Rating : Above average (3.5/5)
Genre : Romance
Year : 2006
Director : Shivam Nair
Cast : Abhay Deol, Soha Ali Khan, Shayan Munshi
Ahista Ahista : Slow and steady doesn’t win the race !
Abhay Deol and a cute heroine – I thought we had another “Socha na tha”. Sadly not. Although this is just as cutesy and sweet, the end of this film is so anti-climactic, and basically against everything that I would see a film for, that I really cannot stomach this one. I mean, one sees a film for the larger than life messages they propagate – the ones of hope, happiness and redemption. If a film doesn’t fit that bill, you might as well not see it, no?
OK, that warning notwithstanding this film does have it’s good points. It’s simple, well told and pretty clean. Although it is true to it’s name, i.e.; it progresses pretty “Ahista Ahista”, it’s a well-developed love-story. Abhay Deol turns into a charmer oozing sincerity (even when mouthing choice cuss words), and Soha Ali Khan adds dignity to the role. The film has “Nukkad” like scenes where the hero consorts with a group of friends on a regular basis, giving it a nice, homely feel. The music is pleasant, with one really good song.
Ankush (Deol) is a professional witness at a Delhi marriage court. That’s how he earns his daily bread. There he meets simple, middle class girl Megha (Soha) who’s run away from her Nainital home, in the hopes of marrying boyfriend Dheeraj (Munshi). When Dheeraj doesn’t turn up, she is left stranded in the city without money or friends. Ankush helps her, and she manages to get a job in an old-age home. Ankush now has feelings for her, and Soha might love him too. However all Ankush’s hopes are dashed when 2 months later Dheeraj turns up looking for Megha . . .
Deol, Soha and the supporting cast do well. Munshi looks pretty playboy-ish and I can’t manage much sympathy for his character. Especially after the Jessica Lall thing. And he speaks Hindi pretty well. The direction is decent, and the characters adequately developed. The story does tend to wax unreal in parts, like when the old-age home honcho criticizes Megha for romantic involvement with Ankush. Like really, who has the time these days ? And it’s an old-age home, not a nunnery, right ?
All that said, IT IS a sweet film. I just wish the director had made the wait worthwhile.
