Review of Kurbaan (2009) by Pranav K — 24 Nov 2009

This is possibly the best of the US-Iraq-Islam-terrorism link that has been sprawned in recent hindi cinema. Its bevy of religious and fundamentalist critique struggles to find its place, often tending towards sermon, but Kurbaan, like 'New York', earlier this year, has important things to say, but unlike New York, it does so through a better made and more accomplished film. There is the lack of plausibilty that we have seen in all films of this genre thus far, a lack of an ability to grasp the nuances of international terrorism. The sleeper cells could be local gang hideouts for all we know, and when those puny men claiming to be terrorists threaten to thrust upon America a tragedy worthy of 9/11, it sounds regrettably comic. But thankfully, Rensil D Silva doesn't harbour on anything for too long. If he irritates you with needlessly loud and farcial action sequences, he makes up for it with a few scenes which are so exceptionally disturbing that you simply have to prise your eyes away from the screen. Many hindi films have had the tag of love, blood and terrorism in it. Very few live up to it. But here, the blood is plentiful and the love is heavily platonic. This can only be a step forward from the dissapointment that was New York.

Kareena Kapoor is charmingly natural when she's engaged in heavy activity but she's irritatingly persuasive in the romance. Saif is mostly pedestrian, and Vivek is solid and genuine throughout, but it is the supporting roles that catch the eye amidst the hullabullo of the action. Dia Mirza has one of her better outings, Om Puri is remiscent of his East is East heydays.

A final word on the camerawork and the editing. They are the best things about the film. A dazzling palate of colour lights up both Delhi and New York, and the narrative is smartly renderred into many breakneck segments with its frequent cuts.

Do not expect anything remarkably new in Kurbaan. Just go and watch a film that is much closer to completeness than the others in its genre. And also for one of the better performances from Kareena Kapoor.