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By Taran
Adarsh, August 10, 2007 - 02:00 IST
 Illegal immigration/human trafficking is a global
issue. We've read newspapers and watched news-reports
on news channels highlighting the plight of millions
of people who, in the hope for a better future, entry
a country illegally.
Some get arrested, some get killed, some end up at the
wrong place, some go missing, some eventually make it.
KAAFILA, directed by Amitoj Maan, bares this issue on
celluloid, besides clubbing a real-life, shocking
incident [Malta Boat Tragedy] with the main plotline.
In KAAFILA, the story begins in Delhi, moves to
Russia, then the surrounding nations, then Afghanistan
and finally, Pakistan, before returning to India once
again. Besides presenting the stunning landscapes,
KAAFILA also looks at the various hardships people
encounter when they decide to enter England
unlawfully.
Not wanting to turn it into a dry, grim and disturbing
movie, Amitoj Maan packs in songs and glamour to
strike the right balance between enlightenment and
entertainment. And that's where KAAFILA falters.
The portions depicting reality are watchable since the
issue hasn't been highlighted in detail on the Hindi
screen. But the romantic track [Sunny - Polina and
Amitoj - Monalisa] stands out like a sore thumb. Also,
the narrative tends to get lengthy in the second hour
as the kaafila moves aimlessly from one country to
another. A shorter duration would've only helped.
 To sum up, KAAFILA is watchable in parts. The issue it
highlights is its USP, but the writing as well as the
length could've been controlled.
KAAFILA is about a group of people, not remotely
associated/connected with each other, opting to leave
their motherland in search of their utopian dreams of
a better life abroad in the developed countries. These
people put their careers, families and even lives at
stake to reach their desired destinations even when
they can be better off in their own countries without
all the hardships and sufferings.
KAAFILA also exposes how innocent people are duped by
a worldwide nexus of agents showing them dreams of a
comfortable life, close to heaven, in foreign lands
and making them sell their lands, homes and
livelihoods here in a futile pursuit of that dream.
The general feeling is, KAAFILA is about the Malta
Boat Tragedy, while the fact is that the boat tragedy
forms a small, but significant part of the story. In
fact, the tragedy is depicted realistically and since
it features in the initial reels, you expect the graph
of the film only to go higher and higher.
But the writing could've been tighter. As pointed out
at the outset, the romantic track of Sunny - Polina
and Amitoj - Monalisa doesn't work. The Russian mafia
track is also not convincing.
 Director Amitoj Maan has handled a few scenes well,
but he should trim the film judiciously in the latter
half. Sukhwinder's music is easy on the ear drums. 'Jaana
Hain' and 'Humraks' are already popular.
Cinematography [Nazir Khan] is of standard and the
stunning landscapes sweep you off your feet. Action
scenes [Hanif Sheikh] are alright. Varun Gautam's
dialogues are nice.
Sunny Deol does well. Amitoj Maan dominates in a few
scenes. But the real surprise is Pakistani actress
Sana. This being her debut-making Hindi film and
despite the fact that she's pitted against experienced
names, Sana succeeds in making her presence felt.
Sudesh Berry does well.
The film has a host of characters, but those who stand
out are Paramveer Singh, Girish Jain, Chandan Anand,
Sardar Sohi and Ashish Duggal.
On the whole, KAAFILA is made with noble intentions,
but is partly letdown due to its writing and length.
Fair.
Rating:- * *
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