Aitraaz

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Dvd Release: 6th December, 2004 Number Of Discs: 1 Format: Anamorphic, PAL, Region 0 Encoding Subtitled In: English

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Aitraaz is a 2004 Bollywood film starring Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra & Kareena Kapoor & directed by Abbas Alibhai Burmawalla & Mastan Alibhai Burmawalla. The film was a hit in India & Priyanka walked away with accolades as the sexy, ruthless modern woman. Aitraaz is a film about the seedy undergoings of a metropolitan Indian woman Priyanka Chopra, Akshay Kumar & Kareena Kapoor. When a man rejects the request for sexual favours by his boss, she accuses him of attempted rape, he takes on the company & the nation in court as his wife battles it out for him.Aitraaz. Aitraaz at The Internet Movie Database

Abbas-Mustaan are renown for making taut, edge of the seat thrillers & they have some interesting films to their credit - Baazigar, Khiladi, Humraaz & Ajnabee to name a few. Aitraaz is another feather in their cap. It has a bold & daring concept never seen before in an Indian film. But the fact remains it is heavily borrowed from Barry Levinsons Michael Douglas - Demi Moore starrer Disclosure.

Raj Malhotra is an executive working in a 9-5 job at a mobile phone company. He has a simple life, some good friends & life is generally a breeze. Things get even better when Priya enters his life, they fall in love & get married. She is expecting their first child, he is due for a promotion at work, he couldnt have asked for more. That is, till the predatory man eater Sonia is appointed as his MD & it all goes a bit topsy-turvy. She accuses him of rape after he spurns her advances & the case ends up in court. To make matters even more complicated, it is revealed that Sonia is actually Rajs ex girlfriend whom he had dumped after she aborted their child. How the case is resolved forms the crux of the story.

Technically the film is sound with some good locations & apt cinematography. Music by Himesh Reshammiya is not of the chart busting variety but a couple of the numbers like Gela Gela, Hey You & Talatum are catchy. The choreography is good especially in Gela Gela.

Directorially, Abbas-Mustaan have done a good job in Indianising the whole concept. What could have been a silly sleaze fest turns out to be a gripping edge of the seat drama that keeps viewers glued to their seats. Some of the sequences especially in the courtroom have been deftly handled & they deserve full credit for this. The dialogues are bold & raise a number of pertinent questions that are usually brushed under the carpet by orthodox Indian mentalities. Why must the male always be held responsible for clandestine happenings between men & women? Cant a man be an object of sexual harassment even in a society like ours?

Of the cast Akshay is restrained & has a fairly passive role. Kareena is good & shines in her one & only confrontational scene with Priyanka & the final courtroom sequence. She is turning into a fine performer & has finally shaken off her Poo image from K3G. Both Paresh Rawal & Annu Kapoor are in splendid form whilst Amrish Puri, although typecast is dependable. Ultimately though, Aitraaz is Priyanka Chopras film. As the deliciously wicked, gold digging, scheming seductress she chews up every scene she is in with her magnetic screen presence.

Of the four Diwali releases, Aitraaz has a good chance of being successful especially after word of mouth publicity. It has a bold theme, good music & good performances going for it & should find the going easy in spite of strong opposition from Veer Zaara. A thumbs up.

Kareena Kapoor is an actress in Hindi films. She is the granddaughter of Raj Kapoor, daughter of Randhir Kapoor & Babita. Her sister Karisma Kapoor did a lot to promote her in this industry. Her first movie was Refugee released in 2000 along with Abhishekh Bachhan in it. It did not do much for her career but it did won her the Best Debut Award from Filmfare. Her second movie Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai was a blockbuster & made her a star within a night. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham was her last release in 2001 which was one of Bollywoods biggest movie overseas. This movie didnt have a big role for her but it proved to be a boost for her career & then, she was fluttered with innumerable offers. She still has 6 to 7 years more to go in this industry until she gets married. She is currently dating Shahid Kapoor. Kareena Kapoor, by some, is considered a loud-mouth gasconading actress, but yet still manages to have a lucrative career in Bollywood. Yes, she retorts that she is the most misunderstood person in the industry.

Editors Choice: Asoka, Aitraaz, Kyon Ki, Yaadein, Joy, View DVDology

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