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By Taran
Adarsh, July 11, 2008 - 11:30 IST
 A film like MEHBOOBA makes you nostalgic. It takes
you back to the cinema of 1990s, when an altogether
new breed of film-makers took over Bollywood.
Multiple heroes, lavish sets, scenic locations…
money was being pumped in from all corners in Hindi
movies.
MEHBOOBA comes across as an offshoot of films made
in that phase. It bears an uncanny resemblance to
SAAJAN [two brothers in love with the same woman],
HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM [locales of Budapest + Ismail
Darbar + execution of songs], HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN [a
big hasta-khelta parivaar, with mama-mami, sisters,
domestic helps et al… hero atop a chandelier, a la 'Didi
Tera Dewar Deewana']. Come to think of it, there
could be so many more inspirations…
That MEHBOOBA wears a dated look can be gauged by
the outfits and hairstyles. Also, the presence of
Manisha Koirala gives away [she reigned supreme
then].
Having said that, let's also add that MEHBOOBA isn't
a 'bad' film. It's dated, yes, but it has the old
world charm that still works in the hinterland, in
the mofussil areas, the Hindi belt. The tuneful
songs coupled with the lavish execution, the
atypical Hindi film situations [well presented], the
presence of formidable stars like Sanju and Ajay…
MEHBOOBA is definitely not for the multiplex or
yuppie crowd. It's for those who still want their
dose of 5 emotional scenes, 4 comic scenes, 6 songs,
a good dose of glamour and an item song, all
packaged in those 2.30 hours.
 Shravan [Sanjay Dutt], a casanova, loves being in
the company of beautiful and desirable women. His
charm and money gets him any beauty he desires till
he meets Varsha [Manisha Koirala].
Varsha is the first girl in Shravan's life who says
'no' to his advances. Shravan is not the type who
would take no for an answer. Yet, he realizes his
mistake and apologizes to Varsha. To make amends, he
asks for Varsha's hand in marriage. Varsha's father
convinces her that he is a changed man now and
genuinely loves her. After much deliberation, Varsha
agrees and they get engaged. Soon, their romantic
sojourn ends in lovemaking.
Varsha's dream comes to a shocking end when Shravan
tells her that his love for her was just a drama so
he could sleep with her. Heart broken and shattered,
Varsha feels shattered, her father dies of heart
failure. She leaves New York and starts life afresh
in Budapest.
Much later, Shravan's younger brother Karan [Ajay
Devgan] decides to get married. The girl is Payal,
who, in actuality, is Varsha. Is this a plan by
Varsha to teach Shravan a lesson? What happens when
Karan gets to know what transpired between Varsha
and Shravan?
The story [Rumi Jaffery] of MEHBOOBA is as old as
the hills. Actually, you don't need to read the
synopsis in the booklet to know what the storyline
is. 10 minutes into the film and you know what's in
store next. But what saves the film from sinking is
Afzal Khan's handling of the scenes and the lavish
making.
 A few moments are truly well handled. Take, for
instance, the two confrontations between Sanju and
Manisha in the first hour as also the hair-raising
climax. But what dilutes the impact is its length.
With a running time of close to 3 hours, you
actually want to scream, “Ab bas bhi karo yaar!”
Ismail Darbar's music is a major asset. Although the
songs have a HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM hangover, they
still linger in your memory. Ashok Mehta's
cinematography is top notch. That the veteran is a
master in his field is re-affirmed yet again.
Dialogues [Javed Siddiqui] relies on clichéd lines.
Sets [Nitin Chandrakant Desai] are truly lavish.
Both Sanju and Ajay have visited similar roles in
the past and hence, it doesn't take much effort to
get these roles right. But Manisha Koirala, what can
you say? So beautiful, so regal, so talented… where
did it all disappear? Kader Khan's role is also an
extension of what he has portrayed in film after
film.
On the whole, MEHBOOBA comes too late in the day.
Had it released in the 1990s, well, it might've been
a huge grosser. But there's still hope! A film like
MEHBOOBA works well, even today, in the hinterland,
the Hindi belt, the interiors and that's where it
might find its audience.
Rating * *
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