Bewafaa

Dharmesh Darshan is well known for his ability to handle films with sensitive subjects. So after Haan Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya comes yet another woman-centric film from his kitty. Bewafaa is about Anjali (Kareena Kapoor) who lives in Montreal, Canada. Daughter of an Indian father (Kabir Bedi) and a Canadian mother (Nafisa Ali), Anjali is leading a happy-go-lucky life. She has a boyfriend too-aspiring singer Raja (Akshay Kumar). Of course, her parents do not know about him. Anjali speaks about her boyfriend only to her sister Aarti (Sushmita Sen) who has flown to Canada because she is expecting her child. Aarti assures Anjali that she will convince her parents about Indian Raja once they become nana-nani.

Here comes the twist. Aarti dies leaving two twins. Anjali now has to make a choice. Either to tell her parents about Indian Raja or marry her sister's husband and take responsibility of the motherless twins. Predictably, Anjali opts for the latter. She migrates to Delhi. Aditya (Anil Kapoor) is busy as a bee and does not have time for Anjali or the kids. It is only after a confrontation with Anjali that Aditya realizes about him being unfair to her.

At the airport Aditya tells his manager that after his trip from Germany, he plans to go on a world tour with his wife and daughters. And that he would return a changed man. Aditya leaves. And enters Anjali's ex-lover Indian Raja. Anjali tries to avoid him initially. But soon lands up having a rolling affair with him. Aditya returns. Anajli by now all prepared to elope with Raja. She fears that Aditya would come to know about her affair with Indian Raja. What's more there are Aditya's friends Dil (Manoj Bajpai) and Pallavi (Shamita Shetty) who tease Anjali about her extramarital affair.

Finally when the truth is out and Aditya gives Anjali the option to be with Indian Raja. Does she opt to be with Indian Raja? No. What follows is predictable Hindi film climax.

I cannot believe I wasted my money on this horrible film. A ghastly storyline, none of the characters have any depth - in fact I did not feel a shred of empathy for any of the characters. Kareena Kapoor, who I usually like, spent the entire film with her eyes wide open looking shocked (and was otherwise utterly expressionless). This I blame (as well as everything else) on truly bad directing. They drone on and on about Indian culture and renouncing of the self for the good of others - but none of it seemed genuine. The main characters sleepwalked through the performance, and I do not understand how talented actors like Anil Kapoor could have agreed to "acting" in this. The side characters of Manoj Bajpai and Shamita Shetty only serve to annoy. I am still reeling in horror at the fact that I wasted my time in this utterly pointless manner. Save yourselves, don't even stray close.

Bewafaa is a rip-off of B.R. Chopra's classic Gumrah, and it is a great joke of a movie. The only good things about the film are the beautiful locations, the songs and... nothing else! The story is pathetic. It was just a misleading attempt to draw people to theaters. People may have thought they'd see an intense film about betrayal (Bewafaa - Unfaithful) in the light of such films as Murder. But this one is a slow, stretched, boring and flawed film with no story. So unrealistic that you feel it is actually for kids. I mean, Kareena wakes up at morning all made-up like a clown?

This is a weak show. Not a single funny moment, no excitement, no love story, nothing. This is a collection of situations taken from different films, and it's incredibly dull. Just follow: she marries her late sister's husband, cares for his children, soon her previous lover comes back out of nowhere, they hardly speak and someone decides to blackmail her for no reason?? Oh and there the melodrama only starts - a climax full of tears by all the cast members and a separation accompanied with a song... Old clichés, cheap dialogues and poor execution. At the end of the film, you sit, trying to understand what was it all about...

Kareena is lifeless and bland. You can tell her that her car is burning outside, and she'll still have the same indifferent expression. Anil Kapoor and Akshay Kumar are the same - no impact, no character. Shamita Shetty is hot, Manoj Bajpai is annoying as never. It's terrible to see such a great actor playing this silly over-the-top character and accepting any role in this film in the first place.

The film's saving grace may lie in some of the songs, but Bewafaa is still one poor attempt and that's simply because the director tried to take this immature script way too seriously.

