Cinemas

Tumko Na Bhool Payenge

A Preview.

Baba Films' TUMKO NA BHOOL PAAYENGE, directed by Pankuj Parashar, is inspired by the 1996 Hollywood flick THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT, starring Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson.

Vir (Salman Khan) is the only son of Thakur Punya Pratap Singh (Sharat Saxena) and his Thakurani (Nishigandha Wad). Both the parents simply dote on Vir. Gentle and sweet tempered Vir revels in their adoration. But their idyllic world is suddenly shattered.

Armed commandos hunt a running Vir. A huge dog attacks a terrified Vir. A sharp shooter trains his gun on a horrified Vir. Vir is frightened. His family and friends are perplexed. Because only Vir can see these incidents!

Is this a situation of previous life remembered? A case of reincarnation? Is it hallucination? Or is Vir simply going mad? Who is Ali? Does Vir have a twin brother? And who are Masoom and Mehak? How is he connected to these two lovely girls?

Great premise, average outcome. That's the apt way to describe TUMKO NA BHOOL PAAYENGE.

The basic idea of the - amnesia - is intriguing, but not new. Moreover, with a catchy caption like 'Expect The Unexpected', the expectations soar manifold. Unfortunately, director Pankuj Parasher seems half interested in making a tightly-paced, character-driven movie. What we get instead is brilliant visuals and snazzy technique, not a cohesive script or lingering satisfaction.

The story moves at a snail's pace in the first half. The focus is more on the romance between Salman and Diya. The main plot - amnesia - does come in flashes, but does not have much impact.

However, the narrative gets interesting towards the second half, when Salman decides to unravel the mystery. The flashback portions, right till the pre-climax, when Salman learns of the villain's identity, are expertly canned. But, once again, the director and writer have used too many clichés to move the story ahead, which dilutes the overall impact.

Pankuj Parasher has concentrated on making the frame look visually rich. The shot execution is stylish and the usage of special effects to depict amnesia makes the film look chic. But a solid screenplay was the need of the hour. Also, relying on the tried-and-tested stuff too often contradicts the 'Expect The Unexpected' statement.

Musically (Sajid-Wajid and Daboo Malik), a good score, though the placement of songs in the screenplay seems forced. Yet, 'Bindiya Chamke', 'Idd Mubarak' and 'Kyoon Chhanke Teri Choodi' are the pick of the lot. Cinematography (Thomas Xavier) merits special praise. Action scenes (Mahendra Verma) are first-rate.

Salman Khan tries hard to infuse life in his role, but is not in complete form. He does leave an good impression in the later half of the film. Sushmita Sen suffers due to a half-baked characterisation. Her marriage to Inder Kumar does come as a jolt, making you wonder whether this was done to re-unite Salman and Diya in the end. Arbaaz Khan (sp. app.) does not make any impact.

On the whole, TUMKO NA BHOOL PAAYENGE belies the expectations that one has from a film of this magnitude. An ordinary film in all respects, it will not create much of an impact at the ticket window. Average.