EK - THE POWER OF ONE
THA NANA AUR EK THA BOBBY
by Vishal Verma
A K Sera Sera Presentation with Dharam Films. Producer: Jaswant Khera. Executive Producer: Jaswant Khera. Director: Sangeeth Sivan. Writer: Pankaj Trivedi. Genre: Action. Target Audience: General.
Shooting Locations (City & Country)
Chandigarh (India)
India
Starring
Nana Patekar...... CBI Inspector Rane
Bobby Deol...... Nandu
Shreya Saran...... Preet
Chunky Pandey
Jackie Shroff
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Jaspal Bhatti
Gurpreet Guggi
Sachin Khedekar
Zarina Wahab
Pradeep Kharab
Upasna Singh
Sanjay Mishra
Ritu Vij
Technical Analysis
Nana Bobby ki kahani to purani purani ho gayi. What could have been a contemporary polished comic vision of those chor sipahi thingie, this Sangeet Sivan directed inspiration of the Rajesh Khanna starrers ‘Dushman’ & ‘Roti’ completely eludes the helmer, baring a couple of Kollywood style action stunts & few smart one liners here & there.
The result is a mish-mash of violence, suspense, & humour targeted to the front benchers, where Nana plays to the gallery as a women friendly and ultra-dedicated CBI officer who traces the contract killer played by Bobby Deol.
It was supposed to be an action packed entertainer but it isn't. Nana tries to carry the carry the pic alone; but alas the writer Pankaj Trivedi and the helmer Sivan hardly focus on his character whether he should play women chasing investigative agent or an officer which means serious business.
But still, Nana manages a good, feisty stab by those one-liners & the editor Chirag Jain shows smart & crisp work with his scissors. Without doubt Ramji lense are very impressive by their movements.
Sangeet Sivan has given fair entertainers like ‘Apna Sapna Money Money (2006)
& Kyaa Kool Hai Hum (2005). But over here the helmer work is inconsistent & dodgy.
Bobby goes a step ahead from Sunny paji he ruthlessly throws the goons without a yell & doesn,t look convincing at all.
The movie manages 2 out of five, one for Nana & one for the technical brilliance in editing & camerawork. The ladies where used just as a show piece & Jaspal Bhatti again proves that he is always better in small screen. The gorgeous Shriya needs to wait for her proper bollywood launch.
The Story
Nandu (Bobby Deol) is an orphan. Opposition leader Anna Mhatre (Sachin Khedekar) hires Nandu to assassinate him, while he is addressing a rally for his election campaign. But just before Nandu is able to lock his target, another shot is fired, leading to the cold blooded murder of Anna Mhatre. Nandu is shocked; he manages to make an escape by leaping onto a running train.
On the train Nandu meets Puran (Akshay Kapoor), a simple boy from Punjab who is returning back to his homeland after a long gap. Puran, in his excitement of returning to his family after so long, narrates his side of the story to Nandu.
The police, however, have not given up their trail on Nandu and when the train halts at the next station, Nandu discovers this. An officer spots Nandu and aims a shot at him which accidentally hits Puran, who dies on the spot. By the time the police converge into the compartment, they find Nandu missing.
Nandu decides to come to Puran's house to break the news of his tragic demise, but Nandu is mistaken for Puran. Nandu now starts living with the family as its own member. He experiences love, care, pain and goes through a lot many emotions as he is showered by so much love from all within the family. He bonds the most with the grandfather (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) and the eldest bua (Zareena Wahab). Gradually, he also falls in love with Preet (Shriya Saran).
The case of Anna Mhatre's assassin is heating up and a special officer from the CBI, Insp. Rane (Nana Patekar), is given the responsibility of this case. Insp. Rane has his own unique way of functioning and his investigation leads him to Punjab to Puran's house where he meets Nandu. Will Nandu be able to come out of the crisis?
Promotion
The buzz is missing and its high time production houses understand the importance of promotion & innovative marketing.
Business Analysis
This Cinema of yore is strictly for those who still want to watch such movies & remain in nostalgia. Have its chances in small centers.
Other Credits
Lyricist: Shabbir Ahmed. Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty. Cinematography: T Ramji
Choreography: Piyush Panchal & Remo D'Souza. Action: Peter Heins. Art: Narendra Rahurikar. Editor: Chirag Jain. Sound: Pradeep Suri. Costume: Falguni Thakore. Media Relations: Universal Communications. Reviewed at Famous preview theatre, Mumbai on March 27, 2009.