Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Mint-lounge / Not exactly heavenly
BackBack

Not exactly heavenly

Not exactly heavenly

Surprise element: Emraan Hashmi (left) is self-assured in his role as the bad-guy hero in Jannat 2. Premium

Surprise element: Emraan Hashmi (left) is self-assured in his role as the bad-guy hero in Jannat 2.

It is erroneous to call Jannat 2 a sequel to the 2008 film Jannat. The only similarities are that both star Emraan Hashmi, are directed by Kunal Deshmukh, have music by Pritam and star trophy women as the love interest that prompts the no-good hero to want to reform.

While in the first, Hashmi’s character became a bookie with aspirations to strike it rich, in this film he plays Sonu Dilli, a gun dealer without any fear or conscience. His life of crime is pretty simple and sorted: He lives a modest life, makes enough money to afford a few indulgences and tries to steer clear of the law. But one day, the law, in the shape of a drunk and anguished policeman, Pratap Raghuvanshi (Randeep Hooda), gets on his tail, and corners Dilli into becoming a police informer.

Surprise element: Emraan Hashmi (left) is self-assured in his role as the bad-guy hero in Jannat 2.

From this point, writer Shagufta Rafique weaves a web around Dilli. He is trapped by Raghuvanshi on one side and by his love for Jaanvi Tomar (Esha Gupta) on the other; he is trapped by his past and his desire to make a fresh start with his new bride—a bride who brings some baggage of her own; and he becomes the therapy for a broken policeman who needs to be healed.

Deshmukh takes his time in connecting all the dots and bringing the film to a predictable close. The story slips in too many obvious clues that leave little mystery within the plot. So what is the surprise in Jannat 2?

Hooda and Hashmi. After years of playing his bad-guy hero parts the same way, Hashmi’s performance is far more self-assured, even though the scenes where he is required to express fear come across as a parody. Hooda is the best of the bunch, and easy on the eyes too. Gupta is listless and looks happiest when she glides around in saris during the songs.

Deshmukh misses the opportunity to trim some flab off the running time but brings out the best in his supporting actors. He also creates an interesting relationship between Hooda and Hashmi.

The dialogues by Sanjay Masoomm rely heavily on wordplay and puns, which becomes tiresome after a while. But that may not matter to the male members of the audience, who might get a kick out of the guns, expletives and body count.

•••••

Hugo

Eleven Oscar nominations; five wins and master storyteller Martin Scorsese at the helm—that in itself might be reason enough to watch the fantasy adventure Hugo. Based on Brian Selznick’s award-winning best-seller, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Scorsese’s film is a paean to cinema and the magic of the movies.

With young Hugo and his friend Isabelle, he takes the viewer on a journey through a maze of clock towers, whirring machines, the energy and heartbeat of a bustling Parisian station and the history of cinema.

Rewarding: Asa Butterfield as Hugo in the Martin Scorsese film.

One of the weakest links is the child actors who are meant to be the pulse of the film— they are neither endearing nor good performers. That begins to matter less in the second hour, where Scorsese’s true love—movies—is showcased. A little documentary in feel, he talks of the Lumière Brothers and shows how movies were made in the early days when technology was limited. As Hugo rebuilds an abandoned automaton, it becomes a literal metaphor for the revitalization of Méliès, who says of his heartbreak: “War affected cinema and magic as much as people. Tastes had changed but I had not changed with them."

If you allow yourself to overlook the plod, the manipulation, the uneven rhythm; if you let yourself be swept along on this journey of wonder as seen through the eyes of two children, Hugo is a charming, rewarding and visually sumptuous experience.

Jannat 2 and Hugo released in theatres on Friday.

feedback@livemint.com

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 04 May 2012, 07:44 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App