Himesh - The common man's Hero finds acceptance

By Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Hungama News Network

The common man has arrived. And he has done that with a style. Although he has played his role without any 'hero-giri' per se, Himesh Reshammiya has managed to create strength for himself by playing to the gallery, which has led to Karzzzz to be much more than just a watchable affair. Reason? More than the excitement of watching how Satish Kaushik has remade the film, the fun lies in seeing how Himesh does in his second outing for the big screen.

Does he do any better than Aap Kaa Surroor? Does he look better without his cap on? Can he carry a film entirely on his shoulder? How does he encounter Urmila's character of Kamini? And more than anything else, can he get the action, emotion, drama and romance right - everything which makes for a quintessential hero?

Well, yes, he gets it right and yet again, without resorting to even attempting to be a hero. He plays his calling card right, that of an average common man, who has his moments of anxiety, the helplessness of being betrayed by his love, the sheer hopelessness of seeing death yet again in the second 'janam'. And this is what makes Himesh's Monty identifiable.

Of course as a film one has to isolate Karzzzz from Karz in the same way Shah Rukh Khan's Don - The Chase Begins Again had to be looked at differently from Amitabh Bachchan's Don. Comparison never helps because one tends to loose objectivity. And by the way, this is not to say that in a stand alone mode, Satish Kaushik's reincarnation version is a classic in the making. It is not. In fact it isn't even a film, which would be remembered say, 10 years down the line. However, it is a film, which would be talked about in the current times at the least. And that would be for the sheer effort and confidence which has been put in the film by the makers and the lead actors Himesh and Urmila.

Not that it would make you go wow from start to finish. It gathers a steady momentum with the finale being the pick of the lot. But more about it later. Karzzzz in fact starts off reasonably ok (Dino-Urmila interaction is short and nice), dips pace a little (too many songs but aiming right for the gallery - no wonder single screens and interiors of India would have their hands full) and picks up towards the interval point. Himesh-Urmila interaction for the first time is rocking and peaks the drama big time. In fact, this is where Himesh gets complete audience's attention and you forget you are seeing a composer / singer turned actor on screen. He 'acts' as an 'actor' should and for someone who is just two films old, it is not a bad deal at all.

Second half is decent to begin with and keeps picking on pace till the penultimate 25 minutes completely make Karzzzz a winner. The film has it's moments before that too, especially when Urmila realizes for the first time that Monty is Ravi Varma. The number 'Loot Jaaon' comes at a dramatic juncture and from this point on there is no looking back. What really turns out to be knockout is the phase of the movie in and around 'Ik Haseena Thi'. Drama, emotion, action, thrills - all are presented in just the right mixture to make Karzzzz a sumptuous meal.

Karzzzz is, what you call in typical Bollywood parlance, a timepass 'masala' flick. An unpretentious affair which doesn't even aim at bringing it's neck out and saying - 'Hey, look at me, am I not really smart'. Instead, it says, 'Come, have fun, and go home entertained.' It is this 'entertainment' quotient, which makes Karzzzz an engrossing watch.

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