This COULD have been Subesh Gai’s best film. The film was terrific up to intermission, and it seemed a lot like a Yash Chopra film. The cinematagraphy was incredible, the scenery was unbelievable, and Ashwairya Rai - who seems to get better with every role - was excellent.
Subesh Gai, uses his songs very effectively to build his story, and develop Ashwairya and Akshay’s characters. Both give good performences, and Ashwairya is on her way to being the best actress in Bollywood. If she keeps choosing roles like this, she will be around for a long time.
Anil Kapoor stole the next quarter of the film, giving the type of performence he has not given in a long time.
But in the last quarter of the film, Subesh Gai’s direction/story falls apart. You have to wonder if he took on to much as writer/director/producer, because during the last 30 to 40 minutes, you can’t help waiting for the film to finally end. It’s marked by tedious melodrama that is typical of of masala films.
Overall, it was a good film, not in the same class as “Hum Dil De chuke Sanam”, but ther first half of the film and the songs are good enough to make this a hit. This could have been a very good film - not that it had anything to offer, but because the first half was presented exceptionally well. Than Subesh Gai had to ruin a good thing by resorting to the typical ending that has most people fidgeting in their seats, in the hope that the film will finally end.
[This message has been edited by KhurramS (edited August 15, 1999).]