- News>
- Newspapers
Armaan`s Anticlimax: Don`t Expect Fireworks: Hindustan Times
New Delhi, May 19: Armaan was meant to be something `different`. The film marks the directorial debut of an acclaimed scriptwriter, so buffs starved for a novel storyline were hoping for a fresh whiff.
New Delhi, May 19: Armaan was meant to be something ‘different’. The film marks the directorial debut of an acclaimed scriptwriter, so buffs starved for a novel storyline were hoping for a fresh whiff.
This is also the first film that boasts of Amitabh Bachchan in its credits after the superstar was voted as the only Indian in an alltime list of best 100 actors in the world. Simply put, Armaan – touted as a venture unlike others (a film about doctors and a medical backdrop is a rarity, after all) – evoked curiosity.
So, what does Honey Irani’s film add up to? It starts off on an interesting premise of a renowned doctor, Siddharth Sinha (Amitabh Bachchan), with an ambition to set up a state-of-the-art hospital in a quaint small town but with no funds to realise his dream. His son, neurosurgeon Akash (Anil Kapoor), loves an anaesthetist Neha (Gracy Singh), who also works in Dr Sinha’s hospital. Enter Sonia (Preity Zinta), only daughter of millionaire Gulshan Kapoor (Randhir Kapoor). With Dr Sinha’s untimely death, Akash has no option but to give in to the millionnaire’s deal – marry Sonia, in return of which Kapoor will give unlimited funds to save the hospital.
Two things happen to Irani’s film here. As Sonia, Preity takes over the script and, indeed, the film, unleashing a brilliant act as the deceptively bubbly but manipulative wife, who is obsessed on having Neha out of Akash’s hospital. Indeed, Preity performance stands out in the very effortless élan with which she carries off the role. On the flipside, the film itself flounders. The narrative moves predictably towards an end that you’ve figured out by the interval.
The biggest mystery that will dog every viewer watching Armaan is why the Big B signed this film. In a character that is eliminated from the story no sooner that it takes off, Bachchan is sidelined. Worse, with a hairdo that doesn’t really compliment his personality. The scene between him and Randhir Kapoor could have been a highlight –possible real-life in-laws coming together in one frame – but Kapoor hogs the shot with an irritatingly broken voice (a trait that endures throughout the film). Anil Kapoor is steady, but this clearly isn’t his best. In a nutshell, but for Preity’s performance there would be nothing to write home about in this film.
So, what does Honey Irani’s film add up to? It starts off on an interesting premise of a renowned doctor, Siddharth Sinha (Amitabh Bachchan), with an ambition to set up a state-of-the-art hospital in a quaint small town but with no funds to realise his dream. His son, neurosurgeon Akash (Anil Kapoor), loves an anaesthetist Neha (Gracy Singh), who also works in Dr Sinha’s hospital. Enter Sonia (Preity Zinta), only daughter of millionaire Gulshan Kapoor (Randhir Kapoor). With Dr Sinha’s untimely death, Akash has no option but to give in to the millionnaire’s deal – marry Sonia, in return of which Kapoor will give unlimited funds to save the hospital.
Two things happen to Irani’s film here. As Sonia, Preity takes over the script and, indeed, the film, unleashing a brilliant act as the deceptively bubbly but manipulative wife, who is obsessed on having Neha out of Akash’s hospital. Indeed, Preity performance stands out in the very effortless élan with which she carries off the role. On the flipside, the film itself flounders. The narrative moves predictably towards an end that you’ve figured out by the interval.
The biggest mystery that will dog every viewer watching Armaan is why the Big B signed this film. In a character that is eliminated from the story no sooner that it takes off, Bachchan is sidelined. Worse, with a hairdo that doesn’t really compliment his personality. The scene between him and Randhir Kapoor could have been a highlight –possible real-life in-laws coming together in one frame – but Kapoor hogs the shot with an irritatingly broken voice (a trait that endures throughout the film). Anil Kapoor is steady, but this clearly isn’t his best. In a nutshell, but for Preity’s performance there would be nothing to write home about in this film.