KAMBAKKHT ISHQ REVIEW

[♥Baygal♥]

Bizarre has a new meaning and it's called KAMBAKKHT ISHQ.
Of late, Akshay Kumar has earned the reputation of making you laugh in film after film. You expect KAMBAKKHT ISHQ, his new outing, to transport you to ha-ha-land, given the smart-n-chic promos of the film.

KAMBAKKHT ISHQ belongs to the same family of films which have wooed the masses, such as MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI, WELCOME, SINGH IS KINNG and GOLMAAL RETURNS. The prime motive is to entertain you for the next 2 hours, logic be damned.
Yet, KAMBAKKHT ISHQ is different because it depicts the battle of the sexes, a theme that's rarely depicted on the Hindi screen. The lingo is poles apart, so is the attitude. In fact, this is a modern take on relationships, with the two hours divided between laughter and emotions, frivolous and reality. Let's get this straight. KAMBAKKHT ISHQ works in most parts thanks to the kind of star power and energy that the two actors pack in -- Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor. It would've been difficult to hold the film from falling apart had the two actors not been competent enough to carry off their respective parts. Also, the presence of Hollywood stars -- Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards -- the first on the Hindi screen, is an added bonus. 1 pe 2 ka offer; Bollywood stars ke saath Hollywood free!

The focus is on the entertainment quotient. There are moments when you laugh so uncontrollably that it gets embarrassing and there are times when you continue smiling, even during the most ordinary scenes.

But KAMBAKKHT ISHQ dips in its second hour because you expect it to be as frivolous as the first hour, but it changes tracks and gets emotional. Things would've gone wrong had the end stumbled and fumbled, but it doesn't. The finale, in fact, takes the film back to the level that one expects from a film of this magnitude.

To sum up, KAMBAKKHT ISHQ offers you value for time and also, value for money. It offers loads of entertainment in those 2 + hours, loads of glamour in those 130 odd minutes, from start to end. Sure, there are blemishes, but they're trivial when you look at the larger picture.

KAMBAKKHT ISHQ explores the relationship between two individuals who are as different as chalk and cheese. Viraj [Akshay Kumar] is a stuntman in Hollywood, who lives by the mantra 'women are only good for two things'. Simrita [Kareena Kapoor] is a firebrand who is more than able to stare down the most arrogant male with her caustic wit and sardonic tongue.

So what happens when the two people who hate each other the most meet at Simrita's best friend Kamini's [Amrita Arora] and Viraj's brother Lucky's [Aftab Shivdasani] wedding? A wedding that both Viraj and Simrita are violently opposed to and desperate to stop. Sparks fly... the battle of the sexes in on.

Director Sabbir Khan's motive is simple: Entertain for the next 2 hours. The entire first hour moves at a lightening speed, making you enjoy the war of words between Akshay and Kareena at regular intervals.

The first half abounds in terrific moments, but I'd like to single out at least three...

* One, the church wedding of Aftab and Amrita. When the battle lines are drawn.

* Two, the sequence at the operation table, when Akshay spots Kareena.

* Three, the interval point. The pendant connection. Howlarious sequences all!


The post-interval starts with a bang, with Akshay hearing the 'Om Mangalam' chant just about everywhere -- while sleeping, in the shower, in the rest room, even at an award function. The award function sequence is a double whammy. You get to watch Stallone and also the scene is superbly structured, executed and enacted.

Things are smooth sailing till the emotional angle comes up. The narrative dips in those 20 odd minutes. The mood suddenly shifts from laughter to sadness. The makers may argue that a twist in the tale is justified from the writing point of view, since the emotional track is vital for any love story, but the fact remains that one does miss the entertainment quotient here. In fact, the dip in the second hour erodes, to a large extent, the impression that the first half had built so magnificently.

Director Sabbir Khan picks up a theme that may catch you by complete surprise, but marinates it in entertainment, garnishes it well and presents it like never before. The review would be incomplete if we failed to highlight the grandiose look and the lavish production values thanks to the no-holds-barred expenses by producer Sajid Nadiadwala. Each frame looks ostentatious and glitzy.

