New Delhi: There are two ways of doing a full-on masala film. You either turn it on its head and poke fun at ridiculous cinematic conventions. Or you treat the stereotypical characters and sacred cows of our cinema with full seriousness.
"Shortcut Romeo" takes the midway route. It seems so full of the old-world formulistic flavour and the stench of the familiar that parts of the pulsating aggressive storytelling actually feel like a spoof.
So, we have the film`s unfaithful wife Monica (Ameesha Patel) and her slimy lover (Jatin Garewal) making out in a golf turf and it is beyond logical explanation why an affluent couple, who could afford the poshest of duplex to meet, would choose such a spot.
And then the lover tells the unfaithful wife, "First time when you do it (cheat in a marriage) you feel bad. Then it becomes your style."
Er, how stylish! Come again?
But please don`t laugh. First-time Hindi director Susi Ganesan is dead serious. The film shot at the speed of sound is filled with bizarre twists and turns. It`s basically the story of a woman who cheats on a saintly tycoon of a husband (effectively played by Rajesh Shringapure) who has a massive portrait of Rabindranath Tagore in his bedroom, and a cheesy blackmailer named Suraj (Neil Nitin Mukesh), who believes in taking risky short-cuts to get rich.
This is not the first film about a cheating wife and a blackmailer. Reena Roy and Naseeruddin Shah had done the roles with heart-stopping tension in "Bezubaan". "Shortcut Romeo" scores in the way the the plot paces out its drama in the ongoing friction between the cheating wife and the blackmailer.
Neil plays the cheesy go-getter with a schemer`s delight. His eyes glint when he talks of teasing more money out of Monica. He drools when she transfers cash into his trashy life. Alas, some of the narrative`s display of the protagonist`s excessive hedonism is just an excuse for African tourism.
The Kenyan expedition reads like a botched-up touristic brochure.
Bad idea, Ganesan. Even worse is the director himself showing up in the second-half as the cheated husband`s detective-friend. Ganesan`s accent is so thick, it slices the gamboling narration into smithereens. At least for a while. But then again the film gathers momentum towards the end-game. The finale is a breathless whammy with Neil making a run for his freedom, quite literally, with the narrative panting behind him.
"Shortcut Romeo" is redeemed by a strong message on today`s 20-something`s yearning for materialism. And when our Shortcut Romeo finds his short-skirt Juliet (Puja Gupta, pretty) there is a delicious irony attached to the association. The film`s most vivid interludes go back to Neil`s childhood to show how he learned to be corrupt, acquisitive, and inquisitive, at a tender age.
Some of the action sequences with Neil, specially one key fight with African tribals, are first-rate. But then the songs - oh my god! - they pop up at the most inopportune moments.
In spite of its massive flaws, including the cheesy dialogues, Ganesan`s stylish shocker of a thriller manages to stay constantly one step ahead of the audience. A coolly crafted cat-and-mouse game "Shortcut Romeo" finds Neil giving grit to the gripping goings-on. The last half-hour is a knock-out.
But the overall product could have been far less retrogradatory in tone. Nonetheless enjoyable while it lasts.
Subhash K. Jha/IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.