Film : Kaalakaandi(Dark-Thriller)
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Akshay Oberoi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Neil Bhoopalam, Amyra Dastur, Deepak Dobriyal and Vijay Raaz
Direction: Akshat Verma
Duration: 1 hour, 52 minutes
Language: Hindi (U/A)
Story: Three stories take place simultaneously through the course of a night. The first centers around a man(Saif) who is diagnosed with cancer, the second track is that of a girl(Sobhita)who is involved in a hit-and-run and the third track revolves around a small-time gangster (Deepak) who gets involved in a murder.
Review: Writer-director Akshat Verma whose previous writing work in Delhi Belly(2011) won him accolades does a good job of writing this cinema noir. However he falters in the direction part because he is not able to control the pace needed for a thriller.
The highlight of this film is Saif. When he realises he has but a short time to live because he is terminally ill, he brings out his bucket-list. He wants to pack in all highs(including tripping on acid) and even agrees to go on a date with a transvestite. It is amazing to see how this white-collared serious kind-of guy, who has abstained from most minor vices loosens up. Seeing his track, one realises how fragile life is and how each of us must let go from time to time. Or die with regrets.
He also encourages his brother(Akshay) who is getting married to live it up for a few hours before he commits to a life-time of drudgery.
In another track, a student(Sobhita) who wants to give kamasutra lessons to boys other than her steady-date (Kunaal Roy Kapur) changes her whole outlook towards life after she gets involved in a hit and run accident and finds her boyfriend standing by her side like a rock. Realisation dawns that Kunaal can offer her a lifetime of love. And this emotion she knows is more important than the rainbow she has been chasing.
In the third track, Vijay and Deepak, two contract killers feel it is time for them to stop collecting and killing for their mafia boss. Instead they want to snatch the booty and promote themselves to the position of the don.
While Saif's track has all the ingredients of a good life lesson, the track involving Sobhita takes much too long to come to fruition. And the third track that uses the Bambiya Hindi and allows for a vantage view of Mumbai's underbelly has some laugh-out-loud moments, but the pace dips from time to time, making it a drag.
However, if you like your cinema experimental and edgy, give this one a try.
Critic's Rating: 2.5/5
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 "Friday release| Kaalakaandi")
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