| Painter
turned director M F Hussain tries his hand at film making one more
time after failure of his previous release, Gaja Gamini, at
the box office.
This
latest offering is a tapestry of colours which captivates your eyes
throughout.
The
film opens on Nawab (Raghuvir Yadav), a writer who is facing a dilemma.
He simply cannot think of a subject he can write about.
But
when he meets Meenaxi (Tabu), a total stranger, his luck changes.
She prompts him to write a book about her. Reluctant at first, he
later agrees to the idea.
For
the story to proceed, Nawab finds a male lead for Meenaxi who he
calls Kameshwar.
He
does not have to look far for this character. He uses Kunal (Kunal
Kapoor), his drunken car mechanic. Kunal once wanted to become a
singer.
In
the novel, these two characters meet in Jaisalmer. Smitten by her
beauty, Kameshwar becomes drawn towards her. She reciprocates his
affections in return.
But
at this point, the story takes a twist with the introduction of
Karanvir (Sagar Arya), the villain.
We
are then taken back to reality where we see an argument brewing
between Meenaxi and Nawab. She finds the story boring and in utter
disgust, she burns the script.
But
that does not dishearten Nawab. He starts afresh once again using
the same characters. This time the story is set in Prague.
Meenaxi
is given a new name in this novel - Maria. She is seen as a carefree
character who walks around with her bicycle - that's because she
cannot ride a bike! Another strange concept introduced by the artist
(M.F.Hussain).
This
time she meets Kameshwar at a railway station and falls in love
at first site.
In
this story, Nawab also plays a part. He is there to ask if Meenaxi
really loves Kameshwar. But she does not give him a straight answer.
Parts
of the film are difficult to digest but the climax soon clears this
confusion.
The
main drawback in the film comes from the screenplay. Hussain never
explains the characters in the film. They just appear from nowhere
and he uses them to make up the story.
Tabu
excels as far as performance is concerned and is presented beautifully
by the director.
Kunal
Kapoor makes a pleasant debut. He portrays the various shades of
his character with ease.
Musical
score by A R Rahman is excellent although you will find that the
film is overloaded with songs.
These
should have been kept to a minimum so as not to disturb the narration
of the story on screen.
Overall,
Meenaxi will appeal to those who appreciate art. It is definitely
not one of your run of the mill Bollywood's masala films. Don't
say I havent warned you.
Reviewed
by Manish Gajjar,
麻豆官网首页入口 Shropshire鈥檚 Mr Bollywood.
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