Review: ‘Ekk Deewana Tha’ is lost in translation!

Zeenews Bureau

While the Tamil original ‘Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya’ was a tremendous hit, Gautham Menon’s Hindi remake - ‘Ekk Deewana Tha’ - doesn’t emerge as much of a success. As far as acting skills are concerned, the lead pair comes across as very average. The movie opens with Prateik seated in a church, muttering “Mujhe Jessie se hi kyon pyar hona tha?” (Why did I have to fall in love with Jessie?), while Amy is at the altar, on the verge of saying ‘I do’. What unfolds henceforth isn’t exactly something phenomenal. The love story isn’t new or original, and Gautham Menon’s belief in old clichés being able to emerge successful doesn’t exactly transform into the truth. Love at first sight is the fulcrum of the film. Despite differences of age, religion, and family backgrounds, a love story does happen. Sachin, a quintessential Marathi romantic with his middle-class background falls in love with Jessie, who leaves for her office immaculately clad in sarees every morning. Sachin keeps waiting for a glance of the docile Jessie, and concocts elaborate plans to ‘accidentally’ bump into Jessie. The pace of the screenplay is slow enough to make viewers doze off. The director’s hope of steering the story with the help of the couple’s despair doesn’t quite work. Prateik and Amy’s acting is average, and Prateik at times tries a bit too hard to be the lovesick fresher Sachin. As far as the music is concerned, A.R. Rahman wasn’t exactly at his best in ‘Ekk Deewana Tha’. The songs have made considerable news over some time now, but fail to make an impact. Added to it the inability of the lead pair to sizzle on screen with their chemistry, the candid moments don’t serve any purpose other than prolonging the film. All in all, ‘Ekk Deewana Tha’ is a movie that seems to have been lost in translation. However, Prateik deserves praise for his efforts. Also, the cinematography scores well, and some marvellously shot scenes in Kerala are a visual treat. Manu Rishi, who plays the role of Prateik’s older buddy, is charming. The few laughs that the actor delivers are truly enjoyable. Ratings: Two cheers for this one!