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By Taran
Adarsh, May 18, 2007 - 12:29 IST
 Experimentation
is the new mantra today. The past few monsoons have
seen the dream merchants envisioning stories that
strike the right balance between real and
make-believe. 'Think out of the box' and 'Push the
envelope' are expressions that echo every alternate
Friday.
One cannot classify EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL in any
particular genre. There are light moments, hilarious
moments, tense moments, dramatic moments, mad moments…
Debutante director Sanjay Khanduri tries to pack in
everything in those 2 + hours. No issues with that,
but what could've been conveyed in a concise format of
1.30 / 1.45 hours is stretched to 2 + hours for no
reason. A number of sequences are stretched for no
reason, thereby diluting the impact.
Yet, there's no denying that EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL
is engrossing at most points. Only if the debutante
director and his editor would've used the scissors
more judiciously!
EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL is about two people who miss
the last local train at 1.40 a.m. to Vikhroli and have
full two-and-a-half hours before the next local will
arrive. The tale revolves around Nilesh [Abhay Deol],
a call center executive, and how missing the last
train home proves to be a significant episode in his
life.
Nilesh bumps into Madhu [Neha Dhupia], who has also
missed her train on the same station and because there
is an auto strike, the duo finds themselves getting
together and soon seated in a desi bar for some time
pass before their next train.
 EK
CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL unravels in the most natural
manner. The characters are straight out of life and
the situations they land into are identifiable by
those living in a metropolis, especially Mumbai. But
the film doesn't catch your attention from the very
start. The goings-on get exciting when Abhay and Neha
enter a bar and Abhay starts gambling to make a fast
buck.
A few portions episodes in the story raise the bar,
like the gambling sequence and also when Neha lands up
at Snehal Dabhi's house to pay off the ransom amount.
Also, the sequences involving Deepak Shirke and Abhay
Deol may appear crass, but are bound to raise laughs.
EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL doesn't have any flaws as
such, barring the fact that its theme is very
Mumbai-centric and also its length is unwarranted. The
film should be trimmed by at least 20 minutes to make
the goings-on crisper. A few scenes tend to get
repetitive. A few are stretched endlessly. A few were
just not required. The ending too goes on and on.
Ideally, the film should've ended the moment Abhay
lays his hands on the booty in Deepak Shirke's house.
Director Sanjay Khanduri has the trappings of a fine
storyteller. He has handled a number of sequences with
dexterity and not once do you feel that EK CHALIS KI
LAST LOCAL is his debut film. Cinematography is
consistent. The background score is jarring.
 Abhay
Deol comes up with an honest performance yet again.
Actually, he carries the middle class look very well.
Neha Dhupia proves herself in latter reels, when her
true identity is exposed. Virendra Saxena is okay. His
lady accomplice is fantastic. Ashok Samarth as the cop
is excellent. Snehal Dabhi as the eunuch is
tremendous. The actor enacting the role of Ponappa is
first-rate. Deepak Shirke is incredible.
On the whole, EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL is a decent fare
that stands out for a few individualistic episodes in
the narrative. At the box-office, the film caters to
the multiplex audience mainly, especially big city
multiplexes. Business in Mumbai multiplexes should be
better due to its Mumbaiya flavor.
Rating:- * * *
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