs in India. Obviously the audience may find the subject slightly repetitive, since we’ve only recently seen Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan covering something similar in the Yash Raj Films blockbuster Bunty Aur Babli.

This time around, Feroz Khan plays Jehangir Khan, a Harvard-educated criminal, who excels in exclusive, highly sophisticated crimes. Fardeen Khan is also a member of a criminal gang, which includes Kay Kay Menon, Rohit Roy, Mukul Dev and Amin Hajee. They have little respect for the law and want to simply make plenty of money, as quickly as possible.

The film also stars Koena Mitra, who made a name for herself by performing in a variety of item numbers. She’s now trying to establish herself as an actress, primarily through this movie. Let’s see if she makes an impression as the psychiatrist Natasha (the role was originally offered to Bipasha Basu). Her character takes an interest in Fardeen Khan and allows him to introduce her to his fast-paced world.

WRITTEN BY ROBEEL HAQ