Khiladi 420 (2000)
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Mahima Chaudhry,
Director: Neeraj Vohra
Music Director: Sanjeev Darshan
Synopsis: Action fuelled crime drama is technically dazzling if a little OTT
Reviewed by: Faiz Khan

 

The promos have been running on television for some time now and they looked terrific. So I was more than ready to dash off and see this one the moment it hit the cinemas. And I certainly didn't regret it for a moment because I knew exactly what I was going to get. Thankfully, this wasn't going to be another Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke-style mundane love story.

You may think from the title that Ajnabee is a comedy, but it most certainly isn't. In fact, a more appropriate title might well have been Khiladi 302—for reasons that will become increasingly apparent as the film progresses.

Ritu Bhardwaj (Mahima Chaudhry) stands to inherit well in excess of Rs. 900 crores, being the only child of an obscenely wealthy father. At home there is a blind dadi permanently sporting enormous black sunglasses, a snivelling little orphaned niece called Riya, the ever-benevolent father (Alok Nath) and the usual assortment of loyal servants. Into this idyllic setting marches Rahul (the new stud on the block, muscles, trim haircut and all), Ritu's childhood friend, secret admirer and trainee police officer. Doesn't all this sound suspiciously similar to the director's previous effort, International Khiladi?

Having playfully pushed Rahul into a swimming pool, Ritu and her father depart for Canada where the latter is mugged at the airport, only to be gallantly rescued by Dev (Akshay Kumar), a wealthy expatriate Indian with hotels and businesses aplenty. The obligatory banter between hero and heroine follows, complete with the inevitable songs, but father and daughter return to India before romance has had much chance to blossom.

Dev soon arrives in India carrying his father's ashes and effortlessly ingratiates himself with the Bhardwaj family, speaking grandly of settling in India and expanding his business empire. It isn't long, however, before we discover that he is anything but the paragon of virtue he pretends to be. In reality, he is a conman with a tartish girlfriend (Antara Mali), determined to get his hands on Ritu's fortune in order to pay off some rather nasty villains.

As events unfold, it becomes increasingly apparent that Dev is not merely the confidence trickster promised by the title but a thoroughly psychopathic killer who has no hesitation in murdering Bhardwaj when the latter uncovers his true identity.

Unfortunately for Dev, the little niece witnesses the murder. The shock leaves her traumatised and virtually catatonic, unable to communicate what she has seen. Undeterred, Dev presses ahead with his plans, overcomes Rahul's suspicions and succeeds in marrying Ritu.

Once married, the happy couple retire to a large, isolated mansion where the villains promptly arrive demanding their money. It is here that Ritu finally discovers what sort of man she has married. Dev calmly informs her that he intends to murder her as well and wastes little time setting about the task.

After surviving a spectacular chandelier collapse worthy of The War of the Roses, Ritu apparently gains the upper hand by driving a metal spike into Dev's head. Believing him dead, she rushes home only to be greeted by her blind grandmother, who casually informs her that Dev is alive and recovering in hospital—and asks why she hasn't gone to visit him. Arriving at the hospital, Ritu discovers, to her horror, that Dev is very much alive.

Time for interval.

What follows is something of a rollercoaster ride and revealing much more would spoil the fun. Suffice it to say that, although there is an element of predictability because of something mentioned earlier in the film, the screenplay still manages to throw in enough twists and turns to sustain interest before arriving at a climax that is perhaps a little too convenient.

Nevertheless, hats off to first-time director Abbas Mustan for producing an entertaining thriller that holds the attention for the better part of its 165-minute running time.

Where the film falls short is in the screenplay, which really needed to be tighter and a little more believable. Then again, with a title like Ajnabee, you are hardly expecting a Shyam Benegal film, so it is probably best to leave your brain at home and simply enjoy the ride.

The action sequences are among the best seen in Hindi cinema for quite some time, although the computer graphics occasionally let the side down. The image of the enormous balloon carrying Mukesh Rishi looming behind Ritu is a wonderfully imaginative visual, but the effect is compromised by rather obvious CGI. It is still a cut above most Indian productions of its day, but once you attempt such ambitious imagery comparisons with Hollywood become inevitable. Either execute them flawlessly or don't attempt them at all. Likewise, the climax, with cars practically raining down upon our hero, is undeniably exciting but also just a little too excessive.

The trailers probably make the film appear even slicker because they reveal less. Even so, this remains a cut above the average Bollywood action thriller.

No particularly demanding acting is required from anyone, but Akshay Kumar fits the role like a glove. He brings surprising charm to what is essentially an irredeemably evil character. Dev possesses virtually no redeeming qualities whatsoever, yet Akshay somehow makes him strangely watchable. One even feels the slightest twinge of sympathy when Bhardwaj discovers his true identity and Dev realises that his dreams of wealth and success are slipping away once again. He is a man determined to make his killing—pun fully intended.

Mahima Chaudhry complements him well enough. Antara Mali, on the other hand, is largely wasted, spends most of the film rather skimpily clad and makes little impression. Her song involving food and drink being poured all over herself and Akshay is simply grotesque and more embarrassing than titillating.

The music is fairly standard, although "Jaagte Hain Hum" is certainly among the better numbers. Mercifully, there is no forced comedy track to interrupt proceedings.

Quite honestly, the film had me glued to my seat. Leave your thinking caps behind, switch off your brain for a couple of hours and simply enjoy the ride. Ajnabee doesn't aspire to be anything more than an unabashed Bollywood masala thriller with a slightly different spin, and on those terms it delivers a fairly solid punch.

There is, however, one thing that completely escaped me. Why did the dadi have to be blind—and why on earth did she insist on wearing those enormous black sunglasses throughout the film?

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.