Saif Ali Khan plays a terrorist in Kurbaan

Look closely in the bedroom if there is a terrorist

There are some meaty and suspenseful scenes in Kurbaan, new film by Rensil De’silva voicing its own take on terrorism, walking the tightrope of realistic and commercialized cinema which are riveting in its own premise. You will appreciate how tension is built around the Muslim neighborhood house giving a sense of premonition and looking ghostly ominous carrying its own dangerous secrets inside, in a New York suburb not far from our protagonists Avantika (Kareena) and Ehsan (Saif) new found den. Pursuing the trail of disturbing events she eventually discovers a corpse and to her shock the fake identity of none other than her husband leading to her house arrest. Even once the secret is out audience remain engaged. That corpse that might stink sure enough to trigger the alarm in the smoggy neighborhood threatening the entire mission of theirs. They sure want to take care of that and things don’t go according to plan. Unfolding with precision of a tight thriller till first half, Kurbaan does deliver the pop thrills set against the backdrop of post 9/11. It’s its second half where it fizzles out and doesn’t remain faithful to either realism or commerce.

It starts on native grounds of Delhi before flying to NY with real life screen pair. Ehsan comes hard on fellow professor colleague Avantika who is in sawdes to nurse her sick father for time being. He is charmer and seducer finally wins the heart of lass and ready to fly back to NY. Her father expresses a little resistance to marriage. His thought is less the difference easier it will make to live though. Fair enough. His take on illusion of love also hints dialogue is certainly not lowbrow. Old man says people claiming to be in love get married and husband-n-wife creates a world of their own inside the house but when they open the window as first step back in real world, love is the first thing that will fly off never to return. It turns out she is fooled and used for safe entry in American land so that Ehsan can join the forces of terror spreading camp.

Implausibility creeps in with second subplot which merges to this principle one with the face of Vivek Oberoi. A journalist who has lost his wife-to-be in the terror plane blast, not much later he has uncovered the link between blast and the terror group. Instead of informing federals he decides to take matters in his own hands. The choice of this vengeance seeking vigilante to go undercover and many others blows plot-holes in the screenplay of the film. Like why Avantika doesn’t call 911 and some other sources to put an end of matters rather remain locked in house arrest instead? And I am still struggling with the choices made by cold-blooded assassin in the end. After gangster stories why not a terrorist love story? Film falters as it’s not deep enough and makers tempted to sentimentalize the issue rather than facing cold reality.

There is fair amount of talk especially in a class room sequence of Ehsan’s on Islam and modern world on jihad and Koran. One argues you are bound to receive severe backlash if you don’t stop meddling in others matters. But in the end it’s simply dialog we all are aware of. We constantly get the feeling all these terrorists have back-stories and not misguided with misinterpreted indoctrinated poison. You never feel the group is part of a global terror network, instead they come off as a miniature wounded group of people venting anger and getting personal. Scope never expands and remains locked. Ambitions are not enough.

I have to confess though I was more engaged in this one than earlier released similarly themed New York. Though it had better thought behind I felt Kurbaan is better dramatized in parts with better actors and help of technical departments of lenses, scissors and score. But after building promise in its first half it fails to keep it in later. Never run both ways.

Kurbaan
Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Om Puri, Kiran Kher
Written by- Karan Johar
Directed by – Rensil De’silva