Hello (Movie Review)
Salman, Katrina and just about no one can save this disaster
First up, I haven’t read Chetan Bhagat’s “One Night @ the Call Center”. So rest assured, there’s no “book better than movie” verdict in this review.
Before going in for this Bollywood disaster, I read that director Atul Agnihotri stated he’d stop making films if “Hello” didn’t perform well – or something like that. My opinion, he should seriously stop, regardless of the strange ways of the Indian box office.
“Hello” is about six boys and girls working at a call centre. They’ve all got personal issues and they all go through some sort of life-changing experience after that one night at the call centre.
Sharman Joshi and his excellent comic timing fail to redeem what is destined for doom right from the first frame. He plays a call centre team-leader and Sohail Khan, Gul Panag, Isha Koppikar, Amrita Arora and Sharat Saxena are members of his team.
Despite the presence of Katrina Kaif, who’s lately had the Midas touch at the movies, “Hello” doesn’t look like it has a bright future. Kaif plays narrator to Salman Khan.
The personal problems of the six are extremely boring and banal. Sharman loves Gul, who’s getting hitched to some NRI yuppie chappie. Sohail loves Isha and bikes. Isha loves modeling and doesn’t mind doing anything to reach her lofty goals of glamour. Who’s left? That’s right, Amrita Arora has some sort of domestic issues with mother-in-law and MIA husband.
“SHello” has fleeting moments of humour, but frankly, that’s all they are – fleeting. The acting, characterisation, visualisation, music and gosh, just about everything is downright unacceptable and atrocious. Oh, and there’s plenty of America-bashing, but really that’s just so very 2004.
Considering author Chetan Bhagat has worked on the screenplay, it’s a bit difficult to throw all the bricks in Atul Agnihotri’s direction, as surely the story itself has a huge role to play in the movie’s downfall.
Hello is an overall bad film and I’m pretty sure I won’t be reading the book. Ever.
P.S: Salman Khan’s item number is routine with ample views of his now done-to-death shirtless moves.
Cast: Sharman Joshi, Sohail Khan, Gul Panag, Isha Koppikar, Sharat Saxena, Amrita Arora, Dalip Tahil
Producer-director: Atul Agnihotri
Music: Sajid-Wajid
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comments 1-2 of 2
by deepak hotwani, Dubai, UAE
i liked hellio cauz its somethin difeerent 2 watch but salaman hair style was yukh and katrina as ussal looked as an angel or queen
posted 18 October 2008, 06:24 PM UAE time.
by vinay
well i went to watch the movie after reading horrible reviews in Hindustan times,TOI etc only becos i loved the book and also as i like chetan very much.but the film wasnt that bad to me.infact it was quiet good.sharman was v good.so was sohail(surprisingly).the girls were ok.so was the boss and military uncle.salman and katrina were on cameos.though i thought katrina's potrayal as God cud hav been more dramatic.the music and songs were a punishment to the ear.it was disgusting to say the least.i think people who havent read the book wud like it more as they dont know the story prior to watching the movie.i also wonder how the film would hav turned out if the story was narrated thru the eyes of sharman as in the movie.the movie cud have been more intense and this cud hav been acheived by increasing the pace of the movie.some good camera work was missing.dialogues were good.especially the funny ones.some dialogues which were important in the book hav been ignored..for eg the dialogues where shyaam and vroom say that it wud be good if the youth were employed in some project which benefited the our country(eg building underground trains,flyovers etc) instead of licking American shoes even though the pay would be less in the former types of jobs.overall a 3/5 film.pessimis....i mean critics wudnt agree with my rating but its always chalenging to convert a book into a film that too for Indian public.
posted 14 October 2008, 03:01 PM UAE time.
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