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DEEWANGEE - (Reviewed By Komal Nahta)

Director: Anees Bazmee
Producer: Neha Arts
Music: Ismail Darbar
Lyrics: Nusrat Badr and Salim Bijnori
Starring: Ajay Devgan, Urmila Matondkar and Akshaye Khanna

RATING: 2/10

Neha Arts' Deewangee (UA), inspired from the Hollywood film, Primal Fear, is about a conscientious lawyer, who has a cent per cent track record, engaged by a top female singing-star to save her friend and music teacher from the death sentence. The music teacher had been caught red-handed in the murder of a music company owner for whom the singer used to sing.

While there is enough evidence to convict the music teacher for the murder, the intelligent lawyer, with the help of a psychiatrist, proves in the court of law that the music teacher had a split personality and was helpless when his alter ego took over his real self. In fact, himself convinced that the seemingly harmless music teacher is actually a victim of a disease, the lawyer proves him innocent in the court of law and gets him acquitted. But that's not the end of the story. In fact, it is the start of a new story. Soon after his acquittal, the evil music teacher reveals to the lawyer that he is no victim of a split personality and that he had feigned the drama to save his skin. Outraged, the lawyer tries to get the case reopened but since that's a long procedure, he tries everything under the sun to send him behind bars. His task is rendered all the more difficult because the teacher is obsessed by and wants to marry the singer whom the lawyer has now started loving.

The film actually has two stories. The second begins after the first one ends. But the entire second story looks like an add-on which has been stretched too much. The feeling of it being an add-on arises because the starting point of the second story is quite weak - the conscientious lawyer is told by the judge that the case cannot be reopened by a lawyer who has won it. The question that instantly comes to the viewer's mind is: if a winning lawyer can't reopen the case, why can't the lawyer in this case approach the opposition (prosecution) lawyer or the victim's family for getting the case reopened? After all, he is a conscientious lawyer and should have no qualms about accepting defeat if only to get a murderer (whom he had got acquitted) punished. If it is argued that it is unethical for the lawyer to reveal anything about his client to the opposition lawyer, then it is more unethical to reveal the same to the judge, which he does! Had he taken just this one step, the entire drama of the second half would've been unnecessary. Had the singer been shown as being in love with the teacher, the post-interval portion would've been far more interesting because then, the lawyer would have had to fight two battles - proving the teacher guilty of murder in the eyes of law as well as the eyes of the singer and saving her (the singer) whom the lawyer loves, from the clutches of the murderer-teacher.

Besides this weak link, there are several other links post-interval, which look more contrived and less justified. For instance, the singer being asked by the lawyer's understanding mother to leave the house is unconvincing. And so are the music teacher's underworld connections. Also, the teacher succeeding in getting away with a criminal activity by threatening to expose the police before the media looks ridiculous. In the first half too, it seems strange that a super-intelligent human being like the music teacher didn't try to either tell the singer about his feelings for her or try to know her feelings for him. And this, when he knew that the parents of the two of them had fixed their marriage to each other when they were kids.

On the other hand, there are some plus points, too, in the film. The interval point comes like a bolt from the blue and shocks the viewer from out of his seat. It is remarkable. The antics of the music teacher also occasionally leave the audience shaken. The lawyer's fake fight with the teacher in the mental asylum is exhilarating. The angle of the singer keeping her mobile phone on while conversing with the teacher, so that their conversation can be heard by the lawyer is a thrilling one.

But the courtroom drama in the first half lacks the desired thrill and excitement. The angle of the split personality has not been treated in a manner as to make it universally appealing. Yet another drawback is the hurried manner in which the lawyer and the singer have been shown to fall in love. Further, the teacher's crazy love for the singer - which is so central to the plot - is shown in flashes when it should've been established as such beyond doubt. What's more, portions in the second half, which deal with the teacher stalking/pursuing the singer remind too much of Darr. Climax is routine. In fact, so strong is the interval point that the entire second half looks tame thereafter when it should've actually lived up to the promise of a heightened drama after interval. What's more, the public expects a more intense courtroom drama after interval too. This feeling comes because the lawyer tries to get the case reopened and also because the teacher challenges the lawyer for a tough legal fight in the court.

Ajay Devgan does a very good job as the music teacher. The nervous stammer in his speech is excellent. After impressing the viewers in the role of the petrified accused, he shines as the menacing manic lover. Akshaye Khanna plays the lawyer with utmost conviction. Except in a couple of scenes when he is made to shout his lungs out, he is very good. Urmila Matondkar impresses in emotional scenes and is good in the other scenes. Farida Jalal is alright. Seema Biswas is natural to the core. Tiku Talsania is wasted. Tanaaz Currim is good. Vijayendra Ghatge leaves a mark in a brief role. Suresh Oberoi acts ably in a special appearance. Mohan Kapur, Nirmal Pandey, Nishigandha Wad, Rana Jung Bahadur, Suhasini Mulay and Madan Joshi lend able support.

Anees Bazmee's direction, though good, lacks the sting of a thriller. Not equipped with a tight script (Anees Bazmee, Humayun Mirza and Neeraj Pathak), his narration has some exciting moments but the excitement is not consistent. Dialogues (Anees Bazmee and Neeraj Pathak) are very good at places.

Ismail Darbar's music is a weak point in the film. 'Pyar se pyare tum ho sanam', 'Hai ishq khata' and 'Dholi o dholi' are the better songs and quite melodious but not appropriate to the genre of the film and the audience (youth) it targets. A couple of other songs are too slow for the public's liking. Picturisations of 'Hai ishq khata' and 'Dholi o dholi' are eye-catching. Action scenes (Bhiku Verma and Pappu Verma) have been very well composed. Camerawork (Pushan Kripalani) is of a good standard. Production and other technical values are upto the mark.

On the whole, Deewangee has a few exciting moments but lacks the flow of an entertaining thriller. With repetitiveness creeping in in the second half, the last impression of the viewer is not the best impression. Considering its dull start and the weak days ahead, it will find the going tough. Business in cities and multiplexes will definitely be good due to the class treatment of the angle of split personality.

RELEASE DATE: 25th October 2002

REVIEWED BY KOMAL NAHTA