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When the tough get tedious

Suparn Verma

Mamta Kulkarni. Click for bigger pic!

China-Gate, Rajkumar Santoshi's tribute to Akira Kurosawa should have been a tribute to all the dacoit films made in Indian cinema, from Sholay to Joshilaay, from Sherni to Andhi Aur Toofaan, from Dacait to Bandit Queen.

The film is about ten soldiers under the leadership of Major Krishnakant Puri (Om Puri) who were court-martialled 17 years ago because they turned their back on the battlefield. One day Sandhya (Mamta Kulkarni) approaches Major Puri asking him to rescue her villagers from a dreaded terrorist, Jagira (Mukesh Tiwari).

Naseeruddin Shah. Click for bigger pic!

Puri calls in the soldiers, who are now a bunch of middle-aged misfits in society, battling their own demons. Danny Dengzongpa, Naseeruddin Shah, Amrish Puri, Jagdeep, Anjan Srivastava, Viju Khote, K D Chandran and Samir Soni filling up for his deceased dad.

The team reaches the village in a remote corner of India, where they see the terror wrought by Jagira and fight their internal battles.

Let us start by discussing the film as an independent entity first, and talk about its inspirations later.

Om Puri. Click for bigger pic!

Rajkumar Santoshi is an actor's director, one who makes his cast blossom. Om Puri, Naseer, Danny and Amrish Puri excel in their roles and hold the viewer's attention. Jagdeep, Viju Khote and Tinnu Anand are disappointing though. There are times when you wish that the director would stop showing Jagdeep and Viju Khote hamming through the scenes, while Tinnu Anand, who has done some brilliant caricatures, isn't restrained enough and it's a pity watching him throw a good role away.

One wishes that Jagira would kill Mamta Kulkarni in the film because at least that way she wouldn't have to suffer the indignity of being in the lead and yet having the horses get more mileage than she does. Model-turned-actor Samir Soni, who makes his debut, should either get someone else to dub his dialogues or should have swapped roles with the mute man in the film to cover his weak voice and lack of acting skills.

Click for bigger pic!

The story isn't new, neither is the twist. The director took a big risk casting 10 character actors in lead roles. He took a bigger risk making the cost run up to Rs 190 million. He took an even bigger risk making his villain as a mean, Haryanvi-speaking dacoit who forever walks in the shadow of Gabbar Singh.

On top of that he has three hours in which he also has to pay homage to Akira Kurosawa, trying to be different from Sholay and making his 10 characters appeal to the audience so that a tear is shed when at least one of them dies.

Danny Denzongpa. Click for bigger pic!

With so many problems to tackle, Rajkumar Santoshi trips somewhere along the way and gets up in the last part of the film to try and show he can still carry it off. But he and the audience know otherwise.

Other than the four characters we mentioned, none of the others hold the viewer's attention, actually helping to hinder the pace of the film. What really works against the film is that there is no new twist in the plot of the film. It may have been beautifully shot with some great art direction, but the editors slacked off time and again.

The timing of events in the film is wrong. The scene in which Jagira kills a small child should have been in the first half, for it fails in the second half of the film.

Amrish Puri. Click for bigger pic!

Only in the last 30 minutes of the film, do you find the lead characters dying. It could have been spaced better through the film to keep the viewers emotionally hooked.

Supposedly based on The Seven Samurai, the film lacks the power games involved in a Kurosawa film. Despite trying to show the ten soldiers planning and plotting, you find these ten men unable to execute a proper plan of action.

The track Chamma Chamma, which has Urmila Matondkar making a 'sensational appearance' is really misplaced, and the choreography leaves a lot to be desired. The background track, though, is hummable.

Click for bigger pic!

Danny deserves a special mention as he is simply outstanding as Gurang, who is battling blood cancer and trying to make the most of his life. Om Puri gets his piece of the action when he delivers a six-minute-long dialogue and carries it off with elan. Nasser and Amrish Puri have a nice scene together, where they overcome their differences.

Watching China-Gate isn't fun. On the contrary, it's an effort, as much as it was for the middle-aged characters in the film.