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By Taran Adarsh, June 8, 2007 - 01:00 IST
Extra-marital affairs aren't new for Hindi moviegoers. So how different is THE TRAIN from films that have hit the screens in the past? Well, it tackles this issue and garnishes it with murder, lies, deceit, treachery, rape, blackmail… perfect ingredients for a thriller.
Inspired by the Hollywood film DERAILED [2005; Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston], the film also bears a striking resemblance [coincidental] to BEZUBAAN [Shashi Kapoor, Reena Roy, Naseeruddin Shah], about a blackmailer making the life of a married person miserable.
For those who haven't watch DERAILED, THE TRAIN is a novel experience for sure. The Indianisation of the plot as also the twists-n-turns in the narrative keep the film going. Besides, the film is embellished with lilting music [Mithoon], which acts as the perfect topping on the pudding.
All said, THE TRAIN is very much on track and succeeds in reaching its destination without hiccups.
Vishal [Emraan Hashmi], a middle class man, is settled in Bangkok with his wife, Anjali [Sayali Bhagat] and their 5-year-old daughter Nikki. Anjali and Vishal are trying to hold on to their deteriorating marriage, which is already under tremendous pressure.
One ordinary day, on his way to work, Vishal meets Roma [Geeta Basra], a beautiful, captivating woman. The attraction between them is instantaneous. As Vishal gets to know her better, he realizes that she too is a loner, trapped in a loveless marriage. The attraction between them reaches a peak and they decide to give in to an adulterous affair.
As Anjali starts getting suspicious of Vishal's erratic behavior, his romance with Roma deepens. He is torn between the two loves of his life. Just when Vishal thought life could not get more complicated, he realizes that his secret liaison is known to someone, an unknown elusive enemy who is bent on using the knowledge to destroy all three lives.
Vishal realizes that the game will never end till he finds a permanent solution and that would be to eliminate the enemy.
The twists-n-turns in the screenplay keep you guessing what the next step would be. Starting out with an extra-marital affair, the story changes gears and shifts to blackmailing, murder and eventually, the husband-wife relationship.
The screenplay is smartly penned, since the sequence of events jump from one situation to another in those 14 reels. For any thriller to strike a chord, it ought to shock the viewer when the veil of secrecy is lifted and the face that comes to the fore does catch you by surprise.
Raksha Mistry and Hasnain Hyderabadwala's direction is commendable. In fact, the duo has only climbed the ladder as storytellers. But the director duo shouldn't have stretched the blackmailer's portions to such an extent. That's the only time when the film actually stagnates. Mithoon's music is a major asset. 'Woh Ajnabee' is a superb composition, while the other two compositions are equally nice. Cinematography [K. Rajkumar] does justice to the stunning locales of Bangkok and Pattaya.
Emraan Hashmi is very much in form this time around. The actor carries the film on his able shoulders and contributes enormously in making the on-screen action riveting. Geeta Basra is a surprise. The girl has evolved into a fine actor. She looks alluring too. Sayali Bhagat looks pretty, but needs to polish her acting skills.
Aseem Merchant does very well. In fact, his face lends freshness to the character. Rajat Bedi is competent. Suresh Menon provides some laughs. Ananth Mahadevan is good.
On the whole, THE TRAIN is an entertaining fare that lives up to the expectations. At the box-office, it will carry the passengers [read distributors] to safety for sure.
 
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