Music is up to the mark, with three interesting tracks -- 'Om Mangalam' [RDB], 'Lakh Lakh' and 'Bebo' [Anu Malik]. Cinematography [Vikas Sivaraman] is magnificent, with the DoP doing complete justice to the production values.

KAMBAKKHT ISHQ belongs to both, Akshay and Kareena. Akshay is dynamic this time. He received a lot of flak for CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA and there was this nagging feeling that the negativity would spill over to KAMBAKKHT ISHQ. But Akshay is in terrific form here and delivers, without a shred of doubt, a bravura performance. If you loved him in NAMASTEY LONDON and SINGH IS KINNG, you'd fall in love with Akki and his comic timing all over again this time.

Kareena left an indelible impression in JAB WE MET and creates a similar impact, albeit in a different role. Her role has shades of 'Poo' in K3G, but the glam looks combined with that rare confidence takes this performance to dizzy heights. Clearly, Kareena is miles ahead of her contemporaries as far as talent goes and this film proves it yet again.

Aftab and Amrita are perfect for their parts. Vindu Singh supports well. Javed Jaffrey doesn't make a mark because the role has no connection with the main plot. Kirron Kher is getting typecast. Boman Irani is hilarious in that lone sequence. Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards are well integrated in the narrative.

On the whole, KAMBAKKHT ISHQ will strike a chord with the youth and those who relish zany and madcap entertainers. The first half is tremendous, while the second half takes a dip, with the film picking up towards the climax. At the box-office, the film will see an earth-shattering opening weekend and a historic Week 1. It remains to be seen how this film fares in its second weekend/week, given the massive number of screens it has opened globally [2,000 +]. However, the timing is most appropriate [the viewer is thirsting for a biggie] and the hype is tremendous, which should prove very advantageous for the film.

[lucifer]

Kambakkht Ishq: Movie Review

Filmmaking standards in Bollywood seem to have gone really high. Producers now opt for Sylvester Stallone over Sunny Deol for that mandatory special appearance in the climax as the messiah who saves the heroine from hoodlums. The shady second female fiddle who the heroine keeps abusing through the film has upgraded from Rakhi Sawant to Denise Richards. If that indirect insult to Hollywood still seems indicative, there is much more hardcore swearing in store.

The heroine and hero refer to each other as ‘dog’ and ‘bitch’ throughout. She adds that men have no IQ. Director Sabbir Khan either believes the same for his audience or is the species of men that the heroine is referring to. That’s because he treats the film with such childish cheekiness that you are amazed by the audacity with which the film offends the idea of entertainment.

Viraj (Akshay Kumar), an Indian stuntman working in Hollywood, is a compulsive womanizer who goes flirting around with every other woman in the town. Hey Baby, doesn’t that Akki sound familiar? For one good hour he goes on flirting outrageously with Simrita (Kareena Kapoor), a supermodel who is more of a mannequin with a disgusted face. The battle of sexes works adversely on your reflexes amidst jarring songs, commotional cake-fights, loud performances and toilet humour.

Miss Supermodel doubles up as a surgeon who, in an operation, leaves a timepiece inside stuntman’s stomach. With a story straight out of sensational tabloids, you helplessly watch the film ticking towards imminent disaster.

Suddenly the duo tries to woo each other just so that they can dump them later. Didn’t Kareena attempt the same with Akshaye in Hulchul ? The only one heartbroken is the viewer. Through a disjoint screenplay, constant continuity lapses and impassive chemistry between the couple, you realize that the film is heading nowhere. It also suffers from mood-swings as the supposed comedy changes tracks to emotional outbursts. Interestingly these are the most unintentionally funny portions where an inebriated Bebo justifies her male hatred.

What’s sad is that Kambakkht Ishq is a remake of Kamal Hassan’s Tamil film Pammal K. Sambandam (2002) and despite having a readymade rubbish reference point, the makers still couldn’t foresee the mess. Surprisingly four writers (Kiran Kotrial, Anvita Dutt Gupta, Ishita Mohitra, Sabbir Khan) are credited for the screenplay who end up spoiling the broth. Anvita’s dialogues are crude and crass at several instances complementing the literal toilet humour. There are unapologetic scenes where Akshay Kumar is (b)anally hauled or Amrita Arora gets farted on her face. Out of the blue, some patriotism and motherly love is abruptly induced to accommodate Sylvester Stallone in the script.

