|
By Taran
Adarsh, July 19, 2007 - 17:03 IST
 Some
do's and don'ts you need to follow while watching
PARTNER…
Lock your brains in the almirah, before you head for
the nearby movieplex to catch this zany entertainer.
Don't look for logic. Don't ask questions. Don't raise
eyebrows. .
Don't argue with what the master chef David Dhawan
serves on your plate. .
Do carry some earplugs/earwax if you're allergic to
noise. The cineplex will reverberate with high
decibels of laughter, which could tax your ear-drums
if you're overtly sensitive. .
Welcome to PARTNER, David Dhawan's new comic caper.
It's stylish, it's crazier, it's a bigger entertainer
than David's last two laughathons, MUJHSE SHAADI
KAROGI and MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA. Making people laugh
is an art and David has mastered this art over the
years. Like wine, he has only matured with time.
Let's come straight to the point. PARTNER is for those
seeking non-stop entertainment. It's targeted at those
who swear by masala films. Those who want to get
transported to a world of make-believe in those 2
hours. It's definitely not for those who actually know
what to expect, but pretend to rubbish escapist
cinema. Also, it's not for certain critics [looking
for art cinema in a masala entertainer] whose star
ratings are a much bigger joke than the one David
Dhawan pulls off with élan. The film works, and works
big time.
 In
a nutshell, if you're into escapist cinema, if you're
looking for laughter unlimited, if you're curious to
watch the bonding between Govinda and Salman Khan, if
you're a big fan of David Dhawan movies, if you
believe in shelling out Rs. 150 for a ticket and
expecting entertainment worth Rs. 200, PARTNER is just
for you!
Prem [Salman Khan] is a 'date doctor' who, for a fee,
has helped hundreds of men woo the women of their
dreams. In his childhood, he understood a woman's
likes and dislikes in food, clothes or men. His aim is
to help those men who like or love women, not to take
them to bed.
The ultimate professional bachelor, Prem discovers
that his tried and tested tricks are no match for
Naina [Lara Dutta], the one woman he truly loves, who
works for a newspaper as a journalist.
He comes across Bhaskar [Govinda], who is in love with
Priya [Katrina Kaif], the rich and famous daughter of
a tycoon [Dilip Tahil]. Prem helps Govinda find his
lady love and eventually also finds a soulmate in
Naina.
 Inspired
by director Andy Tennant's likable Hollywood hit HITCH
[2005; Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber
Valletta], PARTNER is a true-blue David Dhawan film.
It's glossy, has some stunning visuals, boasts of very
catchy and hummable music and of course, hardly has
any tense moment in those 16 reels.
What works is the casting of the two characters,
who're as dissimilar as chalk and cheese. Although the
romantic portions have the right chemistry between
Salman and Lara and Govinda and Katrina, the USP is
undoubtedly the terrific bonding between Salman and
Govinda, whose on-screen escapades take the film to
dizzier heights. Besides, the witty one-liners [Sanjay
Chhel] are another ace that has the viewer in splits.
The dialogues are truly funny and actually accentuate
the impact of every sequence.
Any 'hitch'es? Yes, there's one! The track that leads
to the misunderstandings in the climax looks
unwarranted. Writer sahib [screenplay: Yunus Sajawal,
David Dhawan], this track [Rajat Bedi, Aarti Chhabria]
compels you to break into a yawn. Also, it adds to the
length of the enterprise. But the subsequent portion [Govinda's
honeymoon travails] is rip-roaringly funny.
David Dhawan gets it right yet again. He's on familiar
ground and like a seasoned cricketer knows the game
inside out. He hits a boundary yet again. Sanjay
Chhel's dialogues are superb. Sajid-Wajid make a
terrific comeback, with every song having the stamp of
a chartbuster embossed on it. Even their
picturizations [choreography: Bosco-Caesar] are
excellent. Cinematography [Johny Lal] is first-rate.
The film bears an opulent look all through. Costumes
of Salman and Govinda [Alvira Khan Agnihotri] are
stylish.
 The
question is, who steals the show? Actually both!
Salman performs like never before. Sure, he looks
dapper [one compliment he's heard umpteen times], but
he packs in a solid punch whenever he's on screen. His
fans will only multiply with this film. Govinda sets
the screen blazing with an incredible performance.
Although the actor has featured in a few films after a
hiatus [BHAGAM BHAG, SALAAM-E-ISHQ], PARTNER is his
comeback film. He has the viewer eating out of his
hands actually. Those who felt that he's a spent force
will have to eat back their words.
Lara Dutta looks gorgeous and pairs off very well with
Salman. Katrina Kaif looks gorgeous and pitches in a
natural performance. Rajpal Yadav is really funny.
Puneet Issar is alright. Dilip Tahil is okay. Suresh
Menon is excellent. Child artiste Ali Haji is
wonderful. His confidence level is astonishing!
On the whole, PARTNER is a winner all the way. This
one's a laugh-riot that will have the viewers laughing
in the aisles and its distributors, laughing all the
way to the bank. A sure-shot 'Hit'.
Rating:- * * * * *
|
