| Amidst
plenty of political and marketing controversies, Fanaa released with a bang, on
26 May 2006. For
Aamir Khan, this was the third film in a short span. The film also marks the return
of Kajol, to Hindi cinema. To
top it all up, we have producers like Yash Raj and director like Kunal Kohli (Hum
Tum) behind the helm. Zooni
(Kajol) is the blind, beautiful and intelligent daughter of Rishi Kapoor and Kirron
Kher. She's off to Delhi, to perform at the Rashtripathi Bhavan, with her troupe.
With
great apprehensions, her parents let her go. In Delhi, she meets Rehan (Aamir),
a street smart, tourist guide. Love
blossoms, in spite of opposition from her close friend, Shruthi Seth. Rehan
gives her the time of her life, but soon after, disappears without notice. She
traces him and professes her love. The
two decide to get married whilst Rehan takes the responsibility of helping her
in getting her sight back. Zooni's
surgery is successful but Rehan is apparently killed in a bomb blast. Half way
point in the film, Rehan's dual identity as a terrorist, is revealed. Many
years later, when Rehan and his group attempt to manufacture a nuclear bomb, Rehan
is critically injured. Coincidentally
he lands up at Zooni's doorstep, half dead. Now, the story takes a different turn.
The
film is engrossing throughout except in the second half, where the pace slackens.
The
high points of the film are the brilliant performances by the lead pair, the dialogues,
the cinematography and the screenplay. Aamir
turns in a power packed performance, once again proving that he is among India's
best. Kajol
is equally brilliant, as her face exhibits tremendous versatility, from one emotion
to another. On
the downside, the film relies on coincidences and certain situations which seem
far-fetched. In
the film, Aamir's physical appearance is totally different in pre and post intermission.
Also his voice modulation seems to have changed in the second part of the film.
This is so critical, given that Kajol was blind and she can only rely on the voice
to identify the person. Kajol,
for her part, looks and sounds like Kajol, and not like a Kashmiri girl. Jatin
Lalit's music is reasonably good, especially the Chand Sifarish song. The background
score is first rate. All
in all, a film highly superior to what one is used to seeing these days, and definitely
worth a watch. Reviewed
by
Guest
reviewer Dr.P.V.Vaidyanathan | 
