'Barkhaa' Review: A cliche that's as clichéd as any Bollywood cliche

Director: Shadaab Mirza
Cast: Sara Loren, Taaha Shah, Priyanshu Chatterjee
Rating: *

What's it about: A cliche that's as clichéd as any Bollywood cliche. Bar girl Barkhaa finds true love in besotted boy. She's a bar dancer but it makes no difference to him. Obviously, there's a sob story. She was a girl from the pahads comes to the big city after jilted former boyfriend found out she was pregnant with his child and summarily dumps her. Like any good girl, she takes the child to term, delivers it and finds a job. As a bar dancer (because, who needs qualifications when you are beautiful and can dance?). The boy sees her in Himachal Pradesh and it's 'pehli nazar ka pyar' for him. She takes more than a few to fall for the boy, who should kind of realise his lawyer father won't give his blessing, when his best friend is so dissuading. But then, jab pyar kiya toh darna kya, right?

What's hot: Seriously? Well, for one, Taaha is getting better with every film. Who he? Don't know? Don't ask, then. 

What's not: Despite its best intentions, it is a tedious exercise going through this film. Sara Loren is pretty, but her performance isn't. The director and writer still probably think we're stuck in the 60s and 70s (some poor soul must've had a tough time convincing him to go with the Naughty Number One item number). We know it's stupid to make sweeping statements like "all bar girls are prostitutes" (because it isn't true), but why does one need to make a film to elucidate that point? And such a tedious film at that. I mean 'majboori' and 'izzat' are so last century! Equally disappointing is the film's music (that's there for the sake of being there).

What to do: You have to ask?