Yakeen (2005)
Cast: Arjun Rampal, Priyanka Chopra, Kim Sharma
Director: Girish Dhamija
Music Director: -------
Synopsis: Topsy turvy version of Shattered is flawed but fun all the same
Reviewed by: Faiz Khan

 

Vikram Bhatt has always worn his love of Hollywood thrillers on his sleeve. The trouble is that, with the notable exception of Raaz, his adaptations have generally fallen well short of their inspirations. With Yakeen, Bhatt once again turns to Hollywood, this time borrowing heavily from Wolfgang Petersen's Shattered. Unfortunately, for anyone familiar with the Tom Berenger–Greta Scacchi original, the opening scenes reveal the film's central twist almost immediately.

For those who haven't seen Shattered, however, Yakeen remains an engrossing thriller that should hold the attention despite its increasingly far-fetched storyline. The original itself was something of a gloriously implausible potboiler, and Yakeen follows it almost beat for beat. Having recognised the plot within minutes, I expected to be bored. Surprisingly, I found myself thoroughly entertained, particularly during the first half.

The film opens with a spectacular car crash as a vehicle plunges over a cliff. Both occupants survive, but businessman Nikhil Oberoi (Arjun Rampal) is left badly disfigured and in a coma, while his wife Simar (Priyanka Chopra) escapes with remarkably minor injuries.

After months of surgery and rehabilitation, Nikhil awakens with no memory of his previous life, suffering from psychogenic amnesia. Simar patiently nurses him back to health, appearing to be the devoted wife. Gradually, however, disturbing fragments of the past begin to surface.

Nikhil discovers that before the accident he had altered his will, effectively disinheriting his wife. He also learns that divorce proceedings had already been set in motion.

Why?

The mystery deepens when he uncovers evidence suggesting that Simar had been having an affair. Matters become even stranger when she secretly arranges to meet her supposed lover, Kabir, while telling Nikhil she is visiting an aunt. Curious, Nikhil follows her—only to uncover a revelation that turns everything he believes on its head.

To reveal any more would spoil the film entirely.

Yakeen is tremendous fun, provided you don't stop to question the logic too closely. There are plot holes large enough to drive another car over the same cliff, but that's almost beside the point. This is one of those thrillers that asks you to surrender to its twists rather than analyse them.

Girish Dhamija's screenplay lifts Shattered almost wholesale, adding little more than a layer of Bollywood flavouring. Ironically, that may have been one of the film's greatest problems. Hollywood audiences are generally more willing to embrace an outrageous psychological thriller of this sort, whereas mainstream Bollywood audiences, raised on masked villains, secret twins and miraculous lookalikes, were unlikely to find its twists quite as startling.

Vikram Bhatt perhaps misjudged his audience.

The result was an expensive commercial failure.

Arjun Rampal delivers one of his better performances, though admittedly that isn't setting the bar especially high. He is convincing enough as the confused and increasingly paranoid Nikhil, even if he never completely disappears into the character.

Priyanka Chopra alternates between simmering mystery and quiet vulnerability, giving a perfectly competent performance that keeps the audience guessing.

The songs, however, are entirely unnecessary.

Every time the film begins to build suspense, another musical number arrives to interrupt the momentum. They feel imposed rather than integrated and would have been better left on the soundtrack album.

Technically, the film is polished and competently directed. At just around two hours, it moves briskly enough to prevent the absurdities from becoming tiresome.

No, it isn't remotely believable.

No, it isn't original.

But as a slick, entertaining thriller, Yakeen delivers enough twists, intrigue and momentum to make for an enjoyable afternoon at the cinema.

I certainly had far more fun with it than I expected.