Review: 'Kites' is inconsistent; enjoyable in parts

Ten years back, Hrithik Roshan was 'launched' in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. The film was essentially a love story - a clichéd one at that - with enough masala thrown in the form of twists-and-turns, thrills, suspense and some decent music. Plus, audiences freaked out over a well-built, handsome youngster who danced like a dream, bashed up the bad guys and made women go weak in their knees with his histrionics. The film was a smash hit.

 

A decade later, Kites seems to serve a similar purpose - showcase the many talents of Hrithik Roshan - only this time to an 'international' audience. So the girl he romances is a Mexican film star, the locales Hollywood-like, the running time much shorter and the screenplay interspersed with half a dozen chase sequences, an equal number of smooches and some stunning cinematography. The story, sadly, remains as ordinary as that of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, albeit without the fill of entertainment Hrithik's debut flick offered to the average Indian viewer.

 

Jai aka J (Hrithik) is a street-smart guy from Las Vegas, looking to make a quick buck. Gina (Kangna), daughter of a rich casino owner falls in love with him and J, with an eye on her wealth, fake-romances her in return. His plan is simple - marry the rich guy's daughter and get her money. The fact that her father (Kabir Bedi) and brother Tony (Nick Brown) are mobsters makes his job that much tougher of course.

 

But when he meets Tony's fiancé Natasha (Barbara), his life turns topsy turvy. He wants the money and luxuries a life with Gina would get him, but he also finds himself irresistibly drawn to Natasha, and she too starts reciprocating. Eventually, it turns out Natasha is marrying Tony for the money just like J is fooling Gina.

 

The two, though, soon give in to their feelings and after J gets into a scuffle with Tony, the lovers elope, no more concerned about getting rich. You see, 'love is the most important thing in the world.' Now they have gangsters and the police on their heels and the two manage to give them the slip every single time (obviously), before Tony finally catches up with them. What happens then?

 

Kites starts off well. The characters are grey, the pace quick and the lead pair is smoking hot. The second half has some interesting moments too, like the ones where J and Natasha loot a bank and share their dreams with each other. The inability of the two lovers to completely understand the other's language is enjoyable in places, but doesn't eventually add much to the drama the way you expect it to.

 

The problem with Kites is that it doesn't entertain you consistently. You get involved intermittently, but the next moment you wonder where it's going. The film is the kind that relies more on treatment because the plot itself is wafer-thin. And even though director Anurag Basu does a commendable job in giving the film a look that takes your breath away initially, you want to ask, 'story kahaan hai boss?'

 

In fact, Basu's treatment of the subject and some adept behind-the-camera work by the film's DOP Anayanka Bose make the film mildly watchable, even if only to a point.

 

Towards the end, Kites tries to tie the loose knots but the climax leaves you unaffected, even if the intention is exactly the opposite. In fact, you don't understand why the film moved from adrenaline-pumping-thriller-mode to melancholically-romantic-tragedy-gear in the first place.

 

The lead performers have done well and both look like a million bucks on screen. But let's get one thing clear: casting two very good looking people together does not necessarily translate into 'chemistry.' Hrithik and Barbara do look like a couple made from heaven but you don't really yearn for the two to get together or feel bad when they don't.

 

It's hard to see what kind of a future Barbara has in Bollywood with her accent and exotic appeal, but the woman can act. Die-hard Hrithik fans will probably freak out this time around too. The guy has style, charisma and a great personality, and flaunts it to the maximum.

 

But considering the film is supposed to show Western audiences what Hrithik can do, it's hard to see how people there would react to his overly melodramatic acting. In the scene where Barbara tells him that she would never leave him, come what may, Hrithik goes hammer-and-tongs with his nostrils-flaring, eyes-brimming, lips-twitching acting. That little bit of overacting apart, the guy's done well.

 

Nick Brown as Tony is hilarious, unintentionally of course. His accent and acting remind you of, believe it or not, Upen Patel. Enough said. And why Kangna agreed to do a role which would have better suited a model-turned-struggling actor is something you don't really care about.   

 

Kites may not be a bad film, but it's the kind of film you don't care about much after having watched it. It may not piss you off like some really trashy films you've had to bear in recent times, but you don't like it much either. At best, you are indifferent to it.

Watch it only if you are a die-hard Hrithik fan and someone with low expectations.