Sunday, July 12, 2009

shortcut to entertainment

Saw the new release Shortcut last night. It's Anil Kapoor's production and features Akshay Khanna (vinod khanna's younger son) with transplanted hair, an overweight Arshad Warsi and a long forgotten Amrita something. On the whole the film wasnt bad. It had some fun elements, a good enough story and some powerful scenes. The climax was quite gripping. Arshad played the negative role of a talentless junior artiste who tries to become rich and famous using shortcuts. He has no scruples and robs, lies and thieves his way through. But at one point i was rather worried about the public sympathy that he was getting. He had some great lines and funny dialogues. Akshay did a good job. He's a fine actor. The film had some good moments. But, some of the dialogues and characterisations left me cringing. At one point Akshay is out of a job and struggling to make ends meet. His wife offers to get back to work to help. He goes ballistic ans says: tum apna kitchen sambhalo. ghar chalana meri zimmedari hai. You can earn but only for your pleasure- not for the family.
What was a guy like Anil Kapoor thinking, passing such a dialogue? IT's so regressive. I never expected a modern film like this one to build such stereotypes.
Some other little things in the movie are worrying too. They may look little but they go a long way in reinforcing conservative blinkered mindsets in our culture.

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