Film: Tashan

Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya

Producer: Aditya Chopra

Banner: Yash Raj Films

Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor

Rating: 3.5/5

With Tashan’s release, it seems like Yash Raj Films is beginning to find new ground.

After a string of boos and a Chak De! India in between, Yash Raj Films has dared to make something new and different.

It’s just not love sagas and a few songs this time, it’s all that and a lot more action and one helluva twisted plot. The film, though with many slips, is thoroughly engaging and entertaining. The vibrancy and spunk keeps it alive and loaded.

Bhaiyyaji (Anil Kapoor) wants to learn English to impress and a call centre executive and diction coach Jimmy (Saif Ali Khan) comes to his rescue. But convincing him to teach Bhaiyyaji was Pooja’s (Kareena) job. A smart cookie, she manages well. Learning to fall in love with Pooja was not as difficult as teaching Bhaiyyaji to speak in English, for Jimmy. But where a smart cookie crumbles there lies deception.

What follows is the tale of deception, double crossing and more than one can imagine.

Somewhere caught between is an angry don and a deceived English tutor. Found on the way is Bachchan Pande (Akshay Kumar) who initially from the tracker and hitman becomes the tracked. Trailing through this is the complete package of love, memories, brilliant songs and heavy duty action.

To start with, the plot is interesting. Though it’s a wee bit twisted, it is cleverly scripted. There isn’t an overdose of anything and more or less things are to the point making the entire viewing experience fun, just as it is meant to be.

At this point one must commend the dialogue writer for the spunky and zesty dialogues that bring a smile to your face. The lines are not new, but the language is and so is the essence packed in it making it different and in a sense new.

Character development is another area that is thoroughly laudable. There is great character build up that is relevant and not something that is done on a superficial level. Many might consider it superficial, however if one tries to look beyond the gloss and the glamour that the film offers in abundance, you see the character actually moving ahead with the story and growing stronger indicating change.

However saying it was perfect is unjustified, a lot of unnecessary delving is seen, which if avoided would have resulted in a much more crunchy and powerful film. Also the oration in the end comes across as a sermon, but this once you won’t mind.

Filled with tons of colour and gloss the film is a visual treat. Sadly though the sloppy-in-parts editing does nothing to make it anymore rich or crisp. Aki Narula’s clothes look fantastic, the textures and colours on display make your jaw drop with awe.

The music is great as well, though the same cannot be said about the choreography except for Dil Dance Maare, which is a rocker. Songs like Falak Tak and Dil Haara have the actors doing the most lifeless steps.

When it comes to acting, the film belongs solely to Akshay Kumar who has taken home the trophy. He is in full form in this film and delivers his best till date. His body language, diction and style is all true to the character. Anil Kapoor too delivers a noteworthy performance. He brings life to the lines and the character, which is hard to imagine someone else play. Kareena Kapoor looks ravishing but that’s about it, pouts galore and some action scenes are all she delivers. Saif Ali Khan does well, but sadly the role does no justice to him. His usual magic fails to be seen in this film.

This film has action, drama, romance and helluva lot of comedy, if this ain’t a power packed entertainer, it’s hard to say what is.

Get out of home and watch it… it’s solid entertainment.