Flights of fancy

Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye
Cast: Raima Sen, Randeep Hooda, Arbaaz Khan
Director: Madhureeta Anand
**

Is a man whose bookshelf is stacked with everything from Tolstoy's Resurrection to the Kama Sutra, who walks around with a feather boa draped over his bare shoulders, your fantasy?

If so then you might actually find something appealing in this tedium that is neither romcom nor drama nor a camped up, over the top visual spectacle.

Maya (Raima Sen) is a bored, unappreciated housewife. When she discovers her husband Vikram (Arbaaz Khan) is cheating on her (with a carrot chomping woman), she creates a fantasy friend, Jai (Randeep Hooda), who helps restore lost confidence, gives her an escape from her drab reality and the wings to fly.

He revitalises her desire to become a singer and encourages her to replace her chikan kurtas with unflattering western gowns. It's convenient that Maya's neighbours have a band.

Debutant director Madhureeta Anand gives Hooda an introduction like a male director might give a heroine — close up of lips, eyes etc. And then parades him through a costume party from bow-tie Bond to Zorro and Krishna.

There must have been quite a cost saving on Hooda’s costumes who is seen wearing Jodhpurs and riding boots (perhaps his own) whether he dressed in a feather boa, as a band master, Bond or rock star. The look is accessorised with Hooda's 'come hither' look, which is enough to make you want to hide in your popcorn box.

Arbaaz khan is in danger of being typecast as the cuckolding, impatient husband with double standards while Sen is simply comes across as wishy-washy. Hooda does not have the charisma or chutzpah to give life to this part. The music, like the rest of the film, is dull. Unimaginatively directed with pedestrian writing, Mere Khwabon Mein is neither funny nor clever. It's just a nightmare.