Musafir

Musafir is a glamorized underworld movie that in summary is simply a waste of time.

It tries to sell on the lewd dances and pseudo-sex scenes, but even there it fails.

If I have to watch a soft porn I will flip on Cinemax but this mindless 150 minute fare is best avoided since there are no other strengths in the flick.

What a waste of time, money and resources. A bunch of washed up actors and desperate actresses thinking they will feed of the uneducated and Riksha Wala Indian audience. Embarrassing stuff coming out of Bollywood !! Boom

Remember the American movie (Single White Female - 1992)? When (Jennifer Jason Leigh) was psychologically unstable, and went to imitate her roommate (Bridget Fonda) in nearly EVERYTHING! Well, I did remember it while watching (Musafir), whereas it imitates ridiculously American ANYTHING!

Director (Sanjay Gupta), who directed (Musafir) and co-wrote it, ensures whatever you may demand out of a purely commercial movie from the contemporary Indian cinema. And in the same time, his movie represents the majority of Bollywood production in the 2000s, as an ideal example for the shinny bottom that this cinema can reach!

First off, despite any onslaught you may do against (Gupta), you must admit that; with intensive technique, the man delivered what he promised. And what exactly did he promise? "Blood. Money. Sex. Tears. Murder. Betrayal.". Just like the tagline said it frankly.. So "Get the picture?!". But could ripping-off American movies, as well as imitating blindly their atmosphere and style, be a "style" in itself? I think: Yes. However, what a shameful proof of lack that could be!

I liked the old Indian movies. Surely they got their own problems, but at least were more original and more Indian. Now, and especially in (Musafir), it's nothing but American movies, American video clips, American style, and American music. Here, (Sanjay Gupta) made a mix of: A stolen American movie; Oliver Stone's (U Turn - 1997) this time + A gangsta rap singer's music video; overloaded with many girls, golden teeth, undulate smoke, rich limos, loud music, hostile lyrics, and - let's not forget - ice cubes in a glass of wine! + Some of Robert Rodriguez's style (in one sequence it seemed like a Desi Desperado!) + Possible plot concerning an angry Indian Don, filled with enough flying bullets and various corpses. All of that in a colorful, prurient, and psychedelic world that lengthens for - if you can stand - 151 minutes. It's hot, big, and in your face mix that embodies the crime Indian movie as pure American as it could be!

So, what this entertaining movie from the east could say? That the American pop became the pop?! It was like watching an overlapping of broadcasts that included the MTV channel, an American movie channel, and some Indian movie channel; all at once. So if you used to call the flashy pastime flicks a cotton candy, then this is the dope. Seriously, I felt that somebody gave (U Turn) a cheap Indian narcotic to hallucinate all what we watched!

Maybe it says that Bollywood has gone bankrupt. It has thick flamboyant surface and nothing else. For what it is, this is natural. For instance, James Bond movies have thick flamboyant surface and nothing else. But you know what?, Bond movies don't endeavor to be Indian! They have a script of their own, and a world of nonsense of their own. Therefore the numerous references here to Indian classics like (Zanjeer - 1973), or else, weren't only a source of pride, or a homage from movie to another, it was also a kind of desperate affirmation that this is India anyway, or what's left to define it!

Of course it says something about sheer technique just to amuse heavily. But the American movies are already there, so what exactly the Indian filmmakers have to offer?! Actually it looked like an Indian movie written and directed by Americans, or an American movie with Indian language and stars!

Speaking of which, It was scary to see (Anil Kapoor) knocked over by an American coolness storm like this; as if a vengeance of mad stylist hit him badly. (Sanjay Dutt) was the circus's silly clown. I only liked (Sameera Reddy), she was the sole true thing, however put there for just being exploited to the max. The drama was an excuse for too bright, too much, sizzle. And it's, as a whole, a cross between being a cinematic show and a bad joke.

