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By Joginder Tuteja, July 8, 2009 - 14:19 IST
MOVIE DETAILS
Cast: Nana Patekar, Bobby Deol, Shriya Saran, Raghuveer Yadav
Director: Sangeeth Sivan
Producer: Jaswant Khera
Music: Pritam
Lyrics: Shabbir Ahmed, Mayur Puri
THE FILM
Remember the films from the 80s and 90s when heroes used to jump from the 10th floor of a building, land straight on a moving train, find the general compartment which is easy to gain an entry into and then place themselves comfortably on a window seat? Well, Ek is exactly that kind of cinema. This time around it's Bobby Deol who is the passenger here. Do you mind the show? Definitely not, as long as all the action happens on screen. In fact it is nostalgic to see Bobby take on dozen odd goons in one go and the only dialogue that goes missing is - 'Ek Saath Aaoge Ya Ek Ek Kar Ke? '
The parts where Ek doesn't exactly keep your attention are the village scenes when all the emotional drama happens. It's all seen, heard and predictable as Bobby Deol, an assassin, walks straight into the family of a young man who is dead because of him. The chapters of redemption and sacrifice turn into an oft repeated tale and this is where director Sangeeth Sivan looses his audience. The scenes featuring the entire Punjabi family in a village hardly create a Jab We Met moment while Kulbhushan Kharbanda and a bunch of newcomers hardly make you feel interested in the plot.
What's worse is the half baked comedy track featuring Jaspal Bhatti and Sanjay Mishra - they are at their embarrassing worst in the film. And what was Shreya Saran doing in the film? Frankly, the bunch of small time actresses with whom Nana Patekar interacts in the film have much meatier and well defined part than her. There is a horde of other well known names like Jackie Shroff, Chunky Pandey, Raghuveer Yadav and Zarina Wahab but each of them could have been replaced by a junior artist and that wouldn't have made any difference to the film's execution.
Talking about Nana Patekar, it's his entry into the scene every 15 minutes that helps the viewer keep himself reasonably engaged with the narrative. He plays to the gallery and ensures that masses lap up to his cool dude look and attitude. Moreover, he adds value to the film's script as he engages in a cat and mouse game with Bobby who is on the run after being accused of killing a hot shot politician. Some well executed scenes featuring the two are placed in the film, especially the one where Nana tries to obtain Bobby's fingerprints.
However, the fact that cannot be denied is that the entire killing angle, the investigation, mystery solving as well as the entire climax is straight out of Salman Khan - Indra Kumar starrer Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge. Really, how could the makers have lifted the entire idea as well as the scenes when the film is being played on TV week after week?
There isn't much scope for music in the film and except for the well executed title song that plays during the opening credits, all the other numbers belong to fast forward variety. Talking about the action sequences in the film, they are good at places but extremely long drawn at at least a couple of junctures, something that leads to the entire charm being lost after a while. Still, all said and done, it's the mainstay of the film along with the background score. Bobby Deol is also the right fit for a role like this even though we have seen him playing a similar character in Baadal, Bicchhoo and Chamku.
PACKAGING
DVD of Ek - The Power of One comes in a glossy plastic case
DURATION
The film's duration is 140 minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES
None
TECHNICAL DETAILS
- 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
- Subtitles in English
- Dolby Digital 5.1
PRICE
Rs. 199/=
CONCLUSION
Ultimately, Ek turns out to be a film only for that select audience that wants to gain a nostalgic experience of the era gone by. That was the time when such movies used to be an out and out formula affair with thoda emotion, thoda action, thoda gaana, thoda drama and thoda pyaar!
  
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