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By Taran
Adarsh, April 6, 2007 - 14:05 IST
 Cut
the crap about the Big B - SRK rivalry being the focal
point of Suneel Darshan's SHAKALAKA BOOM BOOM. It's
Milos Forman's masterpiece AMADEUS that SHAKALAKA BOOM
BOOM borrows from.
After attempting desi movies in the past, Darshan Sr.
goes videshi with SHAKALAKA BOOM BOOM. It's a
modern-day story set in the U.S. [filmed in South
Africa], but it packs in varied emotions like envy,
jealousy, insecurity, anxiety, manipulation and anger
in those 2 + hours.
Darshan Sr. hops on to a new lane and tries to explore
a genre that's a contrast from what he has been
associated with in the past. Sure, the glossy look and
stunning locales catch your eye, but Darshan's take on
AMADEUS is captivating at several points, especially
the second hour.
Wait, there are loose ends as well. The writing
could've been tighter. Also, since it revolves around
the music industry, there're songs and more songs. The
film reaches its crescendo in the pre-climax, but the
finale could've been better thought of. Yet, despite
the oddities, the plusses outnumber the minuses here.
In a nutshell, SHAKALAKA BOOM BOOM successfully peeps
into the minds of the overtly ambitious youngsters
who'd stoop to any level to attain their dreams and
desires. Watch it, you'd enjoy it!
Set against a backdrop of the international music
industry, SHAKALAKA BOOM BOOM delves into the complex
relationship of two dramatically different men who
have but one thing in common -- their passion for
music. If ruthless, manipulative, cut-throat… is
considered synonymous with the music industry, these
terms certainly do not apply to AJ [Bobby Deol], the
most loved, the most popular singer/composer New York
has seen.
 If prodigious talent, passion, attitude… is considered
synonymous with the music industry, then Reggie [Upen
Patel] fits the bill. Young and hugely talented, he
hungers for what AJ has; he craves to be where AJ is
-- on the top. Into the lives of these two men enter
two beautiful women -- aspiring singer Ruhi and
ambitious PR professional Sheena.
On the professional front, Ruhi [Kangana Ranaut]
admires and looks up to AJ. On the personal level, she
has been wooed and won over by Reggie. On the
professional front, Sheena [Celina Jaitley] has done a
lot for Reggie. On the personal level, she holds a
huge grudge because he has spurned her.
As ambition, manipulation and desperation take centre
stage, Ruhi and Sheena become pawns in a ruthless
game.
Director Suneel Darshan takes the tried and tested
path to introduce his characters. In fact, the story
movies lazily in the initial portions, but smells
coffee and wakes up with Upen's arrival. The sequences
between Bobby and Kangana are least interesting, but
every time Bobby and Upen come face to face, you like
the intensity.
It's the twist in the tale at the intermission point
-- Bobby's indecent proposal to Kangana -- that saves
the film from mediocrity. The mind-games Bobby adopts
to destroy Upen from the music scene takes the film to
its peak. In fact, Bobby's manipulative moves -- being
goody-goody on face but backstabbing at the slightest
opportunity -- keeps you charged.
Rajesh Pandey's screenplay has its loose ends. The
interaction between Bobby and his guru [Govind Namdev]
gets monotonous after a point. Even the end could've
been impactful. Yet, in all fairness, the writing in
the second half is shades better than the first hour.
Suneel Darshan's execution of the subject material is
up to the mark. The undercurrent of tension whenever
Bobby and Upen come face to face and also Bobby's
manipulations are well filmed by the storyteller. But
Darshan can easily trim the film by about 10 minutes.
The Bobby - Govind Namdev track can be reduced, while
a song or two can easily be chopped off.
Himesh Reshammiya's music is ear-pleasing and the
choreography, eye-catching. A couple of tunes stand
out, including the title track, 'Thade Vaste' and 'Namumkin'
[filmed on an exotic, breath-taking locale]. The
choreography [Bosco-Caesar] is fantastic. In fact, the
choreography only uplifts the songs further. Dialogues
[Anurag Kashyap] are alright, but a few lines
[especially Anupam's advice to Upen at the airport]
are really well-worded.
 Both Bobby and Upen get fabulous roles and the two
actors make the most of it. Bobby is one of the most
under-rated actors around. His work has been
consistent all through, but one tends to overlook this
talented actor's abilities all the while. Watch him go
negative in SHAKALAKA BOOM BOOM and you'd agree that
he's amongst the best in the business today. His
outburst in the end is remarkable.
Upen gets a complex role so early in his career and
though there're a few rough edges [expected], the
youngster is confidence personified. Watch him take on
Bobby with his 'I am the best' attitude and you know
this guy knows his job well. Upen is not just a
show-stopper when it comes to looks, but has the
potential to climb the ladder as an actor. SHAKALAKA
BOOM BOOM proves it.
Celina is slightly awkward initially, but enacts the
role with grey shades very well. Kangana is likeable.
She looks stunning and matches it up with a fine
performance. Anupam Kher has a small role, which he
portrays like a seasoned actor. Dalip Tahil, Seema
Rahmani, Govind Namdev, Viveck Vaswani and Asrani are
adequate.
On the whole, SHAKALAKA BOOM BOOM is a well-crafted
entertainer and lives up to the expectations of its
target audience -- the youth. At the box-office, its
business at the multiplexes will help it generate good
revenue, making it a profitable proposition for its
investors.
Rating:- * * *
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