This Game Falls Flat!

Film: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Sikandar Kher, Vishakha Singh, and a bunch of very bad English actors

Direction: Ashutosh Gowariker

Rating: 3/5

Bad news. The length of this movie title is hardly an indication of how excruciatingly long this movie actually is. Admittedly a well-researched subject of the little known Chittagong uprising in East India during the early 1930s, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey translates into a film that begins on a fine note but simply cannot figure out where it must culminate.

A group of spirited revolutionaries led by Surjya Sen (Abhishek Bachchan), which comprises largely of young teenagers, come together to rise in rebellion against the atrocious ways of the British empire. They hatch a plan to attack various strategic posts of the regiment over one particular night in order to make a much needed statement of their desire for freedom. Unfortunately, their plan is foiled and over the months that follow, the gang is hunted down, and faces a climax that is not hard to predict.

The film has several high points, but one that stands out evidently is the revelation of Vishakha Singh as Comrade Pritilata, who plays her part as a dedicated revolutionary with much ease and restraint. Deepika Padukone is nearly as noteworthy in her portrayal of Kolpana Dutta, but she almost loses presence in the second half of the film. One of the biggest strengths of the film is its ample research and analysis on how a poorly executed strategy can crumble in the face of unprecedented crisis. Undoubtedly, the story of this uprising deserves leaf-space in books on guerilla strategy.

A pity, though, that Abhishek Bachchan still can't get rid of the frown he learnt to sport in Sarkar. You need to watch him to believe it - but he maintains one, just one, expression through the length of this epic film - a light frown and a twitch of the lips. Needless to say, it gets endlessly annoying. Despite playing second fiddle, Sikandar Kher at least brings some life into his character of Nirmol Sen, Surjya's trusted aide.

The performances by the children are strictly sub-ordinary. There are scenes where every gesture looks clearly rehearsed and yet uncomfortable - such as the classroom discussions early on, the manner in which the young boys approach Surjya Sen, and so on. The screenplay is amateurish, where you have mechanical occurrences that lead up to the ultimate formation of the group of rebels. But the most painful part of the film is that it labours over very repetitive sequences of cross-firing and British officers hamming away to glory in the cantonment through very poorly delivered expressions. Towards the end of the film, even the actors look terribly bored. (Abhishek Bachchan looks bored right from the outset).

It will be unfair to benchmark Gowariker's films against a classic like Lagaan. But hereon, he might want to consider benchmarking them against a Swades, for starters.