Besharam: Shamefully hollow

Ranbir Kapoor tries too hard.

KARACHI:

About 24 hours into the release of Besharam, social media and news publications hollered about how ‘cheap’ and ‘sleazy’ the film is. Some even claimed to have walked out of the cinema halfway through the movie. If you’re wondering how bad it could be, here’s my take on the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer:

Is Besharam a terrible film?

No, but it is just another average, mindless Bollywood masala flick. It can’t be compared to Ranbir Kapoor’s Rockstar or Barfi!. But after watching the promos, anyone who was expecting something more rousing than a Dabangg, Housefull, Golmaal or Bodyguard, was off the mark to begin with.

Is Ranbir’s performance in Besharam his worst to date?

Ranbir is a great actor. He is versatile and constantly trying new things. But selecting different roles is not the formula. He needs to be able to bring the character to life and make the audience believe that it’s him. Unfortunately as Babli, Ranbir tries too hard and struggles with his performance. It is too over-the-top.

Will Ranbir be the next Khan or another INR1 billion star?

He is certainly more handsome than Shahrukh Khan and Ajay Devgn, acts better than Salman Khan and has the youthful charm that Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar are just too old to possess. But an INR1 billion mark for Besharam hinges on pure luck. Given that it has a massive release in India with 3,600 screens, it could well hit that jackpot.

Besharam’s storyline is pointless and illogically woven. But it is these same stories that have formed the signature formula of blockbuster success.

Despite Ranbir’s performance and a bad storyline, the movie’s biggest letdown is actually its leading lady, debutant Pallavi Sharda. She does not have the looks, acting skills or screen presence to be playing a lead role (although she dances pretty well). Apart from the terrible high heels she’s seen wearing, she’s a little too short to be paired with Ranbir. The absence of chemistry between the two doesn’t help much either.

The movie’s saving grace is the adorable couple Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh — they look great together and give strong performances. Neetu rocks as the non-stop husband bashing cop and wife, and Rishi is perfect at the receiving end of verbal lashing as well as giving it back to the goons Gadar-style. One does wonder why they accepted this script — was it just to make an appearance alongside their son? The supporting actors do justice to their roles, except Javed Jaffrey (villain), whose performance borders on irritating.

Besharam’s director Abhinav Kashyap is unable to match the expectations the audience had from his previous movie Dabangg. The stylish action sequences he used brilliantly in Dabangg have been repeated in Besharam. Some situations and dialogues are a throwback to ‘80s cinema and a tribute to more popular Bollywood flicks, which are enjoyable. Nonetheless, the movie could’ve done better without some besharam over-the-top sequences and toilet humour.

Lalit Pandit’s music is disappointing, as there is not even a single chart-topper in the album. Besharam has too many forgettable songs which act as speed breakers. Even the cinematography creates no impact and the choreography is off for the most part too. To his credit, Kashyap tries to mish-mash every trick in the Bollywood blockbuster book — he doesn’t even refrain from almost exposing Ranbir’s assets! 

Verdict: Besharam is a half-baked product made only to cash in on Ranbir’s star power. It’s a disappointment for all those who love Dabangg and were looking forward to Kashyap’s magic once again.

2/5

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2013.

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