16 December

Good Movie. Definitely not your run-of-the-mill hero-heroine prancing-round-the-trees kind of movie. Was pleasantly surprised at Mani Shankar's ability to successfully indigenise a Hollywood-style plot.

Film starts with murder of a Revenue Intelligence official on the trail of a multi-crore scam in the money markets. After the titles, Milind Soman steps in as a hi-tech detective helped by a bright (orphan) kid. Soman has been in the Indian Military intelligence under Danny. Danny had fired Soman for overstepping his brief and murdering a corrupt superior of the intelligence agency, who "sold" some info on his subordinate agents. Years later Danny needs Soman for cracking a big DRI case. As the plot unravels the team discovers a 5000 crore scam leading to an Al Queda style terrorist organisation. This is headed by an ISI agent Dost Khan (Gulshan Grover). This baddie was part of the losing Pak Army which surrendered on 16th Dec 1971, i.e. Bangladesh liberation, and has since vowed to "finish Hindustan".

Overall a good movie.

Someone here noted that the film may not do well in rural areas. Not sure I agree because Tehelka has had an effect on the audience, and the kind of gadgetry (cameras, microphones, jammers, computers) used in this film is too good -- would do any Hollywood film proud. As Arthur Clarke has said, any sufficiently advanced science is like magic -- and the rural folk _may_ flock to it for this reason alone.

The director does tend to go overboard on the hi-tech a bit, for example the chess simulation was totally avoidable.

But except for the password cracking whiz kid (who seems to have a "program" for cracking any kind of password :-) all of the electronics gadgetry is plausible.

Software professionals may not be able to digest that kid though :-)

Music is so-so.

Good plot, though it could have been made simpler for rural audiences by skipping some of the drag in New Zealand. First half is snappy and fast-paced leaving one grappling to grasp the story so far. Second half starts off on a slightly sedate pace and there are some "artistic liberties" which mar this otherwise good production.