When, in the very first half,
people of all ages sitting around you in a multiplex auditorium start giggling,
chattering, commenting, questioning and mocking on the relativity of the film
& the sensibility of the filmmaker, one must learn that there is something
that has gone wrong while trying to create something impressive.
Manish Tiwary’s ISSAQ- a modern
day adaptation of Shakespearean love-story Romeo & Juliet, is one such
shameful effort that scrawls and struggles to be ambitiously epic romantic
thriller set in Banaras. But thanks to the brigade of most horrible performers in
the cast, tacky screenplay and the immature-uncontrolled-abandoned direction
that submerges all the potentials and promises to make it an unintentionally
funny outing for cinema-lovers.
First of all, the Banaras shown
here is not the likeable-lovable-pleasingly colourful Banaras of ‘Raanjhanaa’
but more of a bloody violent-fiercely infuriated & uncivilized rustic one
that breathes into an air filled with the smell of gunpowder & explosives
of all kind. Rahul & Bachchi [played by Prateik & Amyra] falls in love
despite all the warnings to stay away from each other as they belong to families
of blood-thirsty rivals. And, they only look at it as just another reason to
keep the war alive to establish one’s supremacy.
Unexpectedly ISSAQ has some of
the best talents in its ensemble supporting cast like Prashant Narayanan as
menacing naxal leader, Neena Gupta as the old confidante & caretaker,
Rajeshwari Sachdev as manipulative young wife to Sudhir Pandey- another
respected name and Makrand Deshpande as witty babaji with chillum…but for one
or another reasons, they all look wasted and quite out of the place in their
acting skills probably because of the bumpy- patchy messy plot-subplot labyrinth.
Pratiek needs serious lessons in acting including voice modulations. Amyra
impresses especially in a scene where she had to recite excerpts from
Jayshankar Prasad’s Kamayani in the classroom. Ravi Kishan knows his limits and
decides better not to break them. Vineet Singh sure had a longer canvas to milk
his potential but not the better one.
In a scene when Makrand sees
his devotees getting bored and feeling drowsy over his divine gyaan, he immediately switches to perform a miraculous gimmick to keep them attentive. Unfortunately,
Manish Tiwari didn’t have even such gimmicks to make viewers indulged and
devoted to the film. Language being too colloquial-too
slangish, editing being weirdly abrupt at places and the uncleaned visual
effects are just a few put-offs to name. Only positives are the cinematography
and detailing in the art & setting department. You can look out for the real
Banaras but only in corners of the frame and in the backdrop, mostly out of
focus!
All in all, this mocking love-story
that doesn't even spare itself to laugh at, is nothing but a complete waste of
nearly 2 & half hours and your hard earned money! Leave it alone…and better
look out for other options of entertainment, this weekend! [1.5/5]
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