‘3G’ review: This ‘Killer Connection’ lacks connectivity!

Ananya Bhattacharya Writer-Director duo Sheershak Anand and Shantanu Ray Chhibber’s ‘3G’ is a psychological horror film that has been touted to be an almost genre-defining one. In addition to that is the fact that the offering at hand deals with something as common in our technology-driven lives of the day as a 3G connection and a mobile phone. One is bound to have decent expectations from the film. The film begins with a bang catching you unawares and making you shout in surprise. After the credits in the beginning – and the innovative way in which the credits roll out deserves a special mention – Sonal Chauhan emerges from the sea in a red bikini, showing ample amount of skin thereby making it difficult for men to take their eyes off her. Sheena (Sonal) and Sam (Neil) are on a holiday in Fiji when the latter’s phone slips into the sea. Sam gets himself a second hand 3G enabled phone. The phone becomes the reason Sam and Sheena lose their peaceful sleep. There are phantom video calls which repeatedly reiterate the last moments of some woman’s death; there are weird occurrences inside the villa. All of which leave the protagonists at the end of their tether. Gradually, the two realise that they have stepped into a quagmire and are being pulled deeper into it with every passing moment. Neil Nitin Mukesh’s last outing, ‘David’, despite a performance that was extremely praiseworthy, did not manage to fare well at the Box Office. In this film, too, Neil acts wholeheartedly – essaying with honesty the role that he is required to perform. His transitions from the doting lover Sam to his menacing kohl-eyed, earringed doppelganger are smooth and quite believable. There are moments where you feel at one with Sam’s plight and at others you cringe in disgust at his doppelganger’s actions. Sonal Chauhan, too, puts her efforts into her character and keeps the viewer mostly engaged. At times, one’s attention does tend to sway, but Chauhan as the lost-in-love damsel does a good job of performing her character. Mrinalini Sharma and Ashish Kapoor support the story ably, though there’s not enough scope for one to delve deeper into their characters. The film is shot in the exotic Fiji and the crystal clear waters, the impeccable beaches and the grand-looking cottages are all a treat to the eyes. However, the brilliance of the sceneries falls badly short of making up for the weak script. The film begins by trying to unravel the mystery behind Sam’s phantom calls, but ends up elsewhere. Sheershak and Shantanu’s story, though fresh, loses its way in the maze that the guys create for themselves. ‘3G’ loses steam after the first half and meanders off to another aspect of the 21st century life altogether. Added to that is the fact that the film is heavily dependent upon its ridiculously scary background score. Even bread in Sam-Sheena’s hotel pops out of the toaster with an ear-splitting sound. Ditto with times when the scare factor is absolutely unnecessary. There are times when the film offers genuine chills and thrills, but many of them are background score-enabled. Mithoon’s music is pleasant and utterly croon-able. ‘Kaise bataaoon’ in KK and Sonal Chauhan’s voice is a melodious blend of enjoyable music and beautiful lyrics. ‘Khalbali’ is another track which will probably make its way to the top of the music charts soon enough. Adnan Sami’s rendition of ‘Bulbulliya’ is praiseworthy. In all, ‘3G’ works in spurts and due to its performances – and Neil Nitin Mukesh is mostly responsible for that. However, there’s a sense of a connection being snapped somewhere. One will sit through the film but will be left wondering where he/she missed something. Two stars for The Killer Connection. Follow @nanya116