AA AB LAUT CHALEN

Rishi Kapoor’s promising debut as a director

Rishi Kapoor’s debut vehicle as a director, Aa Ab Laut Chalen, deserves to be noticed for the strong commitment with which the director has delved into the subject focussing on the sense of alienation and desolation that Indians living in America experience once they have fulfilled their materialistic dreams and longings. Though not great cinema, the picture reveals a strength in the unfolding of the story and the defining of the characters and situations that speaks volumes for the abundant potential in the director. Apart from exploring the manifold manipulative powers of the medium, Rishi has also used to considerable advantage his much-acclaimed understanding of histrionics to draw natural performances from his artistes especially Akshaye Khanna whose gift for facile emoting has been admirably exploited by the actor-director.

Indeed, it is Akshaye Khanna who truly carries the burden of the unfolding of the screenplay as the protagonist and the pivot. He is among the few young actors in the industry who can be trusted to give appropriate shades to a performance without appearing to make a great effort to do so. He is as wonderful when he dances and sings as he is when he emotes dramatically.

Aishwarya Rai has a meaty role to which she does justice showing a marked improvement in the timing of her responses and dialogue delivery.

Kader Khan, Jaspal Bhatti, Satish Kaushik and Himani Shivpuri make a good comic team, though it is the interaction between Jaspal Bhatti and Kader Khan that raises the laughter.

Rajesh Khanna doesn’t look like Rajesh Khanna anymore, but the actor in him is as sensitive as ever thankfully.Music score is average though the picturisations are imaginative.As in all RK Films the technical values are flawless and to a large extent the editing has saved the second half from dragging.