.JPG)
Rating:3.5/5
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajesh Sharma, Namit Das
Direction: Raj Kumar Gupta
Genre: Thriller
Duration: 2 hours 19 minutes
Verdict: Slow and dragging movie.., but a good attempt. For a movie like this, the pace needs to be faster.Story: A Maharashtrian thief married to an aggressive Punjabi woman carries out a bank heist. Before he can spend the loot, he meets with an accident. Will his memory and money come back to his use?
Movie Review: Director Raj Kumar Gupta is an 'inspired' writer/filmmaker. He draws liberally either from other cinematic material or from headlines. His first film Aamir had many similarities to the Filipino film Cavite. His No One Killed Jessica was quite obviously taken from the Jessica Lal murder case. In his third movie outing, Ghanchakkar, the director is 'inspired' by innumerable Hollywood and UK black humour flicks.
The film has an interesting premise. Sanjay Atre ( Emraan Hashmi) and his Punjabi wife Neetu (Vidya Balan) have a humdrum existence. The colour in their lives comes from the loud clothes Vidya wears. Life promises change for them when Sanjay, who is an expert lock-picker, hooks up with small-time crooks Pandit ( Rajesh Sharma) and Idris ( Namit Das). The trio rob a bank. However, they cannot spend the money till the heat is off. So, they give it to Emraan for safe-keeping. Three months later, when it's time to enjoy their loot, they find themselves stranded because Emraan has suffered a partial memory loss.
For the viewer, part of the fun begins here. The constant sparring between Emraan and Vidya and the bickering between the three thieves is funny. But the pace is slow and when the situations and jokes start getting repetitive, you want to pull your hair. There is an unusual climax to look forward to. Yet, the ground rule for thrillers is that they cannot unfold at such a languid pace.
The music by Amit Trivedi deserves a mention. Lazy Lad, Allah Meherban and the title track have what it takes to get you in the mood. Of the talent, Emraan gets his bewildered expression correct. And for fear of losing it, he keeps it going for the most part. Vidya provides a few laughs trying to ape the Punjabi stereotype. However, her act doesn't qualify for the real thing.
