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Nowhere close to a mystery
ABSOLUTELY CLUELESS: The film cannot be salvaged inspite of an inspired performance by Atul Kulkarni (Right).
88 Antop Hill (HINDI)
Cast: Rahul Dev, Atul Kulkarni, Sweta Menon
Dir: Kushan Nandy
Music: Rajesh Roy
WE SAW the Ashok Kumar, Madhubala starrer Mahal, a murder mystery in the late 1940s. In early reels, it was spine chilling though the last reels proved to be dragging. Howrah Bridge in late 1950s, Achanak in early 1970s and Raaz recently - gripping they all were, and ran to full houses for many weeks.
All these films proved to be a fresh diversion from the usual mushy, sobbing family films. Kushan Nandy, the son of the famed Pritish Nandy probably tried to rewrite the rules this year with his 88 Antop Hill, his debut directorial venture, but he falls flat despite two brilliant performers in the form of Rahul Dev and Atul Kulkarni. The murder mystery turns out to be a major show of special effects and screaming sounds that irritate more than they horrify.
The title of the film is the murder spot where Pratyush, a bank officer played by Atul Kulkarni, reaches to save a friend on his hoax call. The place is a hub for prostitutes. Here he meets Teesta - Shweta Menon who is murdered brutally. To escape blame he runs from the place and finally manages to nab the culprit, but inspector Arvind Khanvilkar, an honest cop proves him wrong.
The murderer turns out to be an innocent looking, beautiful but scheming Sonali played by Jasmine who actually murders three people to marry her millionaire fiancé. The urgency is that he could slip out of her hand, as she is married woman - a fact she hides from him and all who know her and murders them one by one.
The story quickly shifts gears resulting in loss of focus. Rahul Dev is the saving grace of the film as he also steals the show from one and all. Atul is good. Shweta's porn touch to the film is no selling point, Jasmine's dialogue delivery is pathetic and Rajesh Roy's music is forgettable. Watch the film if you love gruelling, shrill sounds to wake yourself up, go if you think there is nothing better to do in life.
R.S
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