Akshay Kumar continues to repeat his customary comic act. Alas his spontaneity and improvisation fail to revive the hogwash script. Kareena Kapoor exaggerates and for god’s sake why does she have to reprise the dreadful ‘ Yeh Mera Dil ’ act in a self-spoof song ( Bebo Main Bebo, Dil Mera Lelo ). Imagine, Aftab Shivdasani is bearable in comparison. Amrita Arora seems to be tailor-made for dumb bimbo roles. Kirron Kher is getting repetitive and tiresomely typecast. Javed Jaffrey and Boman Irani ham hysterically and are pathetically wasted. The iconic Stallone seems jaded while Denise Richards appears aged. Vindu Dara Singh...oh why am I even mentioning him?

How one wishes producer Sajid Nadiadwala would have shown more consideration for a sane... rather some storyline than investing millions on highlighting Hollywood.

Alas this one is Dumb-akkht Ishq !

http://movies.indiatimes.com/moviereview/4728453.cms

[lucifer]

i never go by taran adrashs review on indiafm anymore...........he gives good reviews 4 the much hyped movies.............either hes gettin paid 2 give the ratings or his reviews r not worth readin anymore.........examples r many..............he gave chak de india 2.5/5,taree zameen par 2/5 which were excellent movies...........& then he gave himesh's movie karzz 4.5/5 which all the other reviewers blasted.............

i havent seen the movie.........but 1 things 4 sure nobody can stop KI frm being a BB or atleast a hit as it is the most hyped movie of the year..............

[Rishab]

Saw it here on thursday night and was disappointed.....all the hype n nothin great....very average, expected more out of KI.....
Agree with lucifer on Taran Adarsh.....and the review

[lucifer]

Mayank Shekhar, Film critic, NDTV

First of all, I'm sorry to be the messenger of bad news, but I must share this sorrow with someone.

The most anticipated movie of the year 2009 Kambakkht Ishq, is quite definitely the biggest dud of the year so far.

Considering the fact that it stars Akshay Kumar, each scene in the movie has humungous sets and top-notch action scenes.

Akshay plays a playboy-stuntman, who has a knack of impressing women very easily. Even Hollywood actress Denise Richards pecks his lip for a nano-second in the movie and mentions to tabloids that he's a great kisser.

Kareena Kapoor is a super-model by night and a medical surgeon by day. She hates Akshay for reasons you may neither understand nor even care to. The first half manages to scroll through with songs and dances.

But then a bigger twist awaits you in the later half. The supermodel-surgeon operates on the playboy-stuntman and leaves a watch with a recurring alarm bell inside his body.

Every few minutes, the alarm bell keeps ringing. She is scared that he will sue her and tries to seduce him.

Even after reading this, you by any chance go and watch the movie, you'll realise that the film is infinitely more ridiculous.

All you're left with, besides crash-sequences and Akshay Kumar with a bunch of bikini-clad women, is Kareena Kapoor in designer outfits.

Now we know why Bollywood is going through an economic slowdown. Really, I dare you to watch it.

http://movies.ndtv.com/reviews.asp?lang=hindi&id=401&movien...

[Manshee]

omg..! the movie was awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..!
guys..go n watch it..!

[AnKK]

its an average movie coz i hav seen it...aftab nd amrita waz gud...d story wasnt so nice..d same comedy by akshay he did before in many films..bebo trying to luk over sexy....so overall its an average...i'l give 2.5/5...

[aLMa-अल्मा!!]

I'M WITH U PRIYA!! OMG UR SO LUCKY! I HAVE 2 WAIT TILL NEXT WEEK 2 SEE IT :[

[salman]

9373736717

[nadz]

havent watched the movie yet! all i can see here is some of yall are haterzzz u need a lifeee

[♥Baygal♥]

y thiz movie ended...
awesome movie
love akki nd bebo
i loved it

[Rishab]

y the movie ended ? :):)::).......get more tickets n watch it over again n again n again back to back, it will never end.......

[Rishab]

well all akki fans might have liked the movie, but tradewise it's been declared the 4th consecutive flop for our good ol akki...n distributers have again lost their money on this one too....