 |
|
|
|
|
Review
|  | |
Ek Chalis Ki Last Local: Enter at your own risk
indya.com rating: 2 out of 5 *
Cast: Abhay Deol and Neha Dhupia.
Director: Sanjay Khanduri
Synopsis: Nilesh (Abhay) a call centre employee, misses his 1:40 am last train back home from a suburban Mumbai station. Since the next train is two and a half hours later, he decides to catch an auto and meets Madhu (Neha) who also wants to go to the same destination as Nilesh. With an auto strike coupled with a red alert in Mumbai city following a bomb blast, the duo hops into a ladies bar hoping to pass off time till daybreak.
At the same time, ransom money has been exchanged amongst a kidnapping gang and a local businessman amounting to Rs. 2.5 crores. What follows next is Nilesh and Madhu's encounters with the most unexpected and at times bizarre situations with their life constantly on the edge. From evoking the wrath of underworld dons to meeting ruthless corrupt encounter specialist cops to getting his life saved by a eunuch and almost getting sodomised by an ogre-like gang lord, Nilesh manages to survive the roller coaster ride of a night and ends up with Lady Luck smiling at him. But is he really so lucky?
Acting: Abhay Deol is fast emerging as Bollywood's new age Amol Palekar. He puts up a nice natural act and manages to keep a straight face during most of the over the top sequences. Neha Dhupia passes muster. Ashok Samarth is a good find as the poetry reciting encounter specialist. Rest all actors look straight out of Ram Gopal Varma movies but manage to keep you amused. The Nana Patekar duplicate is hilarious, especially when he dances.
indya.com rating: 2.5 out of 5
Direction: In his maiden film, Sanjay raises hopes with a creatively shot title sequence but fails to structure a good narrative, despite having a hatke subject in his hand. The problem is, he appears confused about whom is target audience is, as at times he captures the dark humour perfectly well making you applaud at his taking but most of the times, he simply goes over the top in pleasing the masses.
indya.com rating: 2 out of 5
Script: A mix n match of Hollywood film, Run (1991) with Sudhir Mishra's Is Raat Ki Subaah Nahi (1996) and sequences inspired from Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, ECKLL offers something new but not necessarily entertaining. A lot of time is wasted in the first 45 minutes coupled with a lethargic pace. Once the bar sequence begins, the film picks up and gets you excited but again your hope comes crashing down when the series of events that follow are rather unbelievable, coupled with some real crude humour to make you cringe in your seat. Also the climax lingers unnecessarily.
indya.com rating: 1.5 out of 5
Music: Five music directors and just one good tune worth a mention. As the opening titles roll, Sandesh Shandilya's track, Ekka Chaukka which is played along, has a haunting appeal to it with a good situational feel to go with the dark comedy mood of the film. The background music is ear shattering.
indya.com rating: 2 out of 5
-- Abhijit Mhamunkar
|
|
|
|
|
|