Fairly, if you look at (Musafir), you'll find how it's amusing. But if you look closer, you'll find how it's totally poor also. So Bollywood wants to be Hollywood? Why not being yourself?! It was tragic that (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in (Single White Female) hated her own character, and went to live as another person. And the situation in (Musafir), or rather nowadays' Bollywood, isn't less tragic.

The banner white feather films are back with their third product after the successful KAANTE (directed by Sanjay Gupta) and box office dud PLAN (directed by Harish Shetty, once assistant of Sanjay Gupta). But again Sanjay Gupta is back on the directors seat.

Inspired by Oliver Stone's U-TURN (1997; Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Lopez, Billy Bob Thornton) but you can say that Musafir is 100 times better than the original.

Lucky (ANIL KAPOOR) wanted his own house, a wife, a family and starts a new life. Lucky is betrayed by his girlfriend, chased by a drug king Billa (Sanjay Dutt) and sent to Goa to do a drug deal to get his life back. Lucky meets many people in his life , who gives his life a new twist. After that what happens and will he be able to get his life back or death is waiting for him, you have to watch it by yourself.

Vishal-Shekhar's music is another portion that deserves strong marks. 'Ishq Kabhi Kariyo Na', 'Saaki Saaki' and 'Door Se Paas' are already popular and camera work is the best in the Koena Mitra track, ‘Saaki Saaki', which is one of the best erotic number in the Indian films. Cinematography is of first class.

After PUKAR, this is the best performance and award winning performance of ANIL KAPOOR. After MUNNABHAI M.B.B.S., this is again the award winning performance of SANJAY DUTT.

After a long long time, ADITYA PANCHOLI delivered something great though his role was small but still he manage to make his appearance felt and showed that he is one of the best performers of Indian film industry.

After KAANTE, MAHESH MANJREKAR delivered one more confident performance and one can say that he delivers his good only in SANJAY GUPTA movies.

The surprise in this film is SAMEERA REDDYS performance which everybody will agree that this movie should be the launch pad of SAMEERA REDDY instead of the box office dud MAINNE DIL TUJHKO DIYA. She was confident in front of the senior actors.

SHAKTI KAPOOR and KOENA MITRA performances were just about okay.

On the whole, MUSAFIR has style and substance. At the box-office, it will be a sure shot hit and will leave all the previous movies released back. 4 Out of 5 (same as KAANTE)

i don't understand how some people criticized this movie..I've seen U-turn last year and b4 i started watching this bollywood fare i had imagined that this must be another crap 4m bollywood...But it really surprised me..Sanjay dutt again lend his unique style to the movie and the flashbak version told by Manjrekar and Sameera had me wondering whats going on...only to realise both of them had their own versions of storytelling...that was uNique!! i watch a lot of Hollywood movies and i always make fun f bollywood movies but this one shut me up!!! every time my step kids picks up a knife they do the Tej Dhaar action...They just love Sanjay dutt..Imagine they don't even know /understand Hindi and they loved this film so much .. That must tell something to those who criticize!!so SHUT UP AND ENJOY ..

I am no critic. I watch movies just to have a good time. I don't get paid to criticize or praise a movie. I will not praise a movie just because it has one of my favorite actors, Sanjay Dutt. Sanjay Dutt is one of the top five actors in India on my list ( Others are Naseeruddin Shah, Amir Khan, Irfan and Om Puri). But its sad to see him doing movies like Rudraksh, Plan, Kaante and all these new formula movies. The only purpose of these new movies is to make the viewers believe we are getting closer to Hollywood but in reality we are giving up our originality and wasting talents like Sanjay Dutt with movies like Musafir. Cleavages, Guns, Leather, Silver, Gold, Drugs can look good in a movie if the movies actually has a storyline, a theme, a SCRIPT! Musafir is nothing but a Suzuki engine inside the body of a Lamborghini. Its all looks but no torque. If you liked Kaante then you will probably like this movie because both those movies have something in common, they're both "kool" but have no substance.