'Hum Aapke Hain Bewafaa Dhadkan'

Bewafaa Dir- Dharmesh Darshan Cast- Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, Manoj Bajpai, Shamita Shetty and Anil Kapoor. Written by- Robin Bhatt, Dharmesh Darshan and Raj Sinha. Rating- **

There is this game where you watch a movie, go back home and think of different alternate endings to it. After the many versions, if the actual ending still seems more interesting then you've lost. Dharmesh Darshan probably played this game after watching Sooraj Barjatya's 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun…' and his very own 'Dhadkan'. Mr. Darshan must've thought- what if Madhuri Dixit had actually married Mohnish Behl in the former and Sunil Shetty had returned in the latter to find Shilpa Shetty willing to leave hubby Akki? Now develop these plots, and what you get is a fair idea of Darshan's 'Bewafaa'. Sadly, even though Mr. Darshan must've considered his endings more interesting, he still is the loser!

Welcome then to the shakalaka baby family in Montreal, Canada. We have papa Kabir Bedi, firang(?) mummy Nafisa Ali, badi beti Sushmita Sen and chotti beti Kareena Kapoor. Sen is Aarti, married to Aditya(Anil Kapoor)- a businessman(we're not quite sure what business he does?) who has little time for his family and probably mistakes his wife for a personal assistant! Aarti dies, leaving behind two twin daughters. You guessed it right! Within a reel, chotti beti Anjali(Kareena) is married off to Aditya and sent packing to New Delhi. Living in a loveless marriage, her life is provided a pacemaker with the return of her former love, hold your breath, Indian Raja?!?(Akshay Kumar)- a popular popstar. Old flames are lit again and the lovers decide to elope. But there's a spooky couple(Manoj Bajpai & Shamita Shetty) to cope! Oh nope!! The audience is left with no hope!!! Follow a predictable storyline then to a tiring climax where everything is restored. The audience is bored. Yeh dil manage no more!!!

The whole movie is riddled with songs that emerge out of nowhere like land mines in a war zone! Mind you- the songs are good to listen, they are just not used properly. The first half drags along with only the beautiful sights of Montreal keeping you interested. The second half promises a similar fate but things are made lively with the entrance of Dil(Manoj Bajpai) and Pallavi(Shamita Shetty). Bordering on the line of vulgarity, Manoj Bajpai delivers a hammy performance but there is a guilty pleasure in watching his antics. A tip Mr. Darshan- publicize Bajpai's character. Kareena is passable(sorry Bebo, 'Bewafaa' won't do for you what 'Raja Hindustani' did for Lolo) while Sush is seriously challenging the position of Simi Garewal as Miss Grace. It is common knowledge that Akshay Kumar has a cocky attitude which can be used to his advantage when cast in roles similar to the ones he essayed in 'Khakee', 'Aankhen' and 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi'. But here as a lover boy, he is at his stolid best! That leaves us with Anil Kapoor. This man is like wine- he's only getting better with age. In a thankless role, he acts his part with dignity. Only for him and a fairly decent second-half, 'Bewafaa' is not as bad as it sounds!

• Abhishek Bandekar

Rating- **

* Poor ** Average *** Good **** Very Good ***** Excellent

25th February, 2005

The movie was a complete torture and unbearable.Dharmesh has yet again done a dreadful job in making a movie.The main head ache in the movie was a terrible script and a screenplay which makes it fail miserably.Screenplay seems to be a lit off from Silsila which was better than th9is trash.Anyways the direction is pathetic.Dialogs are amateurish.Editing is worse.Cinematography falls flat and is tacky.Acting is miserable

The movie has some of the worst actress like Kareena Kapoor and Shamitha Shetty in their worst performance.Even Anil Kapoor and Akshay Kuamr who are some of the best also are their worst.Manoj Bajpai hams and hams and hams.Kabir Bedi and Nafisha Ali are at their worst.Only Sushmitha Sen has done a decent job.Not a fan though,i request all her fans to avoid this piece of trash at all costs because she is there only for a minutes