Watch it for Randeep & Emraan , not for heaven(Jannat) !
Okay, so let the fact be stated - 'Jannat 2' ends up
being a below-expectations affair. One really thought that with arms
dealing as a backdrop, the film would indeed turn out to be not just a
highly engaging affair but also a volatile affair. Unfortunately though
that doesn't quite turn out to be a satisfying affair and makes one hope
that the subject chosen for 'Jannat 3' would really take a deep dive
into the real issue instead of merely following the franchise template.
Emraan Hashmi is a big-town-small-time-transporter of
arms. He is happy with his non-existent identity and is unrepentant of
the fact that he gets chased down by the police practically every other
day. So much so that he is pretty much unabashed about telling the same
story to the girl he meets and falls in love on 'pehli nazar' (Esha
Gupta). Although he doesn't reveal his real identity to her, now he
wishes to be a reformed man and find 'jannat' since he has fallen in
love. However, he has to hold on to his thoughts for a while since a cop
(Randeep Hooda) wants to use him as an informer.
It is evident from the very opening of the film that
this one is set as a template affair from Bhatts. Anything wrong with
that? Not at all since a franchise is expected to carry forward a
template and one is okay from his characterisation perspective since he
has definitely gained considerable experience (and fan following) in
this field.
However, what does jar is the convenient manner in
which the entire script unfolds. Not just is it terribly predictable, it
also has similar situations and characters that one has seen in
countless films before. Moreover, the lowest point of the film is the
element of love story. It just doesn't work. Period. It seems rather
farce to see a doctor consenting to go ahead and even marry a man who,
even in his fake tales, doesn't quite claim to have a stable life and is
forever chased by the cops. No background check or asking him to detail
out his business, it is impossible to digest the very core of the love
story.
What does work though is the dramatic element and
that too the portions where Randeep and Emraan interact. With a
'Departed' kind of a setup, one is truly engaged in each and every
conversation between the two powerful actors since they are acidic as
well as humorous at times. How one wishes the film was more about the
clash of these two men instead of a love story being interwoven into the
drama.
Even from dramatic content perspective, the sad part
is that the suspense quotient is near to nil. What is seemingly
projected as the so-called twist in the tale doesn't carry any fire
whatsoever since you can see it from a distance. Also, there are
loopholes galore in the entire arms supply chain tale since it is hard
to believe how Emraan's 'informing' acts aren't caught by the
underworld.
Thankfully, what remains with you are performances of
Emraan and Randeep. Both are pretty much in their comfort zone here and
do what is expected out of them. Emraan is confident as ever and plays
his part way too convincingly. On the other hand Randeep carries forward
from where he had left in 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai' and makes his
presence felt in every scenes, especially in the post-climax scenes.
Esha, who comes across as a mix of Lara Dutta and Neha Dhupia, is decent
and though at places she seems like mouthing her dialogues in a hurry,
her effervescent screen presence would ensure a longer run for her.
When 'Jannat' had released, it had promised to bring
to fore the issue of 'match fixing'. Though it was later stated that
this was just a 'backdrop', ultimately it turned out to be, well - just a
'backdrop', instead of looking deep down into the 'issue'. Hence there
was a bit of apprehension if the sequel would follow the same route.
Well, just like the first in the series, even this franchise affair
talks about the core issue only from the fence with an emotional tale of
a straying youth forming the core content.
Rating: **1/2
No comments:
Post a Comment