New Delhi, Aug 31: The biggest question before the release of ‘Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag’ was whether Babban would be the new terror name after Gabbar. The answer is quite obvious just after its first day on screen: a big no! Babban looks like a more comic character rather than a terrifying villian. Old scenes were reshot throughout the film. But someone has truly said: ‘Old is Gold’.
Ram Gopal Varma’s idea of turning a classic film into a modern day remake was like playing with ‘Aag’. RGV must have been expecting to tap the passion of avid ‘Sholay’ fans. No doubt, RGV has done justice with all the characters from Basanti and Veeru to Jai and Thakur. But still comparison with the original is like comparing the sky with the ground! For example- the original Gabbar said, ‘Kab ki hai Holi’(among other legendary dialogues) whereas Babban’s question, ‘Kab Ki Hai Diwali’ makes one roll with laughter!
The romantic track between Ajay Devgan and Nisha Kothari was as weird as Tom romancing Jerry. The movie starts with the fear of Babban as a cruel beyond imagination and far more devious than any gangster that Mumbai has ever seen. Babban was omnipresent in the minds of people but invisible to the eye. No one believed that Babban exists except one man. And that is Inspector Narsimha [Mohanlal], who has a single-minded determination- to finish Babban.
The plot takes the original path in beginning but soon takes the wrong turn.
After a spine chilling ‘original’ start, a la murder of Thakur’s family, the movie degenerates into the typical Bollywood ‘Prem Kahani’. There aren’t many songs through the narration in the flash-back but ‘Mehbooba’ is just mind blowing. A perfect item number to set screens ablaze. But comparing it with the Helen starrer would be going too far.
The biggest weakness of the film is Nisha Kothari. God knows what was in Ramu’s mind that he thought about this big misfit. Raj and Sushmita are wasted as confusion envelopes the entire script that Ramu terms as a tribute to the original Sholay. The usage of dark tones throughout the film is another big flaw that sees Ramu fall on his face.
Bureau Report
