When I first read this story I thought this is probably a remake or other of a big Hollywood blockbuster. Fortunately I couldn't figure out which one, so I could watch this movie with a completely fresh and objective view. And from a fresh and objective view it was quite refreshing. It's quite difficult to come across a Bollywood movie which has a good balance between romance and suspense. Churaliyaa I believe has managed quite well.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!! The story starts off with a daring armoured car robbery. One of the thieves gets away with all the money leaving the others to fend for themselves... in jail. Three years later the jilted thieves look up their cohort and guess what... he ends up dead. But where's the money? The thieves believe that he somehow passed on the money to his niece Tina (Esha Deol). But she doesn't seem to have it and certainly doesn't seem to have any knowledge of the robbery. As the baddies start chasing her and threatening her, she comes to rely on her new boyfriend Vijay (Zayed Khan). But can she really trust him? Can she trust anyone? And where is the money? Slowly we see the story unfold.
Churaliyaa is an entertaining thriller. As with any Bollywood romance/thriller the first part of the movie is focused on the romance and the second part on the thriller. The story now and then interrupted with a few mediocre songs at best. Aah... if only the producers could capture the beauty of the original Churaliyaa Hai Tumne song, but alas... the quality of the golden oldies escapes them leaving them with nothing but titles for new movies.
Churaliyaa does not offer anything new. Just 2 and a half hours of mindless entertainment like most Bollywood movies. The story is not bad, but it's not exceptionally original either. The romancing offers nothing new at all. And the action is as always unbelievable, and that is not a good thing. No matter how often a person gets beaten, kicked, stabbed or shot they manage to get up and still give it their best, unless ofcourse they HAVE to die in the interest of the plot. The fight sequences are similarly unbelievable. Perhaps Zayed Khan is angling for the role of Keanu Reeves in a Bollywood Matrix remake. Nonetheless, it's better than most but certainly no masterpiece.
A final word on the acting. I cannot but speak positively of Esha Deol's performance. Not because her acting was outstanding, because it was simply good (which is also a performance to be proud of), but because when I saw her laughing and dancing I couldn't help but be reminded of Hema Malini. She posesses that same charm and a certain je ne sais quoi which Hema also has. Star potential. This is why later I was not too surprised to find out that she is Hema Malini's daughter.
***/5 stars
POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!! The story starts off with a daring armoured car robbery. One of the thieves gets away with all the money leaving the others to fend for themselves... in jail. Three years later the jilted thieves look up their cohort and guess what... he ends up dead. But where's the money? The thieves believe that he somehow passed on the money to his niece Tina (Esha Deol). But she doesn't seem to have it and certainly doesn't seem to have any knowledge of the robbery. As the baddies start chasing her and threatening her, she comes to rely on her new boyfriend Vijay (Zayed Khan). But can she really trust him? Can she trust anyone? And where is the money? Slowly we see the story unfold.
Churaliyaa is an entertaining thriller. As with any Bollywood romance/thriller the first part of the movie is focused on the romance and the second part on the thriller. The story now and then interrupted with a few mediocre songs at best. Aah... if only the producers could capture the beauty of the original Churaliyaa Hai Tumne song, but alas... the quality of the golden oldies escapes them leaving them with nothing but titles for new movies.
Churaliyaa does not offer anything new. Just 2 and a half hours of mindless entertainment like most Bollywood movies. The story is not bad, but it's not exceptionally original either. The romancing offers nothing new at all. And the action is as always unbelievable, and that is not a good thing. No matter how often a person gets beaten, kicked, stabbed or shot they manage to get up and still give it their best, unless ofcourse they HAVE to die in the interest of the plot. The fight sequences are similarly unbelievable. Perhaps Zayed Khan is angling for the role of Keanu Reeves in a Bollywood Matrix remake. Nonetheless, it's better than most but certainly no masterpiece.
A final word on the acting. I cannot but speak positively of Esha Deol's performance. Not because her acting was outstanding, because it was simply good (which is also a performance to be proud of), but because when I saw her laughing and dancing I couldn't help but be reminded of Hema Malini. She posesses that same charm and a certain je ne sais quoi which Hema also has. Star potential. This is why later I was not too surprised to find out that she is Hema Malini's daughter.
***/5 stars