Hello (Movie Review)

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