Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Naseeruddin Shah, Annu Kapoor, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan Khan, Vivaan Shah, Aleksandr Dyachenko
Director: Vishal Bharadwaj
Rating: G
It wouldn't be wrong to tag Vishal Bharadwaj as the goose that lays the golden eggs. For, every movie of his ends up as a massive blockbuster, impressing the audience and the critics alike. So, the expectations were immense when he decided to take on Ruskin Bond's short story Susanna's Seven Husbands. But alas, this time, his charm ran out, with his ‘golden egg' nowhere in sight!
Despite hitting the nail on the head with his brilliant ensemble cast, Bharadwaj falters immeasurably in his narrative. While Susanna's quest for true love, and the subsequent deaths of her six husbands, is broadcast in plenty through the trailers and massive media promotions, there's no mystery left when you finally hit the theatres. But that's a given with literary adaptations. Except, Bharadwaj has proven with his earlier Shakespearean adaptations (Omkara and Maqbool), that his brilliance lies in his ability to texture a known plot with racy visuals, edgy lines and striking characterisations. While he delivers on most accounts, it doesn't measure up to his true calibre. For someone who adapted Shakespeare so remarkably into the Bollywood frame, this Bond's adaptation doesn't merit applause.
Chopra gives Susanna's fatal escapades a menacing touch. Her inner conflicts are well documented, but her desire to resort to crime, when divorce could've worked just as well, isn't well substantiated. Of the six husbands, Kapoor as the viagra-hooked cop is stupendous. He smirks and grins his way through Susanna's heart with panache. While Shah (senior) is undoubtedly the best of the lot, it's his son who impresses us more. For a first film, Vivaan displays immense cinematic maturity, something that can be credited to his superior genes. Khan walks away with the most poetically eerie romance. While Mukesh treads on similar lines, his attempts appear far more tame in comparison. Dyachenko (as the Russian spy) gets the best soundtrack but nothing else, leaving Abraham with just a strange rockstar hangover.
What could've worked into a sinister whirlwind adventure, ends up as a gaffe.
