Drona: for the love of God!

The age-old Vikram and Betaal story is rewound, mixed with colours, and splashed on screen. Abhishek looks like he has sleep-walked through the film, stumbling into Priyanka Chopra, then Kay Kay. Jaya Bachchan should have put aside her motherly instincts and said no to this movie. I want to know if Aishwarya was offered Priyanka's role.

The dialogues are not worth remembering unless you want to laugh a day later. The bit about belagaam ghoda for instance, and Raazpur ke raaz is one of these.

Kay Kay sure knows his onions when it comes to negative roles. But, in this one, my eyes kept straying to his tuft of hair on the head, and his fingers. The odd-fish role is surely inspired from Nolan's Joker (The Dark Knight) and a clownish caper is used to emphasise the influence.

The belagaam horse is supposed to be Drona's divine vehicle, though he doesn't ride it long enough. He is forever found with his second-in command, Priyanka Chopra, who can't open her mouth without "Baba kehte the..". The seductive look on her face, completely betrays any trace of servitude.

We all spend our 100 odd rupees on a movie ticket to be riveted, moved, enthralled and entertained. Now, in times of double-digit inflation, all of the above qualities may be too much to ask for in just 100 rupees, ahem. Having said all of the above, let me state my case: your money goes to pot. Anyway, from a director like Behl, who has made Angaaray and Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai, he has come out with a nonsensical movie.

He has repeated his male lead, who seems curiously placky in his post Yuva and Sarkar days. In Abhishek's own words, it is his best work, but surely he comes across all fur, no knickers. The hero who won't convince even himself that he possesses superhuman power, and also in the same breath, fails to portray his powerlessness.

The magical sequences are to be watched. They seem straight out of Doordarshan's serials, if you have ever seen those. I have, as a kid. But,now after seeing Narnia, one Harry Potter movie, and numerous other fantasy and SFX stuff-laden movies, I say no oil painting this!