We’ve heard that there were times when life was not in so much rush; the times when love was laminated with poetry rather than dates. Most of us, the viewers of current cinema were either too young or were not put in the test of life yet. We have heard about those times from our elders; we have watched the cinema of yester-years to have a glimpse of life back then. But what if someone offers us a little more than just hearing of watching the memories of that era; what if someone offers us to live in that era? Should we accept such an offer?
Well, thinking about the question, I would say WHY NOT? I mean haven’t all of us have had felt that yearning to go back in time and fix our lives or those of our loved ones? Haven’t we had that pinch of being able to make our world a better place to live by correcting curtain errors? This might not be possible in the real life, but on the reel, one man is right now making such an offer. The man is Vipul Shah and the offer is to become a part of the audience of his latest film “Action Replay†and accompany Mr. Bunty back in time so that he can make his world a better place by re-assembling the jigsaw puzzle of time.
Ok fine, as it is a happy-go-lucky film, so definitely Mr. Bunty would end up accomplishing what he wished to. So the important question is not if his world becomes a better place or not? The real question is … “What happens to the world of the viewers during the running time of the film?â€. So lets explore the answers.
How my World was benefitted by this film?
• It was really a beautiful feeling to experience the calm and quietness of the life left behind. Honestly, a life so simple is a life I would die for. What else can one ask for then a life where love is much more important than lust; where inhibitions are kept under control and where desires are tamed within respectable limits? I must say Vipul and his team succeeds big time in creating that feeling for us. I don’t know if the world in Action Replay is 100% identical to the real past or not, but it is indeed a world which I would love to become a part of.
• The performances of the lead actors are simply beautiful. (details about the performance later). The result is that we don’t watch actors, rather we get acquainted with some very original characters, and we (at least I) fall in love with these characters.
• The cinematography and the back ground music help big time in establishing the impact of this world. I would rank the back ground music of this film as almost the best of this year (second only to the magnificent back ground score of “Once upon a time in Mumbaiâ€).
• The humor is intelligent. The film makes you laugh (or at least smile) at several places. But thankfully, this laughter is not caused by some wacky slapping or some physical antics, rather the humor is totally derived from the witty dialogues in purposefully crafted situations.
• The most pleasant thing about this movie is that it does not take assistance of vulgarity or obscenity (neither verbal nor physical). A full fledge family film after quite a while.
• There are no sub-plots and the narrative stays focused on the main story. Yes there are characters other than the lead ones which have their significance. But thankfully, the narrative stays focused only to those aspects of these characters which are linked with the main story.
• For me watching “Chaan key Mohalla†on the big screen was an ultimate treat. Excellent choreography.
How the film could’ve made my world even better?
• The beginning and the end of the movie are not much impressive. Though with a film talking about time travelling is bound to have an illogical beginning and a climax, yet a tighter screenplay in these portions could’ve enhanced the effect significantly.
• The medley segment gets a bit over-stretched and forced into the narrative. These 5 or 6 minutes of the film and their direction is not convincing at all.
• Although the world to where Bunty travels is utterly beautiful, yet the process of this travelling is very poorly executed. The time machine’s appearance and its functionality are unintentionally funny and is very poorly displayed.
• The makeup applied on the characters when they turn old is quite unprofessionally done. Only Ash carries a look which is quite convincing. Akshay Kumar, Neha Dhupia and Rajpal Yadav look horrible in the old avatars as the makeup is very poorly done.
• Most of the songs (except for†chann key Mohalla†and “Nakhreyâ€) don’t seem like being tones of 70’s. The style of singing in “Tera mer Pyar†and most of the numbers in the medley is not at all in sync with the singing styles of that era.
Now let’s talk about performances…
• Akshay Kumar is simply outstanding in the film. This is probably the first time when I’ve seen Akshey sink so much in a character. Its not a super star that we see on the screen. Rather it’s the character of Kishan which we become to love and adore. Definitely, this is the most accomplished performance by him.
• Aishwarya Rai Bachchan also looks and acts the part very well. She is simply gorgeous in the holi song. Her portrayal of a rebel in the 70s is convincing, though her character could’ve had a bit more depth than what we see.
• Aditya Roy Kapoor is extremely efficient. He is very fresh and carries just the right attitude throughout the film. If only someone could force him to have a decent hair cut!!!
• Out of the supporting cast, Rajpal Yadav, Om Puri and Kiran Kher are wonderful.
To wrap it up, “Action Replay†might not be a classic in any sense, but it definitely is a refreshing film which offers us some novelty. Its fresh, Its funny and its sweet. Being a bit offbeat, this might be a huge performer at the box office, but after fully enjoying each of my minutes spent watching this film, I would not at all mind replaying this action.
