I don’t remember seeing the first-day-last show of any movie. There are three reasons I did it yesterday. I was craving popcorn. The word Tashan intrigued me and I liked the cast.
I ended up eating samosas, still loving the word (going to get a cat, call it Tashan) and the cast did it for me. I loved it!
Tip 1: Try seeing Tashan with a theatre full of rowdy collegians. They’ll create the atmosphere required for enjoying this type of film. Seeing it on DVD or with a bunch of world-weary or world cinema-bred types miiiiiight just ruin the party.
Tashan is an impressive directorial debut by Vijay Krishna Acharya, who scripted the Dhoom series. That should be a good cue, know what to expect. But while Dhoom was all style and glamour, Tashan is more about attitude and style (that’s what the word means), rather than just hot bodies and thumping music.
This isn’t new-Age cinema - style and substance come together seamlessly in Chak De mode. But it’s also not a wishy washy warmed over India fashion Week (which sucks even when its freshly baked). I’ll disagree strongly with critics who’re going to accuse it of being mindless. Race was mindless (a super duper howler hit but yes, mindless). Tashan isn’t. You don’t need to keep your brains outside the theatre. But make sure they’re well oiled and youthfully willing to suspend disbelief before you take them in.
I may be wrong, but this furious blast of conmen, action and comedy is going to set Yashraj’s cash registers ringing faster than Dhoom or Dhoom 2 ever did. I’ll be disappointed if it doesn’t.
Tip 2: You need to like Akshay/Saif/Kareena/ Anil, preferably all of them. Else Tashan won’t work for you. I hate using all 4 of the following over-abused words but Saif and Kareena epitomize cool and hot respectively. A charming couple, that is incidentally not coupled in the film. Saif is a delight as always, shining in the most realistic and under-the-top role. His complete non-interest in hogging the limelight makes this effortlessly funny actor even more endearing. I’ve always liked Kareena, even when she didn’t sport bikinis and hot pants over that newly toned body. This is no cheap slutty starlet. The girl has blue-blooded elegance, spunk and attitude (check her out in the climax action scenes) Any other actor would be booed and hit with rotten eggs but Anil kapoor manages to carry off ghastly costumes, double entendre and a steady stream of Engindi (the dialogue writer’s gut-splitting version of Hinglish) spiked with occasional cruelty, with seasoned savoir faire. However the loudest claps and whistles were reserved for a certain denim-gamcha clad, scooter-riding, crotch scratching Ravana. SRK may be the badshah of Bollywood, what with his IPL (yucky) and panchvi-pass-fail-whatever, but my vote for superstar of our generation goes to Akshay force-of-nature Kumar. What a paisa vasool entry! Bachchan Pandey rules the screen even justifying the silly background chanting of his name everytime he does his thing. Thing includes jumps, hits, slams, slaps, dances, pelvic thrusts (with the supple grace of a born athlete) and delivery of author backed UP-bred dialogues with killer comic timing. Even with their individual bhao-khaofying, the 4 actors disply a naturally sparkling chemistry with each other,Saif and Akshay topping that list. Here's what ensemble cats are made of.
I’m not going to tell you the story, but once again, I’ll disagree with majority of critics who’ll be screaming ‘No story, No story’. I’m a big sucker for larger-than-life conmen flicks with the outlaws walking off the desert dust into the sunset, AK-57s dangling on their swinging hips ( the theme apna jeena to jeena… Tashan mein booming in the background) Crank up the Bollywood factor with Manmohan-Desai style revenge drama starring 3 criminals-with a cause, clever direction and superslick editing. Top that with wicked dialogues, and you’ll forgive the occasional crassness. Unlike dedicatedly Westernized Dhoom, Tashan add dollops of desi ghee and garam masala to the cowboy theme. Bambaiyya and UP ishstyles merge with Aki Narula’s blinding costumes (Spare us man. The bling will kill) and superb cinematography ( tell me you didn’t fall for the opening sequence of a red Merc flying off a cliff). The film delights in capturing the ‘on-the-road’ moments from Mumbai to Ladakh to Rajashan to Kerela and o yes…Greece. Mad thumping music (Vishal-Shekhar in form with Ranjot Barot adding a eclectic flavor) and fun choregraphy, especially the outstandingly outlandish firangi dance sequence in the desert.
Incidentally, Tip 3: Don’t see Tashan if you have a headache. Your skull is likely to split with high decibel adrenaline.
With a super charged first half, the film slows down post-interval with unnecessary flashbacks and love songs. But only for a few seconds, as the guns come back in all their choreographed glory, climaxing in a blood spurting sword sequence that’ll have John Woo clapping.
Before you write off Tashan (don’t break my heart) as mind-numbing masala…consider the scale of what they’ve pulled off. It’s easy to have a simple story and narrate it with understated elegance and restraint. It’s another feat altogether to string 4 top stars in an over-the-top action comedy that incessantly manages to tightrope between crudity and humour, clever dialogues and swearing, action and noise, bling and boredom. Remember a disaster called Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (from the director of the zany Bunty aur Bubli)? Another multi star-cast that tried hard to be crazy and cool, loud and Moulin Rougeish, but fell flat on its overpainted Hollywood-apeing face. Tashan sails through, because of its team effort. It's much much more than hot bodies and hot pants. Right from when Saif and Kareena bicker in the back of a truck with a sheep-cuddling Akshay Kumar in the middle, to Akshay, Kareena and Anil machine gunning back to back non stop in a dusty Rajasthani haveli, you know this is one special film.
I’m a happy woman this summer. Bollywood is growing up, fast and making magic in our lives. First U Me aur Hum, now Tashan. Both radically different, yet both worked for me. Because their teams were honest to their purpose. U me aur Hum was a heart-wrenching love story realistically and simply told, no frills. Tashan is a crazy joyride…irreverently choreographed. all frills and some more.
Realism, Hollywood aur IPL ki #$%@#. I’m very verry happy, Dil Dance Maare Re.
i
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