Aitraaz

Coming from the celebrated directorial team of 'Baazigar' (*Shah Rukh Khan) and 'Soldier' (*Bobby Deol), this one merits watching. The plot outline of Barry Levinson's gripping 1994 drama 'Disclosure' (starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore) has been nicely Indianized. There is no question that it is a remake of that Hollywood production, although the latter had a second plot-twist that Aitraaz doesn't provide.

Chances are that majority of the Indian audience may not have seen Disclosure and, therefor, will love Aitraaz. It is again proved conclusively that a good story-line and good storytelling are two absolute essentials in making a good film. Look at 'Ashoka' (starring Shah Rukh Khan). Lush photography, proved story-material, and what happens? Why does it bomb at the box office? Simply because such a gorgeous story wasn't told with consistency and well.

It happens. A proved material may bomb on revision because of uninspired direction (example: Hitchcock's 1960 classic 'Psycho' remade in 1998 by Gus Van Sant). Sometimes the opposite happens: 2001 remake of 1960's 'Ocean's Eleven' actually eclipsed the original.

See Aitraaz. The soundtrack is scintillating. The story is good. The direction is superb. Priyanka Chopra is exceptional. Kareena Kapoor is superb. Akshay Kumar is adequate. You'll like the film.

This film is long but quite enjoyable. There is perhaps one twist too many and some needless shenanigans towards the end could have been avoided. Still, its fairly absorbing. Priyanka excels as the sexy vamp and burns up the screen with her presence. Kareena is saddled with the straight role but does well. Paresh Rawal steals the show as an adept lawyer. Akshay Kumar is alright although he essentially plays the victim in the film. The plot is a variant on the Hollywood thriller Disclosure, but there's a lot of Indian spice including some catchy songs. Watchable.

Overall 6/10

'Aitraaz' is another fare made by the directors duo Abbas-Mustan. And once again, it is... well, unoriginal. 'Disclosure' is the word. However, speaking objectively, I found Aitraaz totally enjoyable and intriguing, and was thoroughly entertained by the proceedings. The direction was very good and the film was well-executed. It is about a man named Raj who is accused of trying to molest his old manager's young wife Sonia, who actually happens to be his ex-girlfriend, while in fact, she was the one who tried to sexually harass him and he refused, being a married man. Well, this is not very believable, but that's another story. This case is taken to court where Raj's wife Priya, who is a lawyer and who has full trust in her husband, decides to fight his case against seasoned lawyer Patel who represents Sonia. There start the film's most entertaining and interesting sequences. Aitraaz stars Akshay Kumar as Raj, and he does well. Kareena Kapoor is also very good as his protective wife Priya, though she has little to do until the film's last few scenes. But Aitraaz fully belongs to Priyanka Chopra, who is simply amazing in an all-out villainous turn as the vicious and devious manipulator Sonia. She is so sexy and attractive that it sounds puzzling that someone could reject her. This is among her most memorable performances. Other cast members include Amrish Puri in one of his last film appearances, and Paresh Rawal, who is outstanding as the witty and funny lawyer Patel. The film's soundtrack, by Himesh Reshammiya, was not that enjoyable according to me. The ending was very good. Aitraaz may not be exceptional, it may not be original, but it is a very entertaining movie. I recommend you to watch it mainly for Priyanka Chopra.

Akshay have affairs with Priyanka, they break up for Priyanka as she wants her career more than anything. Years later Akshay pair with Kareena and marries. Priyanka, as her high ambitions, marries the boss of Akshay. Akshay has little feelings and Priyanka takes advantage of this. But later it makes a chaos and Akshay is accused to attempt to rape whereas he accuse Priyanka the same. That means, a man is accusing a woman to attempting rape. As the wife, Kareena herself lead the court case. The songs are very good. Priyanka does well. Kareena also not bad. Paresh Rawal was very very good. Amrish Puri is also very good. But Akshay is not, his acting I don't like. Could have been done well by other heroes.

Aitraaz is a bollywood drama, that questions the social stigma of gender acceptance. The common issue, man versus women, where women are often accepted as victims but not the other way around. The film itself speaks the modern flavors flying across the script, which also implies that it is not of Indian origin but from outside. How a women having parasitic tendency could prey upon men for her gain. A much needed film though for Indian audience for broadening the social picture a bit wider, atleast in modern contexts. But nevertheless it remains unoriginal in content. Heard that it's a remake of Disclosure starring Michael Douglas. I haven't seen it though.

Aitraaz is about a common man with common traits, like doing a job, have a family, live happily, earn property and so on. But his ex-girlfriend having a terrible secret with him sues him for a sexual harrassment case. He tries hard to defend himself. He is in the verge of losing but is finally saved by his wife in the end, adding a typical Bollywood message in the climax. The BGM is also fine, sensual imbibing sounds for expressing the feel.

The acting is perfect for Priyanka, who appeals as the dominating, passionate, immoral natured women who will go any length to get what she wants. Akshay is so so, but is good as a playboy only. Kareena is good too as the savior in the end. Others are okay. The story is not original, neither the theme. Sexual innuendos and themes are not at all compromised that makes it not a family film. But still an essential watch for all. The film has portrayed man as inferior, a kind of uninfluential group. Rather ethical conflict is depicted within the womenhood. It's a war between ladies who is bad and other who stood for good. Women who knows her own boundary are deemed good while those who don't are deemed bad.

For this it's a good watchable film. Ethical conflicts are always socially approved. But in this it's between Ladies. With all merits and flaws it's a 59/100.