Armaan -> Review

26th May 2003

After many failed attempts I managed to catch the 10:30 Show of Armaan
the past Saturday and i write here a short review of the movie for
those who may be planning to watch the movie.

Armaan is a story woven around a hospital in a town called 'Chandipur'
which I suspect has been the land of many other films. But what makes
Armaan's 'Chandipur' special is that it stretches from Mussoorie and
Mauritius to South Africa, so naturally it encompasses all the
landscapes: hills, plains, waterfalls, lakes, farms et-cetera
et-cetera. The main protagonists of the movie are all doctors whereas
the antagonist(s) are not, which makes one think whether the 'hidden'
message of the movie is that you have to be a doctor to be nice and
rational and if you aren't, there is something terribly wrong with
you.

Anyway, Amitabh Bachchan plays Dr. Siddharth Sinha who runs the
Hospital. What??? A Hospital in 'Chandipur'!!! and that too complete
with neurosurgeons 'n all, As far as my memory serves me 'Chandipur'
only had Dacoits and evil landlords but now it has a hospital. Imagine
how many lifes could have been saved if there had been a hospital in
'Chandipur' ever since we started making films but.... alas the
patients of 'Chandipur' always had to be taken to the hospital of the
nearest 'shehar' and that too by a bullock-cart and that too at
night... Oh God! what a revolutionary idea to have a hospital in
'Chandipur' of all places, God bless Honey Irani!!!

Dr. Akash Sinha played by Anil Kapoor is the adopted son of the Big B.
Dr. Akash Sinha is a hugely gifted and an equally busy neurosurgeon. I
say gifted because in all the operations he does, the patient has a
very remote chance of survival (upto a maximum of 5%) but he always
comes out with flying colors. And I say 'busy' because it looks like
the people of 'Chandipur' are extremely prone to brain
tumors(endemic???), so Dr. Akash Sinha is perenially busy, infact when
his wife Soniya Kapoor (Preity Zinta) presents her with two tickets to
Switzerland, he refuses to accompany her. Why??? because he has to
perform 9 operations in the next 15 days and cant spare time for
Switzerland(and importantly Preity Zinta), what dedication!!!

Here, It is important to mention the role of Dr. Neha Mathur (played
by Gracy Singh of lagaan fame(???)) who is a part of Dr. Akash Sinha's
Surgical Team and is a anaesthesist par excellence herself. Dr. Akash
Sinha and Dr. Neha Mathur are romantically involved with each other
before the script demands that Dr. Akash marry Soniya Kapoor who
incidentally is the daughter of one Gulshan Kapoor(Randhir Kapoor),
and Gulshan Kapoor is one of the ten richest Indians in the world but
as the script would have it, he also looks like one of the ten most
stupid Indians in the world and the most idle tycoon in the world.

It would be unfair to reveal the story(or the lack of it) of the film
but generally speaking Preity Zinta looks like an ideal candidate for
Vandana Luthra's weight reduction programmes and Anil Kapoor a
candidate for her age reduction programme. Coming to Gracy Singh, she
never looks good but this time the problem is compounded by her lack
of acting abilities. Otherwise, she needs a shave as badly as I do on
my Driving License photograph. The songs featuring Gracy Singh and
Anil Kapoor look like an attempt by middle aged people to re-live
their youth.

Performance-wise, Preity Zinta in this hyperactive 'made for Urmila'
role is irritating at times, As for Gracy Singh, the lesser said the
better, Anil Kapoor is adequate and infact does justice to his
character. And there is a certain Dr. Sanjay who lends a freshness to
the film, his is a likeable cameo in the film. And now coming to the
man himself, The Big B has got three and a half scenes in the film and
little room to perform as he is dead even before the intermission (you
know the director is apologetic about this as Big B's ghost keeps
making a presence post-interval). But in these three and a half
scenes, He delivers your moneys value and especially in the
'waterfall' sequence which is a must-see for all Bachchan fans as you
get the glimpses of the genius that makes Amitabh Bachchan what he
is... Amazing....

All in all you won't return disappointed if your expectations are
reasonable. Passable stuff

Comments/Reactions welcome...
Ankur