Review By: Arun Gavkar Review Date: 12 May 2009
In the first ten minutes of 8X10 Tasveer, director Nagesh Kukunoor establishes that his lead Jai, played by Akshay Kumar, a forest officer can stay underwater for four minutes, run like an Olympic athlete, jump off a 100-foot cliff and enter into photographs and divine past events.
In fact, Jai rarely has a dull day. Soon after, his father dies in an accident on a yacht, appropriately named Golmaal. Slowly Jai starts to suspect that the accident was a murder and he enters his fathers last photograph to figure out what happened.
Several other people, all of whom have good motives for murder were also on the boat. The catch is that Jai cant stay in the memory for longer than a minute otherwise hell die.
Im not sure who made up that rule but it means that Jai has to keep revisiting Golmaal to get Rashomon-like glimpses of the truth and piece together the entire picture.
The premise is promising, but Nagesh, who also wrote the script, moves at a somnambulistic pace in the first half. Its the first time the director of films like Hyderabad Blues and Iqbal, is working with a major star and budget so he cant resist giving us glimpses of beauteous Canada and Akshay in hero mode.
There are mountains, mansions, cycling and suspects giving suspicious looks. Nagesh also keeps Akshay on a tight leash. In places he is so restrained, he seems to be sleep walking.
Thankfully, things start to get peppier in the second half, when the narrative takes some unexpected twists and turns including a deliciously bad babe, swinging a lethal weapon.
8 X 10 Tasveer requires a serious suspension of disbelief — the characters themselves keep saying things like ye kitna crazy sound karta hai.
The back story is superbly silly and Nagesh doesnt bother to tie together the threads. Characters appear and disappear randomly and the films internal logic is comically faulty. But if youre willing to overlook these football size loopholes, there is some fun to be had.
Nagesh creates moments of genuine suspense and tension Akshay and his love interest, played by Ayesha Takia, get feisty in the second half and the scenic Alberta is breathtaking.
Tasveer is, as we say in Mumbai, time-pass. Catch it if you have nothing else going on.
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| Entertaining: | | | Comedy: | | | Story: | | | Acting: | | | Music: | | | Screen Play: | | | Value for Money: | |
Good: Akshay Performance, mountains, mansions, cycling and suspects
Bad: no
Recommend: Yes
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