Kites

Director: Anurag Basu

Producer: Rakesh Roshan

Music: Rajesh Roshan

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori, Kangana Ranaut, Kabir Bedi

Kites, one of the most awaited films of 2010 marks Hrithik Roshan’s return as a lead actor after a couple of years. Barbara Mori also makes her debut in Bollywood through the film. The film created a big buzz (as most Hrithik Roshan films generally do) before its release. I’m not a Hrithik fan. Yet I decided to watch the film because of I’d seen Anurag Basu’s work earlier in Metro and Gangster. 

So the film begins with Mr J (Hrithik) an ambitious young man who wants to earn money at any cost. He is a dance teacher and helps immigrant women to get a green card by getting married for a short period. Kangana is Jeena, a rich brat who falls for J. He initially refuses her offer for marriage but after realising her financial worth agrees to do so. Jeena is the daughter of a powerful casino owner Bob. Bob introduces J to his business and warns him of dire consequences if J ever dares of hurt Jeena (typical Bollywood) When he goes to their house for he meets her spoilt brother Tony whose getting engaged to Natasha (Mori). J realizes that Natasha is actually Linda, a Mexican illegal immigrant whom he’d helped to get a green card. Though they can’t speak each others language (she speaks Spanish and he speaks English) romance blossoms between them.

J falls for her and realizes that even she is getting married to Tony for the sake of money. So they elope (J rescues her from being domestically abused by Tony). And then we witness some cat and mouse chases (Tony “wants those dead at any cost”) till the couple finally makes it to Mexico. Here they exchange vows but their happiness is short lived as Tony (out of no where) comes with his gang of butchers to finish them. J is shot in the back and faints (but he doesn’t dieJ). What does he do when he regains consciousness? Do Linda and J meet again?? I bet you know the answers if you’ve seen some classic Hindi films.

          Hrithik Roshan is a dud in the film. You’ll be surprised to see that Barbara Mori has acted from her heart and overshadows Hrithik (no offence for his female fans). Kabir Bedi is wasted. A talented actor chosen for such a poor role is unbelievable. Kangana does more of skin show than acting (Both the ladies have... but Barbara looks much better) (She can’t speak proper English and her fake accent gets on your nerves). Rajesh Roshan has survived the controversies of ‘lifting the film’s music’. And this time the music is much better. Avik Ali, the editor has not done his homework. It’s difficult to digest the link between the flashback and the present. The film would have been worse had not Anurag Basu directed it. He’s directed a pathetic script and made it ‘presentable’ to the audience. 

Kites’ not even a one time watch. Even the dance sequence does not bring any gimmick to the film. The action sequences have no thrill (Car collisions cannot be termed as action)... Overall the film should be trashed. I go with one and a half stars out of five for Anurag Basu’s Kites (One for Basu and the half for Mori).