Film:	Kurbaan
Directed By:	Rensil D’Silva
Screenplay:	Rensil D’Silva
Story:	Karan Johar
Cinematographer:	Hemant Chaturvedi
Editor:	Asif Ali Shaikh
Dialogue:	Anurag Kashyap, Niranjan Iyengar
Music:	Salim - Sulaiman
Sound:	Nakul Kamte
Cast:	Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Om Puri, Kirron Kher & Spcial Appearances by Dia Mirza, Akash Khurana, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Nauheed Cyrusi & Akash Khurana

 

 

 

 

Kurbaan begins with a nice title sequence. After which we are in Delhi for a while as Professor Ehsaan (Saif Ali Khan) sweeps Professor Avantika (Kareena) off her feet. A whirlwind courtship happens between the two professors, both of whom behave more like students and one of whom even looks more a student than a professor. The film moves along at a good pace, so you don’t worry too much about professors necking in the college staff room, and concentrate instead on Ehsaan trying to convince Avantika’s Dad (Akash Khurana) that a difference in religions cannot come in the way of two people in love. Avantika is moving back to teaching in New York University, from where she’d  taken a break to be with her ailing Dad in India. Ehsaan, the nice guy, offers to come along to be with her, so that she doesn’t have to give up a good career opportunity to be with him. Married and together, they are now in the favoured land of Dharma Productions, the US of A, hunting for a home and a job for Ehsaan. Thankfully, the pace doesn’t slacken now, and no one breaks into a song while showing us the wonderful sights of America.   

Soon, the couple move into an Indian neighbourhood in suburban New York and Ehsaan gets a teaching job with remarkable ease, based on his wife’s recommendation, at the university where she teaches. Their Muslim neighbours invite them over for dinner and it is an uncomfortable visit as they discover that the women sit separately and it is a rather conservative household. The new bride still has stars in her eyes as life is going good but a visit by her neighbour Salma the next morning, saying that her life is in danger, brings in a note of unease. To Avantika’s consternation, Ehsaan thinks that they should not bother about their neighbour’s private problems. She is however too intrigued by the subsequent disappearance of Salma to not worry, and as she snoops, she stumbles into a sleeper terrorist cell. Worse, she is discovered and as she tries to save herself, she realizes that Ehsaan is one of them.   

Avantika is not killed off immediately because she is now pregnant and Ehsaan wants the child. He is possible also not just a cold-blooded terrorist but has also fallen in love a bit. So, Avantika is under house arrest and there’s a threat to her Dad’s life to ensure that she stays in place. Meanwhile, a plane is blown up by one of their operatives and Riyaaz (Vivek Oberoi), a reporter, loses his reporter girlfriend (Dia Mirza), also a reporter who was traveling in that plane. As Riyaaz comes to know about Avantika’s plight and about the terrorist cell that blew up the plane, he rather unconvincingly decides to play sleuth without bringing in the FBI. He infiltrates the terrorist outfit and with Avantika’s help, he tries to stop the next big plan of a series of bomb explosions in New York subway stations. Well, not a very smart plan I guess, and leaves one wondering why he preferred it to going to the cops.  

Some stories have blood in them and along with blood, a good pace and an engaging enough story, there are also lots and lots of loopholes. Ehsaan’s back story is not just a bit chronologically challenged, but we also never know why he is considered a dreaded terrorist or why the FBI doesn’t catch him since he is not just on their list but also looks more or less the same in their file photograph of his! Riyaaz or Avantika not trying to call the cops / FBI is not convincing and the FBI is shown as too less proactive. Why do terrorists leave doors unlocked for Avantika’s snooping convenience? Why do the terrorists not check into Riyaaz’s background? Why does Avantika use such a ‘filmi’ seducing ploy to snoop on Ehsaan? And last and most important, why does Bhaijaan (Om Puri) tell Ehsaan his secret plans since he had in the first place made these secret plans as he felt he could not trust Ehsaan?  

While Kurbaan would have been a far superior film had these and some more loopholes not been allowed, I will not take it from the film that it still manages to be an engaging enough thriller. The Kareena –Saif chemistry is nice and the much talked about love scene actually exists and is not just a publicity gimmick! Vivek and the rest of the cast are all right too and the film has a nice look. A nice enough viewing, for a Bollywood take on the world of Islamic terrorism. Don’t expect anything more and you will not be disappointed. 

Rating: ** Two stars out of five

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