Aa Dekhen Zara

Jumping from great heights and into a swimming pool is firmly a cliché in my books. Hollywood overuses it, and I see that influence has crossed borders as well. Need an escape when your character is cornered? Well, leaping off a building automatically means a body of water deep enough to cushion impact down below. There's nothing more lazy than that nowadays, so thumbs down to any story that offers this quick fix, like a "Goto" statement in a program, rather than opting for a more elegant programming structure.

It's a little bit surprising that Aa Dekhen Zara clocks in less than 120 minutes, with intermission. Not that all Bollywood movies are supposed to be at least 150 minutes long of course, but you can feel that director Jehangir Surti has not grasped the need to tell more in less time, and as such the characters suffer in being nothing more than cardboard caricatures. Sub plots tangent off one another that they felt half-baked, and were introduced for the sake of, rather than for a purpose and a need. Not that it was narratively bad, but the story suffered from the lack of time.

And time plays a key role in this science fictioner. Neil Nitin Mukesh plays Ray Acharya, a freelance photographer with mounting debt and no assignments. His grandfather is a great scientist, and when he passed away, Ray inherits an old camera which turns out to be more than meets the eye. Of course I'm not going to reveal what it does here, which the movie does in a montage one step being behind the audience who would already have figured out by then, but suffice to say that with great power comes great responsibility, and big trouble as well, as a given.

For what it's worth, it delves into the greed of man. With power comes the ability to satisfy the lust after money. You can bet your last dollar that everyone when thrusted with a new power, will try to see if it can be monetized. And if it can, then you're likely to milk it for its worth. And when it comes to money, it's typically all men for themselves, with everyone wanting a piece of the pie, stopping at nothing to try and get at it. If it's a golden goose that lays golden eggs, then there will be neighbours eyeing that fowl of yours. Villains though are extremely one dimension. Having the story shifted to Thailand in the later half of the film, there seemed to be no qualms in highlighting the corruption of the police as either informers, or greedy bastards, that seem to plague both countries.

Bipasha Basu delivers more spunk than the male lead Neil Nitin Mukesh here, and it's no surprise since the veteran has more mileage in action flicks under her belt. Her role as a DJ turned aspiring singer here I felt was little more than to allow the usual song-and-dance routine to come up. While that set in a club was natural, there was one awfully artificial routine in Thailand where Ray and Bipasha's Simi escape into an outlaw bar, and are forced to sing and dance for the Thai men just because they're expected to. Neil and Bipasha also looked very awkward with each other, sharing really no chemistry as lovebirds, but rather clicked when they're supposed to be estranged.

It has a potentially interesting premise and plot device set up, but alas the story's yet another bland action flick with little suspense as you're likely to stay one step ahead each time. If only it had a better story, but perhaps that was left to a sequel (which Aa Dekhen Zara lead into) which will probably not be made since this film would have tanked that prospect.

Even though the title says - 'Aa Dekhe Zara' - Its better to not take the bait. A pseudo sci-fi movie gone wrong. The build is good in the first half with lot of promise. But screenplay is all at sea in the second half. Plot gets all mixed up and confused. An average story is treated with below average screenplay and direction. Its a thriller drama gone bad in Bangkok.

Music, songs and fight sequence are hardly worth noticing.

Feeling sorry for Neil. After Johny Gaddar, coming after more than an year, this movie doesn't do justice to his talent at all. Bipasha is under utilized. Rahul Dev does justice to his role and for a change is not over the top.

Two of today's most stylish actors, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Bipasha, team up for this sci-fi thriller revolving around a unique camera that can take snaps of the future. Both stars sizzle the screen and make a fresh combination. It is interesting to see how the photographs turn into reality, and more so the limitless possibilities and power it brings to the camera's owner. It has the potential to prevent crimes, save lives, and benefit the country. Fallen into the wrong hands, one can gain a dangerously unstoppable amount of power and create havoc. The real journey begins when a photo is clicked revealing a dark fate for NNM. What is exactly is this fate? Can the camera be wrong? Can NNM fight against his own destiny? The film is an entertaining one--of course nothing to be taken too seriously as it is a masala fare. Nice cinematography and use of colors make it an exciting watch on the big screen. The song at the bar is really ridiculous and should have been cut. The end credits music video is terrific.

I find this to be an interesting combination. Also it may have some lacks in the overall plot it is still an enjoyable movie for the Hindi fans and not only. It is a bit boring in the beginning but when the "action" part starts it goes on like that till the very end. The idea is very interesting (it is another "version" of many SF flicks... You will catch on very quickly what the general idea is if you haven't already read it in some other comments). The actors do a convincing job. I've liked the most the one who played "The Captain". He reminds me of Clive Owen at times (his looks and his style of play). I recommend this to anyone who has nothing better to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon. :)

Aa Dekhen Zara, a Sci-fi action thriller first of its kind in Bollywood released this week with no other competitors at the box office. Directed by débutant director Jehangir Surti, Aa Dekhen Zara is a good watch with every ingredient rightly added. The script is good not great. Being Neil Nitin Mukesh's second movie, ADZ is not a Johnny Gaddar and doesn't even come close. First half is absolutely engaging and keeps you on your toes right till the intermission. As a few previous flicks,the script of ADZ too is let loose as the passing second half.

Aa Dekhen Zara's, protagonist Ray(Neil Nitin Mukesh) a photographer finds himself a camera left off by his dead grandfather which quite amusingly clicks photos, when developed shows the future of the people in the photos. During one such camera encounter is when he accidentally runs into Simi(Bipasha Basu) a DJ at a club. Ray adds color to his struggling life by the aid of the camera to win bucks through Lottery, Horse Racing and various other sources. He then starts living a polished life with Simi when fate strikes. He finds himself chased by both cops and Captain(Rahul Dev) to get hold of the camera. To add to Ray's agony is when, he finds out that he's going to be dead in a week's time and all he has is 7 days to find a safe place both for the camera and Simi. The events that lead upto the climax is for you to see it yourself.

Aa Dekhen Zara is fresh and feels good. Second half of the movie is more of the typical Bollywood chases and makes you feel restless as it seems never ending. All the actors are pretty decent and nothing appreciable. Neil Nitin Mukesh and Bipasha Basu both look good together and their screen presence is felt right away. Rahul Dev with his age old trademark negative role is spot on.

Music of ADZ is composed by Pritam and its average. Though nothing remarkable is seen in the Music Department, the album of ADZ is not a bad one. Though being an above average watch, the trick that is going to work for ADZ, is the marketing factor which was done quite superbly and that is going to pull people to the theaters.

I will go with 7 out of 10 for Jehangir Surti's Aa Dekhen Zara. A good watch for this weekend.

Raghav Movie Critic, Writer's Lounge

More reviews on: www.raghavthecritic.blogspot.com