Saturday 19 July 2014

Hate Story 2 :: Movie Review



Hate Story 2 is a vendetta driven revenge drama which though begins on a promising note but soon takes the predictable, sassy & routine path failing to pump up your adrenaline levels which is a basic requisite for every good thriller. As expected, Hate Story 2 takes the basic elements of sex and violence from the first film and amplifies it manifold to carry the franchisee forward. But, the biggest problem with this sequel is that there is very little to curdle up your blood and it has nothing new or novel to offer. Sure, the vile politician Mandar (Sushant Singh), is despicable but not so virulent that you can't wait to see him dead. That he will eventually fall to a bullet and make you bite one in the process is not surprising, and you can't fault me for spilling the beans. Actually, this is the movie's real Achilles Heel......its predictability that almost borders on ennui. Now, here is some real news for the prudes and bad news for those who have been hitting the You Tube with gusto for a sneak peek at its erotic trailer. The much-promised and anticipated sleaze quotient, except for a few dare-bare bedroom scenes, is nothing to really write home about which includes Sunny Leone's item number "Pink Lips" too. Another low point is that revenge scenes where Surveen kills her tormentors conclude very quickly making you not only gasp for more but also making you wonder that was that huge build-up worth it.


STORY & SCREENPLAY                                                                      ::         The screenplay that has been penned down by Madhurima Banerjee is very average and has nothing novel to offer. Forget novelty, it seems that Banerjee got so driven in penning this revenge drama that she failed to put her thinking cap on. Again logic must fly out of the window in every B grade Hindi films, that wears its tacky lines as a badge of honor on its sleeve. But this one topples the worst of the lot. You have to leave your logic and intelligence skills at home if you wish to enjoy this one. Sample 1 ::Chawla's transformation from a strange, stuttering victim to a gun totting avenging angel dodging cops, goons and press is preposterous. Sample 2 :: A scene where Bhanushali woos Surveen by saying :"My girlfriend broke up with me. Because I typed LOL when she messaged about her pet dog's demise. LOL means Lots of Love na?" Surveen says "Silly, LOL means laugh out loud. You're just kidding, na?"  And he replies "But, hey, I made you LOL." And you caught in the turmoil dont know whether to LOL or cry. Sure, the movie begins on a dramatic note when an alive and kicking woman is discovered in a coffin. She is transported to a hospital where another attempt is made to end her life.Exciting ? For a while, you do want to know who wants her dead. But for the initial rush of events that introduce us to Sonika (Surveen), her tormentor, Mandar (Sushant) & her love, Akshay (Jay), the film moves on to " been there seen it all " path all too soon. Coming to the storyline, Sonika (Surveen) is the mistress of politician Mandar Mhatre (Sushant Singh) who dominates her causing  major physical trauma. Despite the restrictions imposed by Mhatre, Sonika manages to fall in love with Akshay (Jay) during her photography class. What follows are a series of incidents that give the film its final conclusion. Sonika is buried alive by Mandar, but she manages to cheat death and come back to seek revenge on those who wronged her!  


STARCAST                                                                                            ::         It is Surveen's movie all the way as she has a larger-than-life part and a challenging one at that n the actress did a decent job at her work. Surveen Chawla catches you completely unaware with a no-holds-barred performance, interpreting her character with utmost confidence. Moreover, there are crucial chunks in the narrative when she has to look dejected and disheartened, which should make the viewer feel for her character, and she handles those moments with conviction. Jay Bhanushali despite being the leading-man of the movie shares very limited screen space with Surveen. He is further undone by the script, which has him not even batting an eyelid when he comes to know that love of his life is another man's mistress. His expressions and body language during that scene make you go LOL instead of making you feel senti for him. Sushant Singh has definitely once again delivered a splendid performance. He delves deep into the skin of the character and looks every inch the tormentor of Surveen that he portrays on-screen. He is one brilliant actor who needs to be seen more on the big-screen. In the ensemble starcast, Siddharth Kher (Goan Cop), Neha Kaul (Sushant's wife) & Rajesh Khera (Sushant's cousin) are the ones who manage to shine in their respective brief roles. 

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                            ::          The soundtrack of Hate Story 2 has been composed by a battery of music directors namely Mithoon, Laxmi-Pyare, Arko, Rashid Khan & Meet Brothers Anjaan. The soundtrack has turned out to be good with couple of renditions making it to the top chart-busters. The background music that has been composed by Sunny Bawra & Inder Bawra is of good quality n in sync with the on-screen proceedings. The cinematography of this movie has been handled by Kedar Gaikward who has done his job with aplomb. His camera has captured the locales of Goa beautifully. The movie has been edited by Kuldeep Mehan who has kept the run-time of the movie to 130 minutes which seems a tad long. He definitely should have used his scissors a bit more & lot of scenes needed to be trimmed down. Vishal Pandya as a director disappoints ! He has not been to able to balance the elements in a perfect tandem. Even, the revenge scenes which form the core of a vendetta driven movie end up too soon and fail to stir you up. He has tried to concentrate more on style rather than the substance which is a big big drawback for this movie. Indian audience has matured over the years and they need something novel even in revenge dramas to pamper their entertainment buds. 

CONCLUSION                                                                                                 ::        Couched as a revenge drama propelled by woman's hatred for the man who has wronged her in more ways than one, it does not throw up anything fresh or invigorating. Good for DVD watch or you can wait for it to air on Satellite channels.        

ROHIT SHARMA.
Follow me on twitter at  https://twitter.com/smgr105
rohitreview@gmail.com
  
Some of the scenes in the second half are unnecessarily dragged to the point where you scream, “Ok, we get it!” - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/movie-review-hate-story-2/15459168#sthash.wQAijBlN.dpuf
Some of the scenes in the second half are unnecessarily dragged to the point where you scream, “Ok, we get it!” - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/movie-review-hate-story-2/15459168#sthash.wQAijBlN.dpuf

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