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AJNABEE
Producer: Vijay Galani
Director: Abbas-Mustan
Music: Anu Malik
Lyrics: Sameer
Starring: Kareena Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Akshay Kumar

RATING:
*****

Film Folks' Ajnabee (A), inspired from the English film Consenting Adults, is the story of two young Indian couples settled abroad. Being neighbours, they get friendly and go to Mauritius on a picnic. The wife (Bipasha Basu) of one of the friends (Akshay Kumar) seduces the other guy (Bobby Deol) even as he shuns her. As if that were not enough, the friend (Akshay) puts forth a proposal to the other (Bobby) to swap their wives for one night.

This disturbs the other friend so much that he snaps all ties with the couple for their behaviour but doesn't reveal the reason to his wife (Kareena Kapoor). The couple apologises and the friendship blossoms once again.

One night, the friend again puts forth the same proposal of exchanging wives for that night and he twists things in such a way that the other guy, in an inebriated state, ends up sleeping with the former's wife. In the morning, he is shocked to find himself in bed with the friend's wife.

A greater shock comes when it is revealed the same day that the friend's wife (who he was supposed to be sleeping with) had been killed on the very night during which they both were together. The needle of suspicion obviously points to the guy for murdering his friend's wife. While it is clear that the guy has been framed for murder of his friend's wife, the victim has no proof of his innocence. Even while his trial is on, he runs away from the foreign court to gather evidence to prove his innocence. From then on, it is a game of revelation of the suspense.

Ultimately, the murderer is found but that is not the real suspense because all along, it is quite clear that it is the friend himself who has killed his own wife. The suspense is why and, to an extent, how he murdered the wife.

The suspense thriller has several plus points and several minus points too. On the plus side is a novel angle (of swapping wives) to a suspense murder drama. But this very point has such shock value that when one considers ladies and family audience, it could be construed as a minus point.

Among the other pluses in the film are the huge canvas, excellent foreign locations, plenty of sex and youthfulness, superb camerawork, entertaining comedy and lovely music.
A major negative point is that other than the novel angle (which also has a plus and a minus side to it), the film is a routine suspense thriller which has been burdened with extravagant spending (cost).

There are also several flaws in the screenplay (Shyam Goel, Neeraj Vora, Robin Bhatt and Sanjeev Duggal). While several of these flaws reveal lack of effort on the part of writers and a recourse to writing according to convenience, some also give a feeling that the story (Neeraj Vora) has purposely been made confusing so that the suspense becomes more intriguing.

An example of the latter: Akshay Kumar gets married to one girl (Mink) but gives the impression that another girl (Bipasha Basu) is his wife. Ultimately, while Mink is murdered, the world believes Bipasha to be dead.

Considering that the entire murder is master-minded and planned meticulously by Akshay's genius brains, wouldn't it have been far, far more sensible to have not brought Bipasha in the open at all till Mink was murdered?

But what Akshay does is, flaunt Bipasha while keeping Mink away from the world. Why? This point jars because the suspense begins to unfold only because of the knowledge about two girls in Akshay's life. So one gets the impression that Bipasha Basu's presence in the whole drama is only to make matters more complicated.

Bobby Deol's statement in the court (before he flees) that he did go to his friend's wife in an inebriated state, although not to sleep with her but to inform her of her husband's indecent proposal (of swapping wives) seems ridiculous for two reasons: (i) By going to his friend's wife, he allowed his friend, in turn, to go to his own wife. Wasn't he concerned about his own wife's safety? (ii) Why did he need to complain to the friend's wife when she herself was hand-in-glove with her husband, a fact known to Bobby Deol?

This appears like a clear case of convenient writing since the drama of framing Bobby begins only because he rushes to his friend's wife. The reason for his rushing to her should have been more solid or, in the alternative, he shouldn't have gone to her. He could have only been shown to have slipped into sleep (due to sleeping pills mixed in his alcohol) and transported to the bed of the friend's wife.

Therefore, the murder drama begins only because of a weak link in the story. The suspense also begins to unfold only because of another weak link in the story.

Bobby Deol's imagination of an entire song sequence showing the bedroom romance between Kareena and Akshay has been handled a bit too casually. Intercuts of Bobby in the song make it look unintentionally funny.

A better option would've been to show the entire song (which, otherwise, has tremendous sex appeal) in a flow and the revelation that it was in Bobby's imagination, only at the end of the song.

The climax involving use of computer, password etc. is too classy to evince the thrill that should have come with it.

Akshay Kumar looks very handsome and does a fine job. Bobby Deol also looks pleasing and acts naturally. Kareena Kapoor has performed ably. She also exposes uninhibitedly. Bipasha Basu makes an impressive debut and exudes abundant sex appeal. She doesn't get much scope for acting and does well in what is required of her.

Johny Lever is excellent in a comic role. He is ably supported by Narendra Bedi, Amita Nangia and Sheela David. Dalip Tahhil, Sharat Saxena, Mink and the others lend the desired support.

Abbas-Mustan's direction is good and very stylish. The film has a lot of gloss and a very snazzy look. Of course, the flaws in the script and some lesser-handled scenes do irritate. Music (Anu Malik) is hit. Almost all the songs have excellent tunes. The pick of the lot are 'Mehbooba mehbooba', 'Meri zindagi mein ajnabee ka intezaar tha', 'Mohabbat naam hai kiska' and 'Kasam se teri aankhen'. Song picturisations are superb.

Camerawork (Rajan Kinagi) is par excellence. Action (Kaushal-Moses) is thrilling. Technically, brilliant. Production values are grand.

On the whole, high-priced Ajnabee relies more on style than substance and will, therefore, do well in cities mainly. It will do well initially but a long run is a far cry.

RELEASE DATE: 21st September 2001

WRITTEN BY KOMAL NAHTA