Film: Raabta

Director: Dinesh Vijan

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Kriti Sanon and Jim Sarbh

After all the noise about it being a remake of the mega hit Maghadheera, you wonder if the compare was only for the benefit of the film!!. Wikipedia lists over 144 films based on the concept of reincarnation and therefore the principle premise of the film is not something that is any longer a surprise. Much less after the promos. Even less after the controversy that ended in an anti-climax of sorts. This is perhaps is suggestive of the film too.

Ek tha Raja (Sushant Singh Rajput) who actually is no king and Ek this Rani (Kriti Sanon), who too is not a queen. They meet in Budapest and she as Sara is smooching and in bed with him even before you can say Sushant Singh Rajput . She is already in a relationship with Zakir Merchant (Jim Sarabh). Even as she manages to throw the just-arrived-but-stayed-by-night Shiv (Rajput) literally out of the window, she fights hard to balance the two men in her life. Shiv on the other hand brazenly is out to undo the fond and established relationship between his new-found love Sarah and her boyfriend Zakir. The entire first half is dedicated to the wooing, loving and romancing in picturesque Europe. This part of the film shows Rajput in great form and he is endearing and pleasant and keeps things going. This part of the love story is very peripheral and lacks the wherewithal to justify the central character not being able to make up her mind between the two men in her life. One gets the feeling that the disconnect may be because the scene suggestive of a eclectic past suffered the editors scissors.

Immediately after half time, we are translocated to a distant past, brown hues and a tribal war between two groups. There again, the principal characters are the same and the lady is in a relationship with one drifts to the other. The angry jilted lover avenges the act by killing the lovers. After an oceanic burial and centuries later ,the threesome are in Budapest to ensure the love story has a better ending. That it ends is what makes it better.

The script falters and simply looses punch. There is a huge gap between the two time scales. The reincarnation connect is visibly feeble and thus robs the tale of its credibility. Also a another huge letdown are the performances. Even the talented Rajput, who oozes charm in the first half, is lost and unconvincing in the later part as the tribal chieftain. This reincarnation drama is best left with the hope that if they are at it again in another rebirth they may have something more interesting to offer.