After Qalandar, Joginder reviews Rajesh Khanna’s WAFAA :-)

Guess you overtook me here Qalandar

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/dvdreview/13729/index.html

DVD Review – WAFAA

By Joginder Tuteja, January 23, 2009 – 14:31 IST

MOVIE DETAILS

Cast: A down-and-out Rajesh Khanna with a bunch of complete non-actors Director: Rakesh ‘I wanna be a director’ Sawant
Producer: Rajesh Agarwal, K K Agarwal (We will take away that one last fan of Rajesh Khanna)
Music: Ravi Pawar, Sayed Ahmed (We will make you forget that Rajesh Khanna once enjoyed 20 chartbusters a year)
Lyrics: Shab Ilhabadi (I am thinking the same as the composer was)

THE FILM

Now before someone accuses me of bringing home a soft porn film, let me admit that I was, in some sadistic way, actually looking forward to watching this film. I cursed my neighborhood multiplex management when they informed me a few weeks back that they wouldn’t release Wafaa on any of the screens. Their argument was that they suspected it would dent the collections of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi which had released a week earlier. Also, Aamir Khan had apparently threatened that he would walk straight into the auditoriums where Wafaa was playing and unleash his eight-pack abs to challenge the hairy chest of Rajesh Khanna that the veteran ex-superstar proudly flaunts at more than one instance.

To ensure that there is no Rajesh Khanna/Shah Rukh Khan/Aamir Khan clash, multiplexes decided to keep Wafaa on hold and release it a few weeks later. Of course, by the time Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Ghajini euphoria settled down, Akshay Kumar’s Chandni Chowk To China got ready for release. Since it was ‘ghar-ke-andar-ki-baat’, ‘damaad’ Akshay and ’sasur’ Khanna decided to explore different markets instead of colliding with each other. Akshay saw a tie up with Warner Bros. for Chandni Chowk to China and Rajesh Khanna’s film tied up with the likes of Angadee and Ek Bar Dhol Bajao Na [more details in 'Packaging' section] to make it straight into the bed rooms.

Yes, that’s the story of Wafaa!

While dialogues are simply priceless (‘Main Ek Banjar Aurat Ban Ke Reh Gayi’, ‘Mera Pati Mujhe Kuch Nahi De Saka’, ‘Aaj Tum Kar Paaoge Naa’ etc. etc. etc.), the way they are spoken by the leading lady Sara Khan makes you cringe into your seats. That’s not all as Rajesh Khanna, who plays her ‘double the age’ husband, still treats his sex starved wife as a doll and romances her as if he was in the park with his ex-heroines like Asha Parekh and Sharmila Tagore!

‘Arrey Tu To Pagli Hai Re’, ‘Main Tujhe Pyaar Karta Hoon Re’, ‘Ye Re’, ‘Wo Re’. Come on, ‘Ab Bas Bhi Re’!

To add insult to the injury, the supporting cast comprises of a bunch of extras who have suddenly been elevated to second leads. Since the film has parts of it shot in Bangkok, a couple of Thai actors are roped in but it turns out that they themselves are as bad an actor as thousands of their counterparts who are looking for roles in Mumbai film industry.

Storyline? Well, the worst episodes of 45 minutes so-called suspense shows that were telecast on Doordarshan used to have a better storyline perhaps. The leading lady here heaves her bosom from first frame of the film till the second last one before turning mad. However, before she ’starts getting into a doosri duniya’ (as said by Rajesh Khanna who seems to be getting mad at her turning mad), the director ensures that the audience certainly fears blaming himself/herself for being simply mad at even trying to play on this lust/thrills/romance/crime se bharpoor drama!

PACKAGING

Wafaa comes in a 3-in-1 DVD pack (in cheap paper packing) that sees two other titles that go as ‘Angadaee’ and hold your breath ‘Ek Baar Dhol Bajao Na’ (yes, you read it right)! Yes, it’s one helluva soft-porn outing in the offering!

DURATION

The film’s duration is 120 minutes

SPECIAL FEATURES

The DVD doesn’t come with any special features.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

- NO 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
- NO subtitles
- No sound options
- All in all, NO NO NO. Add to that some poor picture quality as well!

PRICE

Rs. 54/=

CONCLUSION

Par picture abhi baaki hai mere dost, so suno! ‘Gaur naal sunana’, as says Akshay in his promotional track for Chandni Chowk To China! Well, as it turns out, Wafaa is one amusingly shocking example of a film where Rajesh Khanna has mimicked himself from frame one till the last.

Rating: *