 Yes, Himesh Reshammiya can act!
Well, the review could have been considered over at this point itself since this is what the entire world wanted to know. The question on everyone's lips since the film's announcement around 9-10 months back was - Would HR be able to hold his audience's interest to 'watch' him on screen for 2 hours?
The good news is that the composer/singer hasn't let his fans down at all while also added on to the admirers who are now unanimous in applauding him for his guts and a brave step to come in front of the camera, if not anything else. Himesh has justified the claims that he has been making during last 3 months of the promotion that he wasn't foolhardy to jump into acting arena without thinking about the pros and cons.
After watching AAP KAA SURROOR, one can be rest assured that this is not the last film he would ever act. Here are the reasons why!
Can he emote?
Watch him say I LOVE YOU for the first time to his lady love Ria with tears floating down his bearded cheek and claps and whistles from the packed auditorium prove that he can.
Can he dance?
Watch him do a jig a la Mithun Chakravorty after a few drinks and you know that given an opportunity and some classes, he can. By the way, the sequence also proves that he has a good sense of humor.
Can he joke?
Watch him sportingly laugh at the digs taken on him for his nasal voice and his cap. Now how many out there in Bollywood would be willing to something like this in front of the world?
Can he deliver his dialogues well?
Watch him in the climax confrontation scene and you know that he can modulate his voice accordingly as per the situation.
Can he be natural in front of the camera?
Watch him with the young man who plays his best friend/business associate and one wonders if they share the same relation in real life too.
Can he compose/sing?
Well, is this something expected from an 'actor'? But then this one major advantage that now HR, the actor, has got post the release of AAP KAA SURROOR!
All of the above does showcasing HR as someone who has good reasons to pull in the audience. So how about the film's story itself? Well, this is one department which is just about fine. Ok, so the film does revolve around the real life of HR, what with him being a rock star, intervention of media in his personal life, event organizers fighting to get him on board, sponsors playing a major role in creating or destroying a celebrity, crazy fans, lavish lifestyle, lack of privacy etc.
For all of this, writer-director Prashant Chaddha deserves a credit for sticking to HR, a real life celebrity, rather than spin some overtly imaginative tale. But then there are clichés galore, especially in the love story of HR and Ria, which take the film a few steps back. Two people meeting, girl's father coming in between, girl being forced to marry someone else - it is just a formula being repeated.
Even the identity of killer isn't exciting enough though the means to find the clues towards the killer [MMS, electronic safe etc.] do keep you on the edge of the seat. Having said that, during this entire show, one sorely misses Madame Sherawat who doesn't quite have a meaty role as one was promised all this while. Well, for this matter even Hansika is barely there in the second half and though she acts decent, she seriously needs to shed at least 15 kgs, if not. She looks all awry and spread out that would surely have made life difficult for her costume designer.
The film bears a lavish look and each and every frame has a picture perfect look to it. Songs go well with the film, especially 'Tere Bina' that has been shot on musical instruments during the opening title roll and later comes in the second half of the film. One wonders though why was 'Assalam Walekum', introduction track of HR, not mounted on a far more lavish scale. For someone who is a world known rock star, HR needed a far bigger canvas there.
Coming back to whether AAP KAA SURROOR can be given a dekko? Yes, it certainly can be! A crisp 2 hour film, it has it's share of glitches and clichés but credit it to the fast pace and an engaging second half coupled with sheer curiosity of watching Himesh on the big screen that AKS turns out to be a reasonably satisfying fare
For someone who would be turning 40 soon, certainly doesn't have a conventional hero look, is being panned for each of his albums since he became nation's darling with AASHIQ BANAYA AAPNE, has been in the midst of a controversy every fortnight, and still has been accumulating fans in thousands with every passing week, Himesh has faced enough roadblocks in his decade old career. AAP KAA SURROOR should prove to be a vehicle that would overcome the new hurdles in his career too!
Rating: ***
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