Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai (2001)
Starring: Jackie Shroff, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee
Director: Goldie Behl
Music Director: Adesh Shrivastva
Synopsis: Dull, plodding tale of innocence corrupted by avarice and greed....yawn!
Reviewed by: Faiz Khan

Goldie Behl's maiden effort is a misguided and misplaced affair, proving more of a nightmare than a dream come true. His protagonist is the starry-eyed Suraj (Abhishek Bachchan), a lad from Benares whose role model is the media mogul Naved Ali (Jackie Shroff), seemingly modelled on the Bond villain from The World Is Not Enough. A megalomaniac with all the trappings to flaunt his hi-tech ambitions—multi-screen television displays, sleek sets and the glamorous sidekick Lara (Sushmita Sen) to boot.

Suraj arrives in the big city of Mumbai to attend college, where he meets the feet-firmly-on-the-ground Pooja (Rani Mukherjee). Love blossoms tediously between the two, with little charm or chemistry to speak of. But Suraj has big dreams and is eventually picked up by Naved Ali, who employs him at his television station. Guided by the sophisticated Lara, the small-town boy is transformed into a swanky executive, drunk on attention and adulation. Naturally, he wants more...

Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai is neither path-breaking nor novel in any way. The film follows much the same theme explored in Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, but falters badly in its execution. It lacks both the simplicity of the Shah Rukh Khan film and any real sense of authenticity. Will anyone actually identify with any of the characters, or indeed the film itself? I doubt it! In essence, the film is a drag, plodding along at a snail's pace. There is very little of interest generated in the first half, whilst the romance between the lead pair is painfully contrived and dull. Song after song slows matters down even further, and I cannot remember a recent film with such an uninspiring musical score.

Abhishek Bachchan needs a Zanjeer. He possesses neither his father's intensity nor, at this stage, his talent. There is no doubt that he tries hard and is earnest in his endeavours, but the results are, at best, insipid. One wishes one could say more, but the spark is completely missing, and this film will do nothing to further his career.

Rani Mukherjee does her routine peppy act, which has begun to wear a little thin. Compare this Rani with the one in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and you realise how even a talented actor can never rise above the limitations of the script. The college scenes here are dull and devoid of imagination, and there is little that Rani can do to lighten the load. She later settles into the role of the long-suffering girlfriend, unhappy with her beloved's descent into greed and the lure of adulation. She has a scene or two in which to shine, but little more.

Jackie Shroff's villainous turns are becoming somewhat tedious. Smart, slick and as removed from anything remotely Indian as one could imagine, he is not so much a character as a caricature. It is only Sushmita Sen who manages to emerge with real credit despite her comparatively brief role. Looking strangely jaded, she nevertheless delivers a remarkably natural and unaffected performance. Quality stuff in an otherwise unqualified disaster.

The music is dreadful. Goldie Behl directs competently enough but perhaps tries too hard to give his film a contemporary sheen, to such an extent that he eventually goes right over the edge. There are some genuinely interesting images and one or two good scenes, but one or two good scenes do not make a film.

Better luck next time.