NAQAAB

Reality in Salsa
By Vishal Verma

Rating:- * *

What is it?
Another thriller comes from the Men in white, but this one has some reality blues hidden in its plot. The story, which seems to be the same initially, does takes a rollercoaster ride during the last few reels and eventually turns out to be just a fair entertainer in the end.

The narrative starts at a slow pace and the real excitement begins after some substantial waste of time during which the viewer is confused and starts wondering about what is happening in front of the silver screen. The plot has its intriguing moments but a much tighter screenplay with a depth in narration was required.

With ‘Naqaab’ director duo, Abbas Mustan does not disappoint in the end, but the catch is they do not rejoice you either. You can clap somewhere here or there but only in bits and pieces.

Considering their previous debacles, Tips needed a better comeback than this ‘Naqaab’, which only adds more masks to them rather than any cinematic revelation.

Whats it all about?
Sophie(Urvashi Sharma) a girl from middle strata of society, who changes jobs like caller tunes, meets a multimillionaire Karan (Bobby Deol) who gets impressed by the girl cause she slaps a guy in a pub because he has done some badhtamiji to her. They both start living together without singing any songs cause they only want to hear the sweet music of the weeding bells. What happens next….marriage…Nopes!!. Arey! It’s a thriller so call the next guy. Therefore, here comes Camy Malhotra (Akshaye Khanna) a person highly obsessed with his handy cam with his two buddies. As a uniquely strange Egyptian custom Sophie dances salsa with the camy while his buddies shoot the entire sequence.

Eventually, sophie and camy while dancing salsa also do bharatnatyam into each others hearts respectively. In between, we see someone shooting all this episodes from a very abrupt angle. The story travels further, richierich plans his wedding dates but his fiancée, poor Sophie, now she has a problem to face that is much bigger than what Dr.Manmohansingh is facing right now. She has to decide whether to drink the wine in a cup or in glass. cause jobs are easier to be changed but lovers are not. They are not like caller tunes. Anyway, one full moon she decides to be richierich’s pride. But hey, on the wedding day, she finds the music of the wedding bells not in tune and rushes to hear her lovers tune. richie rich is shocked for his ears ( ah! The promos also said the same).

But, after all this dilemma and shocks we get a taste of some reality in Abbas Mustan ishtyle which forms the climax.

Tips TV(Tainted Vision)Bakra !!!. Cyrus, I can’t see you?

What to look out for?
A welcome debut by Urvashi Sharma. Akshaye Khanna impresses. Bobby Deol is strictly okay. Production values are superb. After a long wait, the narrative gains momentum and provides entertaining moments.

What Not?
Depth and slickness in plot and narration is missing. Even after being a tips venture, music is one of the major letdowns. However, the men in white try to do something different over here, but in ‘reality’ it does not make you stand and applause.

Conclusion: Well, maybe if you have not found MTV’s Bakra’s to be thrilling enough.