Writers usually initiate a script with a two-line idea which is then developed into a plot summary and subsequently into a screenplay. Strangers is a film which might appear ‘brilliant’ in the two line idea, ‘bearable’ in the plot summary and ‘boring’ in the screenplay. The buildup for the suspense is so long-drawn-out that by the time the film reaches its unexpected climax you might have already lost hopes or gained slumber.

The story is about two strangers Mr. Rai (Kay Kay Menon) and Rahul (Jimmy Sheirgill) who meet on a train and begin talking. After exchanging their life stories, both of them come to know of each other’s problems. While Rai is fed up of his wife who is suffering from mental trauma after their son’s death, Rahul cannot bear to see his wife (Nandana Sen) cheating on him openly. They decide to kill each other’s wives. Sounds interesting, but is the execution equally appealing?

The first half seeks faint inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘ Strangers on a Train ’ (which was already remade in Bollywood as ‘ Soch ’) but the scene varies post interval with the movie gaining a new identity. But with the new identity we stop relating to the suspense drama because a love story takes over. An uninspiring romance track with no palpable chemistry between the couple makes one wonder where is the film leading or has the director forgotten his original intention.

The film does lead to an interesting climax but after an hour full of yawn. The unraveling of the suspense is too subtle and if you miss the understated nuances you might well miss out the mystery. A lot is left for the intelligent mind to decipher.

The film also adopts a rather disturbing editing pattern with the screenplay often fluctuating between the present and the flashback with a very faint line distinguishing the two. Moreover the sequencing is in non-chronological order which adds to your confusion.

While the suspense element has the potential to be a decent entertainer, the director perhaps intentionally opts to go offbeat and in attempting so gives the film a very art(y)ficial look. The first half primarily set in a train compartment gets verbose while the lovelorn second half gets wearisome.

The screenplay is replete with redundant scenes. For instance the much spoken about bathroom scene with Sonali Kulkarni in a nude backless pose has no significance to the screenplay whatsoever. And when you expect the least a Lata Mangeshkar limerick pops up from nowhere.

In one of the scenes, the film gives tribute to its original inspiration when Jimmy Sheirgill says “Alfred Hitchcock was a great storyteller”. Alas one cannot say the same for the director of Strangers .

Strangers could have been shorter, crisper, more clear and less strange.

Source : Indiatimes.com

Posted In: , . By pratik