Kyon? Review {1/5} & Review Rating
There are times when a good idea gets ruined thanks to a mishmash execution. Kalpana Lajmi's KYON? loses track midway and ends up as a routine potboiler that leaves the viewer thoroughly disenchanted.
The plot revolves around five college friends -- Vikram, Tony, Amar, Neha and Shilpa. All of them except Amar belong to the upper strata of society, while Amar has a middle class background.
The story takes a turn when Shilpa is kidnapped and the kidnappers demand a ransom of Rs. 20 lacs from her wealthy parents [Benjamin Gilani, Anju Mahendru]. Unfortunately, something drastic happens and the boys find themselves in a quandary.
The problem with the film is that it runs on many tracks simultaneously. Besides raising a direct finger at the parents and holding them responsible for the wayward children, the film also looks at alcoholism, drug addiction and casual sex most teenagers recklessly indulge in.
Resultantly, although the film tries hard to convey a message, squeezing too many issues throws a spanner on its noble intentions.
KYON? does have a few poignant moments, like the sequence when the three boys pick up girls from a discotheque and the scuffle that follows looks straight out of life.
Even otherwise, the first half has some interesting moments, despite the fact that the songs come as a hindrance. Even the interval point is quite interesting.
But the narrative goes haywire in the second half. Also, the finale, which could've been interesting, doesn't measure up to the expectations mainly because the viewer is able to guess what the culmination would be like.
Directorially, Kalpana Lajmi leaves a lot to be desired. With a subject like this, she could've conveyed her point strongly, but too many tracks take away the charm. Bhupen Hazarika's music is soulful, but lack of promotion limits its prospects.
Cinematography [Mahesh Aney, Arvind Kannabiran] is inconsistent. At places it's good, at times patchy. The background score [Kalyan Baruah] is effective.
Barring Chaitanya Choudhary and Sanober Kabir, none of the newcomers strike a chord. Amit Jain ought to control his facial expressions, he goes completely awry most of the times. Sachit Patil is so-so. Prateeksha doesn't get much scope. Chaitanya does impress, while Sanober appears confident. Rahul Dev is getting typecast. Amongst character artistes, Smita Jaykar, Kunika and Anju Mahendru are adequate.
On the whole, KYON? stands on a weak foundation -- script -- and with no face-value to attract the audiences, its journey at the box-office will be woeful.
