FILM REVIEW: WAQT (2005)

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra, Shefali Shah, Boman Irani and Rajpal Yadav
Director: Vipul Amrutlal Shah
Producer: Manmohan Shetty

Radio Sargam Rating: 7/10

Background:
Vipul Shah has earlier made the film Aankhen. The film was based on a Gujarati play called Andhlo Pato (Blind man’s Bluff). The bluff was called when the film was too theatrical. The script written by Aatish Kapadia had earlier been made into a play by Aatish himself.

This time around too, Aatish has written and directed the play Aavjo Vahela, Fari Malshu… which has been converted into a movie.

People, who know the play, know what the film is about.

Synopsis:
For those who do not know the story of the play and the film, here goes.
Ishwar Sherawat (Amitabh Bachchan) is over friendly to his son Aditya (Akshay Kumar). He pampers him a lot. He gives him everything he wants. When problems arise over the suggested wedding between Aditya and his love Mitali (Priyanka Chopra), Ishwar has his way and does everything to make his son happy.

In his excited overindulgence, he tends to overstep boundaries and helps him too much, much to the indignation of his wife Sumitra (Shefali Shah).

Ishwar, by nature is a nice person… and is good to kids, especially orphans. And when he owns a toy making company, we know what he is playing with. But then he is accused to playing with his son’s future as well.

One day, the unforeseen takes place. It is diagnosed that Ishwar has cancer and will die soon. Nothing can save him. There is no use of a great wife, a carefree son and a loving daughter-in-law. Now Ishwar realises that his son isn’t doing anything and just wasting his life away and needs to get a shock to get serious about life. So without explanation, he asks his son and daughter-in-law to leave the house.

Aditya thinks his father is nuts and also that he has taken a turn for the worse. Only Ishwar and his wife apart from the doctor and the audience know the truth.

Aditya now cannot do anything as he is a wastrel. He tries his hand at doing stunts – we know Akshay can do it well… and he gets a job as one. But a few dog bites later, Aditya learns his lesson.

He now hates his father much more, thinking how cruel and merciless he has been.
But this strengthens Aditya’s resolve to do good for himself. He enters a competition and is on the verge of winning when he gets to know that his father is dying of cancer. Slowly he realises what his father has done for him… he changes for the good. His daughter delivers a son… called Ishwar again… and then …

Critique:
It is an Amitabh Bachchan film. The script has been written with him in mind. Akshay Kumar is competent and delivers his lines well, but is thoroughly overshadowed by Amitabh. Whoever said that Akshay tried to cut Amitabh’s role should have said otherwise for an April Fool‘s joke. Priyanka is ok, but does not sizzle.

Shefali Shah is very good as well. Boman Irani as Priyanka’s father is adequate. Rajpal Yadav is funny.

Some sequences straight out of the play are hilarious. They are tired and tested dialogues which add a lot of character to the film. Whenever a film is made from a book or a stage play, there is so much value addition to the film.

The scenes between Rajpal and Boman and the scenes between Amitabh and Boman are too good. However at the end, Amitabh and Akshay ham a lot. The end is too stretched and isn’t as good. It lets the entire pace of the film down. The first half is mind-blowing and spectacular. It has the right mix and is perfect… like how Aankhen too was extremely classy.

The songs are good, but they pop up far too often for comfort. Maybe the overseas audience will love it. Akshay Kumar seems to be the latest flavour abroad. His last release Bewafa, which was a very bad product, made more money abroad than what Lagaan did.

Cinematography is fine for the film. It is not extraordinary though.

Waqt is a good weepy, weepy film.

Conclusion:
If you have enough Waqt, go see the film.

Reviewed by: Tony

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