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By Taran Adarsh, December 30, 2005 - 16:53 IST
There are two ways to adapt a Hollywood film. The first one is an easy way out: Pick up a DVD and do a cut-paste job without adding your own bit. The other way out is to add a dash of Bollywood to the firangi film, shake and stir and a new version is ready to stand the test of the audiences.
ANJAANE - THE UNKNOWN takes the second route!
Based on Alejandro Amenabar's ghost story THE OTHERS [2001; Nicole Kidman], which was attempted last year in the form of HUM KAUN HAI?, ANJAANE - THE UNKNOWN is yet another instance of a riveting story going haywire thanks to inept handling.
ANJAANE - THE UNKNOWN tells the story of Shivani [Manisha Koirala], her husband Aditya [Sanjay Kapoor] and their two children. Sonia [Tejaswini Kolhapure] is the third angle of the triangle. Aditya and Sonia are in love.
When Shivani gets to know about it, she confronts Sonia and slaps her. Now Sonia is seething with fury and seeks revenge. Aditya decides to move in with Sonia and divorce Shivani. Later, Sonia gets to know that she cannot deliver a baby and eyes Shivani's children. Aditya agrees to it.
Even the court rules in Aditya's favor. But fate has something else in store for all of them. This is just the backdrop of the film…
A film of this genre ought to rely on mood, atmosphere and the cast to create the spookish mood. But in this case, almost everything is so uninspiring and monotonous that the viewer starts feeling restless at the very outset. The middle or end portions also don't contribute much in elevating the status of the enterprise.
Harry W. Fernandes' scripting as well as direction is devoid of passion. Despite the fact that the story is borrowed from an English film, the movement of the story as also the screenplay follows the beaten track. Himesh Reshammiya's music is of the fast forward variety. Rajan Kinagi's cinematography is the only redeeming aspect of the enterprise.
Manisha Koirala looks disinterested in most parts, carrying off her role mechanically. Sanjay Kapoor is functional. Tejaswini Kolhapure needs to work on her acting skills. Helen is strictly okay. The child actors - Akshay and Tanwi - are alright.
On the whole, ANJAANE - THE UNKNOWN is an interesting story gone wrong. At the box-office, it's a non-starter.
 
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