 With
Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004)
and Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005), it
seemed like David Dhawan was back on track expectations
for a laugh riot with Partner were high.
The film however splutters to life just sporadically
and is generally a big disappointment with even
the laughs few and far in between.
The film, 'inspired' by Hitch (2005)
and then totally re-worked David ishtyle so that
the original is totally unrecognizable looks at
Bhaskar Diwakar Choudhury (Govinda) who approaches
love guru Prem (Salman Khan) to help him woo rich,
rich girl Priya (Katrina Kaif). Meanhwile Prem
is having problems with the one woman he truly
loves, Naina (Lara Dutta), a journalist and single
mom.
In a film like Partner, one doesn't
and should not look for logic or a coherent plot
but at least the film should entertain and have
a style of its own and flow along smoothly taking
you with the ride. Partner fails on that
count. The film just appears to be a series of
item scenes strung together with quite a few clever
dialogues admittedly but it seems put together
without any thought whatsoever. There are no ups
and downs. Potential crisis points are skimmed
over and solved too conveniently and easily like
Prem winning over Rohan or reuniting with Naina.
Songs and scenes pop up from nowhere without any
sort of proper situations being created for them.
Earlier David gave his films a certain coherence
within his style but none of that is present here.
And for someone like him known for his expert
editing skills and razor sharp cutting, the film
is rather badly edited and the flow is choppy
and uneven to say the least.
Again repeating that one is willing to suspend
any sense of reality in a film like this but even
within this illogical world, there has to be a
certain sense of characterisation. And the way
Partner is treated you don't buy what
you see on screen. Katrina as the owner of a 100
crore company - hah! Govinda as an IIM graduate
working as a (personal) financial advisor in this
company gor 30K a month in today's times and even
if he hasn't kissed a girl yet, he doesn't even
know how it's done. C'mon! Rajpal Yadav's Chotta
Don act has no place in the story, is totally
unfunny and what's more even vanishes and is forgotten
about after a while. Why use it then at all?!
Especially since the track doesn't even work.
And what was the Rajat Bedi-Aarti Chhabria bit
doing in the film? It is as if the filmmaker thought
oh we need a little crisis to solve before the
happy ending.
The film essentially is dependent on the antics
of Salman and Govinda. The two do share a likeable
chemistry that lifts the film several times out
of the hole it has dug for itself but there's
a limit to what they can salvage. Salman is Salman
as usual - doing his brand of juvenile humour
and sillyness only the way he can. For those fond
of this style of Salman, you could stay Salman
delivers but even the die hard fans of Salman
would have to admit that the film really belongs
to Govinda. Though the Bhaskar character is written
as a terrible caricature and Govinda is too old
for the role, he nevertheless rises above the
script. See him cry each time he is actually elated
or his dance to his old hit Sarkailo Khatiya.
Lara Dutta and Katrina have absolutely nothing
to do.  In
fact Lara appears to be relatively too smart and
logical in this film and seems to be struggling
with the illogicality of it call. Incidentally
what sort of journalist is she? All she seems
to be doing is taking photos? So is she a press
photographer or what? Katrina just smiles her
way as a pretty bimbette (a very pretty one though
one might add). As mentioned, Rajpal Yadav's Chhota
Don act is just terrible and doen't work at all.
Here is a fine actor ruining himself film after
film through some terribly loud and hammy perfrmances.
The child artist is precocious and deserves a
good spanking as usual.
Technically, there is not much to say at all.
What do you say about cinematography that's largely
fully frontal and eye level and using the camera
just as a recording device? In fact one has seen
this in our 'comedy' films repeatedly. It is as
if the camera has no role to play in such films
and comedy means just giving the actors a stage
to perform their antics on.. Music is ok while
the song is on but unlikely something that you
would hum once out of the theatre. The editing
is shockingly incompetent. Scenes are left to
stretch and meander till they reach breaking point
sevral times. It is as if the filmmaker and editor
don't know when and where to stop. The missile
sequence just to name one seems to go on and on
and on. That it is done so tackily doesn't help
either...
All in all, Partner is just about avearge
at best and that too when Govinda is in his element.. |
