Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Banner: Yash Raj Films
Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor
Rating: ****
With Tashan's release, it seems like Yash Raj Films is beginning to find new ground.
After a string of boos and a Chak De! India in between, Yash Raj Films has dared to make something new and different.
It's just not love sagas and a few songs this time, it's all that and a lot more action and one helluva twisted plot. The film, though with many slips, is thoroughly engaging and entertaining. The vibrancy and spunk keeps it alive and loaded.
Bhaiyyaji (Anil Kapoor) wants to learn English to impress and a call centre executive and diction coach Jimmy (Saif Ali Khan) comes to his rescue. But convincing him to teach Bhaiyyaji was Pooja's (Kareena) job. A smart cookie, she manages well. Learning to fall in love with Pooja was not as difficult as teaching Bhaiyyaji to speak in English, for Jimmy. But where a smart cookie crumbles there lies deception.
What follows is the tale of deception, double crossing and more than one can imagine.
Somewhere caught between is an angry don and a deceived English tutor. Found on the way is Bachchan Pande (Akshay Kumar) who initially from the tracker and hitman becomes the tracked. Trailing through this is the complete package of love, memories, brilliant songs and heavy duty action.
To start with, the plot is interesting. Though it's a wee bit twisted, it is cleverly scripted. There isn't an overdose of anything and more or less things are to the point making the entire viewing experience fun, just as it is meant to be.
At this point one must commend the dialogue writer for the spunky and zesty dialogues that bring a smile to your face. The lines are not new, but the language is and so is the essence packed in it making it different and in a sense new.
Character development is another area that... s thoroughly laudable. There is great character build up that is relevant and not something that is done on a superficial level. Many might consider it superficial, however if one tries to look beyond the gloss and the glamour that the film offers in abundance, you see the character actually moving ahead with the story and growing stronger indicating change.
However saying it was perfect is unjustified, a lot of unnecessary delving is seen, which if avoided would have resulted in a much more crunchy and powerful film. Also the oration in the end comes across as a sermon, but this once you won't mind.
Filled with tons of colour and gloss the film is a visual treat. Sadly though the sloppy-in-parts editing does nothing to make it anymore rich or crisp. Aki Narula's clothes look fantastic, the textures and colours on display make your jaw drop with awe.
The music is great as well, though the same cannot be said about the choreography except for Dil Dance Maare, which is a rocker. Songs like Falak Tak and Dil Haara have the actors doing the most lifeless steps.
When it comes to acting, the film belongs solely to Akshay Kumar who has taken home the trophy. He is in full form in this film and delivers his best till date. His body language, diction and style is all true to the character. Anil Kapoor too delivers a noteworthy performance. He brings life to the lines and the character, which is hard to imagine someone else play. Kareena Kapoor looks ravishing but that's about it, pouts galore and some action scenes are all she delivers. Saif Ali Khan does well, but sadly the role does no justice to him. His usual magic fails to be seen in this film.
This film has action, drama, romance and helluva lot of comedy, if this ain't a power packed entertainer, it's hard to say what is.
Get out of home and watch it... it's solid entertainment.
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Another flaw worth nitpicking over is the muddling of genres -- comedy (something Shetty is quite comfortable with) and thriller, which struggle to do a balancing act in the dijointed scheme of going-ons. One minute Arshad Warsi is Circuit turned cabbie shot in the butt. Another he's a miserable, bechara types lamenting over his kidney ailment and shortage of funds. Warsi plays the self-created stereotyped of a fast-talking, wise-cracking jolly street smart fella with expected fluency. 
Unlike Khosla Ka Ghosla wherein Delhi's attitude and lifestyle is reflected in the film's language and characters, the Capital city plays a twin role here. On one level it is at the receiving end inciting remarks on Delhi police's efficiency (or lack of it), ever-growing crime rate and how it's getting increasingly unsafe for women, etc. 
Nagesh Kukunoor is back to the genre he began his career with -- a light entertainer. In his new outing, BOMBAY TO BANGKOK, he goes a step further and incorporates every ingredient available on the shelf that constitutes atypical Hindi film. This one's not 'same-same, but different' from Kukunoor's earlier films!
In Bangkok, his world turns upside down at a massage parlour where he bumps into Jasmine [Lena]. The hitch is, she is all Thai and he can't converse with her at all. A ray of hope comes his way the next day when Jasmine turns up desperately in need of a doctor! 
Clearly, Kukunoor is letdown by the writing. Yet, it must be mentioned that Kukunoor's comedies aren't the leave-your-brains-behind types, but inclined towards the Hrishi-da-Basuda variety, which is always welcome. The songs are soothing, with 'Same Same But Different' and 'Mausam Suhana' being well-tuned tracks. Cinematography is alright, although one feels that Kukunoor should've set the film in Bangkok, not at a secluded spot outside Bangkok. The viewers do miss the beauty of the metropolis. 
For rising star Rohan Arya [Tushar Jalota], the paparazzi are at first an annoyance, then an ever-disturbing presence. He becomes a target of a team of four paparazzi, who are bent on making him fodder for the news channels. And when they stumble upon a sensitive nerve, all hell breaks loose. 
Those who somewhere nursed a grudge that the camera follows Aamir in all his films, will chew their words once they watch TAARE ZAMEEN PAR. Yes, Aamir has a key role to portray as an actor, but the camera captures the child's emotions like never before in a Hindi film. Also, let's also clear the myth about TAARE ZAMEEN PAR being a kiddie film. It's not! It's about children. Note the difference! 
On face-value, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR looks like a kiddie film, but as the story unfolds, you realize that the story peeps into the mind and heart of a kid, his interests, his hobbies, his strengths and weaknesses. The director opens the cards at the very outset, when you realize that the kid is just not interested in books/studies. And his interaction with his stern father, doting mother and lovable brother is straight out of life. 
The second hour is equally challenging and most importantly, motivating. The introduction of Aamir's character, Aamir spotting the indolent Ishaan, Aamir traveling to Mumbai to meet Ishaan's parents and then citing examples of extra-ordinary men who were ridiculed by their contemporaries/peers -- these moments linger in your memory even after the show has concluded. 
Aamir is excellent. Note his scenes with the father of the kid. First, when he visits their home. Next time, when he cites the example of Solomon Islands. Splendid! Tisca Chopra is outstanding. Here's an actress who needs to be lapped up in a big way by film-makers. 