K-Jo: Quit Goating Around!

Post Wake Up Sid, one can only expect better and less cheesy films from the usually gushy-mushy gunk that they usually throw at us. While Ayan Mukherji took Dharma Productions for a real sixer when he came out with a fresh script which kept it "real" and honest. No unrealistic romance or preachy K-Jo style love your family drama. Shortly after, K-Jo came out with Rensil D'Silva's Kurbaan; a story which claimed that "Some love stories have blood on them." Starring the real-life couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, the film was yet another chance for Dharma Productions to prove that they are in fact looking to venture out from the usual gunk into more realistic and hatke cinema. Out with the old, in with the new, here comes a new and improved K-Jo!

This is not a review, so no synopsis summary here. The basic premise is one filled with a love story and terrorism which is ultimately linked to one another. Okay here's the deal; Kurbaan is a completely average affair. In fact the screenplay is a complete disappointment especially when you learn that the director is the scriptwriter is behind the absolutely amazing Rang De Basanti. Filled with holes, the script lacks substance and even a POINT! While watching the film, I was waiting for the film to happen... and by God it never did. And it wasn't just the holes, the film is filled with stereotypes: all Muslims are terrorists; all terrorists are Muslim. In fact more than educate the audiences or even inform them of perhaps why terrorists do what they do, we were constantly reminded that the world is a complete mess: Iraq, Afghanistan et al. Hello! Do we really need a film to remind us of this? CNN does an apt job on a daily basis. I think that if you asked KJo what the film was trying to tell you, he would say that it was all about the chemistry between Saif and Kareena. Because honestly, the film has nothing to really talk about. Or at least nothing we don't already know about.

And yet, I found myself waiting for Kurbaan to happen...er what happened next was a mixed bag of nothing, zilch and a hint of zero. We go from a passionate love story to a wannabe terror-filled flick which honestly couldn't come out at a worst time; a week before the 26/11 anniversary. When you watch a film like Kurbaan you are bound to compare it to similar films and for some reason, most equate it to New York which although was much better than Kurbaan, too had its share of flaws. But if we had to pick a film that was related to terrorism, was relatable and actually made sense, then it was definitely A Wednesday. Kurbaan was absolutely GARBAGE compared to Neeraj Pandey's award winning film. Kurbaan is not worthy of any awards at all! And if it does manage to bag even ONE, it will be either bought by KJo or the awards were rigged.

That said - watch the film if you're a Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor or even Vivek Oberoi fan. The only reason to watch this film is for the actors who ultimately add some elan to an otherwise lifeless film. Kurbaan is a sacrifice of time, talent and even theatre space. And if I had the opportunity to speak with Karan Johar, I would say: KJo, spare us instead of sacrificing us - we are not GOATS!