Imitation, messed up - Aap Ki Khatir
ANOTHER RIP-OFF: Aap Ki Khatir
Genre: DVD Rip-off
Director: Dharmesh Darshan
Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Priyanka Chopra, Suneil Shetty, Amisha Patel, Dino Morea Storyline: Exactly the same as `Wedding Date'.
Bottomline: `Wedding Date' without the sex.
Every once in a while, critics find a sitting duck of a movie, waiting to be shot down and barbequed. `Aap Ki Khatir' is no duck. It's a big fat turkey you can roast for a wedding.
Right from the first scene when we see Priyanka Chopra trying to do a Debra Messing brushing her teeth on the eve of her flight, we find her literally MESSING up a simple nervous-hyperactive emotion that any upstart of a starlet can pull off with natural flair.
For starters, if he did want to rip-off something from Hollywood, maybe Dharmesh Darshan should've chosen a more exciting `Wedding' movie that he can package into a Punjabi `Shaadi.' Like, the insanely funny `Wedding Crashers.'
`Wedding Date,' despite its pretty simple premise worked because of the charm and chemistry of its lead actors and a couple of funny, mushy lines thrown in. Even if he had recreated that or at least a couple of stray moments that looked remotely romantic, maybe this just could've been watchable (by those who don't understand English, of course, because those who do, would watch the original).
The story goes that Priyanka hires Akshaye, a local from Lokhandwala, to pose as her date for her sister Amisha's wedding, because she wants to get her ex-boyfriend, Dino, jealous and win him back. Dino is also the best man for the wedding and the groom Suneil Shetty's best friend. That makes it five important characters to run a movie.
We've heard that one rotten apple could ruin the entire basket. What Dharmesh has with him are actors well over their expiry date.
I mean when was the last time Suneil Shetty actually did anything remotely that at least resembled a fine performance? Or Amisha Patel. Or Priyanka Chopra (May God save Farhan Akhtar's `Don'). Or the deteriorating Dino Morea? Poor Akshaye Khanna says his lines with all earnest, knowing little he was mouthing a suicide note to his balding acting career.
As you find it difficult to determine whose role is actually worse than the other, you find that Dharmesh has specifically been HARD on Anupam Kher, thrusting upon him a ring-tone joke that's likely to make you wish you were deaf.
After a series of duds, maybe it's time for Dharmesh to consider alternate employment. The man has not even bothered to change the London background that `Wedding Date' is set in.
It's for this shameless plagiarism that the West calls Hindi cinema as Bollywood, the tacky low-brow version of Hollywood.
`Aap Ki Khatir' is one of the reasons we need to be ashamed of our cinema.
SUDHISH KAMATH
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