99 by Nikhil

Link: www.99thefilm.com

Verdict: Part boredom(70%), part fun(30%).

Yawn!: Well, after a long break, i was eagerly looking forward to returning back to the cinemas, and I felt that probably this time around the movie is going to have it easy; that no matter how bad the film might be, the long, mean break would ensure I end up enjoying the film… But it was not meant to be.

I saw the movie a little late, and by then, had heard some positive talk about it, from a couple of (now labelled ‘unreliable’) sources, one of whom is my fellow critic :). My fuelled expectations actually contributed to the increased disappointment with the film.

The directors have tried to pull out something on the lines of ‘Khosla ka Ghosla’, using a real-life premise, that of betting in cricket, to put together a story. Of that of an incorrigible gambler (Boman) losing out on money over cricket betting with two small time crooks (Kunal and Cyrus) out to recover money from him, and the comic situations that ensue from there on. The story thought interestingly thought out, is marred by the amateurish talent of the directors and their team. For a start, the movie is too slow for its plot. And the laughs are scarce and too spaced out. The moments in between are way too many and filled with such inconsequential details such that one is left looking around in the theatre what to do! At certain places, it feels as if the team forgot to put in a background score, especially in the first half. The women in the movie, both Soha and Simon are wasted, primarily because their characters are of no consequence to the plot. Many situations, between Soha and Kunal, and Simon and Boman, seem unnecessarily concocted to add the essential "emotional" quotient to an Indian film. The songs add to the irritation as well, and the revelation at the end is more or less expected. It could have been a far better movie, had the directors tried to build a tighter plot or/and had more funny moments to include. With both Delhi and Mumbai as part of the plot, they definitely had a chance to do the latter, which they partly lost out on. Hoping for something better the next time around.

Cool!: Certain moments and characters in the film definitely stand out. The mobile phone, a relatively new entity at the time period in which the movie is based, has been intelligently used for humour. Few of the conversations and situations are very funny; I personally found the antics of ‘Khuber’, the Delhi based criminal, the funniest. Boman Irani is appreciable for his effort, and the subtle nuances added to his character of a compulsive gambler, are insightful. Vinod Khanna as the bookie does well as well. Nevertheless, the movie though surely to be appreciated for such elements, aint worth being called ‘paisa-wasool’.