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 The
general impression about NAKSHA is, it’s a rip-off of
an Indiana Jones film. The Harrison Ford trilogy,
which entertained millions of moviegoers worldwide in
1980s, is said to be the original source for Sachin
Bajaj’s directorial debut.
That could be true!
NAKSHA belongs to the Indiana Jones variety, but Bajaj
combines Indian mythology with adventure and comes up
with a new recipe altogether. And the outcome is as
invigorating and revitalizing as a cup of hot coffee.
Frankly, a film like NAKSHA transports you to your
adolescent years, when browsing the adventure novels
and comics was your favorite pastime. It’s the form of
cinema that we’d forgotten in the hurly-burly world of
meaningless entertainers. Dream merchants are either
busy wooing the NRIs or multiplex junta. What happens
to the masses then, who yearn for a desi film with
loads of entertainment?
Adventure movies have been attempted in Bollywood
earlier and NAKSHA is not the first of its kind in
India. But NAKSHA comes at a time when adventure
movies are as good as extinct in Bollywood. And that
is its USP. The voyage -- in dense forests, high
mountains and deep ravines -- as also the
death-defying stunts compel you to pinch yourself, are
you really watching a Hindi film?
Stylishly executed with loads of money spent on
attaining the results, NAKSHA comes across as a
thoroughly enjoyable joyride. Sure, it has its lows,
but the highs are so omnipotent that you can’t help
but let the kid in you get captivated by this
adventure.
 Most
importantly, NAKSHA heralds the birth of a supremely
talented storyteller Sachin Bajaj, who, aided by his
two lieutenants, writers Milap Zaveri and Tushar
Hiranandani, tells you a story that has ample
old-world charm, but is yet modern and believable.
To sum up, the pre-release expectations from NAKSHA
may be low, but the film surprises you once the
adventure begins. It’s not only high on gloss, but
also entertainment.
For centuries men have been in quest of the secrets of
our past. Hidden treasures, fables, myths, all have
driven generations to dedicate their life in such
pursuits. The greed of glory and power or the thirst
of knowledge, whatever the reason may be… lives have
been lost but some secrets have remained secrets!
NAKSHA starts with the search of one such man, an
archeologist named Professor Kapil Malhotra [Trilok
Malhotra], who prefers to die with the ancient map,
rather than let it fall into the hands of evil [Jackie
Shroff]. Years later, his son Vicky [Vivek Oberoi],
aided by a copy of the same map that he comes across
by chance, leaves on a journey to discover what it was
that his father dedicated his life in searching.
The re-emergence of this quest attracts the evil
forces again, as Vicky is abducted by the villain’s
henchmen. Help comes in the guise of Vicky’s elder
step-brother Veer [Sunny Deol], who is sent there by
Vicky’s mother [Navni Parihaar] to get her son back.
Vicky is grateful to be rescued, but not too happy
about his brother’s mission to take him back.
Now starts a tug of war between the two brothers.
Along this journey, they encounter one more ally in
Ria [Sameera Reddy]. Pursued by the villain and his
forces of darkness, this trio sets off on the journey
to unravel the mystery behind the map.
 Do
they succeed in this quest? Are some secrets meant to
remain hidden in the mists of time? Or do they see the
light of day?
NAKSHA has bits of all the three Indiana Jones movies,
but it come close to the first in the series --
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK [Indiana Jones must retrieve
the mythic Lost Ark before it gets into the hands of
Adolf Hitler]. In this film, Vivek decides to unravel
the mystery of the nakshabefore it falls in the
villain’s hands.
NAKSHA gathers momentum fifteen minutes after it takes
off, when Vivek, unexpectedly, lays his hand on the
naksha. But the film gets interesting once Sunny makes
a dramatic entry in an action scene. In fact, Sunny’s
introduction is a highpoint of the enterprise and the
masses, especially in the North and the heartland of
India, will greet it with claps and whistles.
There are highpoints galore: Sunny’s fight with the
midgets, Sunny-Vivek and the jeep stunt, the raft
portion, Jackie’s first encounter with Sunny-Vivek-Sameera
and the jump from a cliff [awesome!] and the climax.
In fact, the penultimate reels are simply
breath-taking and the spectacular sets only elevate
the impact.
If the action scenes are without doubt the soul of the
film, the director and his team of writers balance the
proceedings with several light moments that make you
flex your facial muscles. The snoring sequence or
Vivek’s conversation with the chief of the midgets [Lilliput]
are two examples to illustrate the point. Also, the
mythology aspect is beautifully woven in the script
and the animation [in the post-interval portions]
gives the film a different texture.
There are loose ends, but they’re trivial. The erotic
song in the second hour looks completely unwarranted.
Was it added to provide some relief from the drama? It
stands out like a sore thumb, even though its
picturization is very stylish. Also, the special
effects, in the last few reels, could be better.
Sachin Bajaj handles two departments -- writing and
direction -- with aplomb. The film has style, but
there’s substance too. This is amongst the finest
directorial debuts of 2006. NAKSHA is also writers
Milap Zaveri and Tushar Hiranandani’s most
accomplished work so far. Their fundas are clear: Give
the audience an adventure flick and pad it up with
adrenaline pumping moments.
Allan Amin’s action sequences deserve distinction
marks. The action co-ordinator comes up with stunts
that truly match international standards. Pritam’s
music is racy and at least two numbers deserve special
mention -- ‘U & I’ and ‘Shake It’. The sets [Nitish
Roy] are imaginative and visually striking. Vijay
Arora’s camerawork is extra-ordinary. The aerial shots
as well as the indoor work [sets] are splendid.
Background score is topnotch.
 It’s
good to see Sunny in form after a long, long time. The
role doesn’t demand histrionics, but star power. His
presence alone elevates a sequence to a different
level, but it’s the death-defying stunts that he pulls
off without much of an effort that’ll win his fans
back. In fact, NAKSHA should prove to be a turning
point in the actor’s career.
Vivek is decent, but he tends to go over the top in a
few light scenes with Sunny. Although his performance
is just right, the fact cannot be denied that Vivek is
a cold proposition at the box-office and that could
affect the initial prospects of the film.
Cast in a negative role, Jackie plays the part with
utmost conviction. Sameera is alright. Suhasini Mulay
and Navni Parihaar have little to do. Ditto for
Lilliput. Mridula Chandrashekhar is okay.
On the whole, NAKSHA is a solid entertainer that comes
at a time when there’s a genuine vacuum of
mass-appealing films. This pulse-throbbing adventure
film is aimed at the masses, who should love it for
its interesting plot, gripping screenplay and
excellent action. At the box-office, NAKSHA should
work big time in places like Delhi, Punjab, Uttar
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar as also
in the interiors. Business will be ordinary at
mutiplexes [due to the strong LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI
wave, especially at Mumbai, Delhi and other metros],
but single screens should be fantastic. Go for this
adventure!
Rating:- * * * 1/2
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