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FILM REVIEW
BY: SHAHEEN RAAJ
“HATTRICK”
‘CRICKETING SAGA AT ITS BEST’
Film: ‘Hattrick’
Cast: Kunal Kapoor, Rimi Sen, Nana Patekar, Paresh Rawal & Danny Denzongpa
Director: Milan Lutharia
In his second outing ‘Hattrick’ after the delightful comic fare ‘Taxi No 9211’ director Milan Lutharia has tried to cash in on the World Cup mania & his attempt although being timely leaves much to be desired. To complete the hattrick of this mania two more films Arindam Mitra’s ‘Shoonya’ & Chandrakant Kulkarni’s ‘Meerabai Not Out’ based on the same theme is also all set to hit the marquee. In lieu with the recent trend of multiple stories ending up in a cul-de-sac climax a la Nikhil advani’s ‘Salaam – E – Ishq’, Reema Kagti’s ‘Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd’ & Ram Gopal Verma’s ‘Darna Mana Hai’ & ‘Darna Zaroori Hai’ Milan Lutharia’s ‘Hattrick’ bhi dekna zaroori hai especially if you are a diehard cricket fan.
Story No 1: Sarabjeet Kapoor aka Saby (Kunal Kapoor) marries Karishma Saxsena aka Cash (Rimi Sen) but he is more interested in the cricket pitch than on his nuptial bed. The wifey bears the brunt until she herself falls in love not with the game but with the player Mahendra Singh Dhoni to the extent that hubby dear had do a striptease for the girls day out to woo her back. And then…….
Story No 2: Dr. Satyajeet Chavan (Nana Patekar) hates cricket, cricket players & cricket premi too, strictly in that order. On the other hand is an ex-cricketer David Abraham (Danny Denzongpa) who lands up in his hospital with multiple ailments. The duo are always at loggerheads about the game and the disease until the Doc melts & stages a mock
World Cup game with Harsha Bhogle & Gautam Bhimani as the commentator trying to pass it off as the recent on going World Cup. And then……
Story No 3: Hemu Patel (Paresh Rawal) a janitor in London is also a cricket buff. Yet he is more concerned about getting a British Citizenship than the game to get a better job with perks & also to avoid the racial discrimination (Hats off to Shilpa Shetty & Jade Goody to bring the racial matter in the forefront). He fights till the last ball of the game is bowled. And then……
Milanji has done a good job in tandem with his technical team but had to face an lbw from his own writer Rajat Arora. The movie kicks off with great fervor & spirit in salutation of the on going World Cup but then…..
Performance wise it is Kunal Kapoor & Rimi Sen’s brilliant act of love & hatred for the game & for themselves that catches your fancy. Nana Patekar & Paresh Rawal as usual are at their histrionics best. Danny Denzongpa makes an excellent comeback. Not to forget John Abraham & Usha Uthap’s jovial act in ‘The End’ rolling title track ‘Wicket Bachha’.