jurm

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Vikram Bhatt! A name that is next to “copycat” or “inspired” in the dictionary. Most filmmakers tend to copy or draw inspirations from Southern films, Hollywood films, or other Bollywood films. Vikram Bhatt is a master of all 3 by creating Jurm.

Over the last few years, I have enjoyed some of his films: Ghulam, Kasoor, Awara Paagal Deewana, and Raaz, but yet, Bhatt seems to have lost his touch. The movies made recently did not have the same impact as some of his other successes. A few weeks ago, audiences had to sit through the mediocre Elaan. This week, Jurm hits theatres. So is it good?

Well, its not as bad as one would think. Our story begins with a successful buisnessman Avinash (Bobby Deol). He has good looks, charm, and a beautiful wife Sanjana (Lara Dutta). In a shocking twist, shown rather early in the film, Avinash is arrested for the murder of his wife. Avinash entrusts the case to his good friend Rohit (Milind Soman). The other woman in Avinash’s life, who loves him, is Sonia (Gul Panag).

The question is: Who has committed the JURM (Crime)? Who murdered Sanjana and why was Avinash framed?

So, there are some suspenseful sequences in Jurm, most of the secrets get revealed quickly, and the second half becomes painfully predictable. Don’t you just hate it when that happens? This is where Jurm fails to make an impact. The climax is always the best place to reveal a mystery to keep the viewer interested. Well, I’ll admit the movie is still worth one watch for different reasons.

Performance wise, Bobby Deol is in full form. He may not be the most popular star in India, but he always acts with confidence and is competent in his roles. His pairing with Lara Dutta is good because she seems to perform well with him. So far, Lara Dutta has acted well in Andaaz, Masti, Bardaasht, and now Jurm. She definitely had a good role for this film, and she shows off some of her talent. Rather than signing any film coming her way, she should think about the role in order to be taken more seriously. Milind Soman is average. Gul Panag is also adequate, her role did not demand too much. Direction by Bhatt is average, but I’ll give him credit that some suspense scenes are quite good and he got the best performances from his stars.

Music by Anand Raj Anand and Anu Malik is typical romantic tunes and other necessary film numbers, with only “Meri Chahaton Ka” being the pick of the lot.

Overall, check it out once if you want to see what Bhatt has come up with this time.