By:
Taran
Adarsh,
IndiaFM
Friday,
September
08,
2006
The
general
impression
about
Naksha
is,
it's
a
rip-off
of
an
Indiana
Jones
film.
The
Harrison
Ford
trilogy,
which
entertained
millions
of
moviegoers
worldwide
in
1980s,
is
said
to
be
the
original
source
for
Sachin
Bajaj's
directorial
debut.
That
could
be
true!
Naksha
belongs
to
the
Indiana
Jones
variety,
but
Bajaj
combines
Indian
mythology
with
adventure
and
comes
up
with
a
new
recipe
altogether.
And
the
outcome
is
as
invigorating
and
revitalizing
as
a
cup
of
hot
coffee.
Frankly,
a
film
like
Naksha
transports
you
to
your
adolescent
years,
when
browsing
the
adventure
novels
and
comics
was
your
favorite
pastime.
It's
the
form
of
cinema
that
we'd
forgotten
in
the
hurly-burly
world
of
meaningless
entertainers.
Dream
merchants
are
either
busy
wooing
the
NRIs
or
multiplex
junta.
What
happens
to
the
masses
then,
who
yearn
for
a
desi
film
with
loads
of
entertainment?
Adventure
movies
have
been
attempted
in
Bollywood
earlier
and
Naksha
is
not
the
first
of
its
kind
in
India.
But
Naksha
comes
at
a
time
when
adventure
movies
are
as
good
as
extinct
in
Bollywood.
And
that
is
its
USP.
The
voyage
--
in
dense
forests,
high
mountains
and
deep
ravines
--
as
also
the
death-defying
stunts
compel
you
to
pinch
yourself,
are
you
really
watching
a
Hindi
film?
Stylishly
executed
with
loads
of
money
spent
on
attaining
the
results,
Naksha
comes
across
as
a
thoroughly
enjoyable
joyride.
Sure,
it
has
its
lows,
but
the
highs
are
so
omnipotent
that
you
can't
help
but
let
the
kid
in
you
get
captivated
by
this
adventure.
Most
importantly,
Naksha
heralds
the
birth
of
a
supremely
talented
storyteller
Sachin
Bajaj,
who,
aided
by
his
two
lieutenants,
writers
Milap
Zaveri
and
Tushar
Hiranandani,
tells
you
a
story
that
has
ample
old-world
charm,
but
is
yet
modern
and
believable.
To
sum
up,
the
pre-release
expectations
from
Naksha
may
be
low,
but
the
film
surprises
you
once
the
adventure
begins.
It's
not
only
high
on
gloss,
but
also
entertainment.
For
centuries
men
have
been
in
quest
of
the
secrets
of
our
past.
Hidden
treasures,
fables,
myths,
all
have
driven
generations
to
dedicate
their
life
in
such
pursuits.
The
greed
of
glory
and
power
or
the
thirst
of
knowledge,
whatever
the
reason
may
be...
lives
have
been
lost
but
some
secrets
have
remained
secrets!
Naksha
starts
with
the
search
of
one
such
man,
an
archeologist
named
Professor
Kapil
Malhotra
[Trilok
Malhotra],
who
prefers
to
die
with
the
ancient
map,
rather
than
let
it
fall
into
the
hands
of
evil
[Jackie
Shroff].
Years
later,
his
son
Vicky
[Vivek
Oberoi],
aided
by
a
copy
of
the
same
map
that
he
comes
across
by
chance,
leaves
on
a
journey
to
discover
what
it
was
that
his
father
dedicated
his
life
in
searching.
The
re-emergence
of
this
quest
attracts
the
evil
forces
again,
as
Vicky
is
abducted
by
the
villain's
henchmen.
Help
comes
in
the
guise
of
Vicky's
elder
step-brother
Veer
[Sunny
Deol],
who
is
sent
there
by
Vicky's
mother
[Navni
Parihaar]
to
get
her
son
back.
Vicky
is
grateful
to
be
rescued,
but
not
too
happy
about
his
brother's
mission
to
take
him
back.
Now
starts
a
tug
of
war
between
the
two
brothers.
Along
this
journey,
they
encounter
one
more
ally
in
Ria
[Sameera
Reddy].
Pursued
by
the
villain
and
his
forces
of
darkness,
this
trio
sets
off
on
the
journey
to
unravel
the
mystery
behind
the
map.
Do
they
succeed
in
this
quest?
Are
some
secrets
meant
to
remain
hidden
in
the
mists
of
time?
Or
do
they
see
the
light
of
day?
Naksha
has
bits
of
all
the
three
Indiana
Jones
movies,
but
it
come
close
to
the
first
in
the
series
--
Raiders
of
the
Lost
Ark
[Indiana
Jones
must
retrieve
the
mythic
Lost
Ark
before
it
gets
into
the
hands
of
Adolf
Hitler].
In
this
film,
Vivek
decides
to
unravel
the
mystery
of
the
naksha
before
it
falls
in
the
villain's
hands.
Naksha
gathers
momentum
fifteen
minutes
after
it
takes
off,
when
Vivek,
unexpectedly,
lays
his
hand
on
the
naksha.
But
the
film
gets
interesting
once
Sunny
makes
a
dramatic
entry
in
an
action
scene.
In
fact,
Sunny's
introduction
is
a
highpoint
of
the
enterprise
and
the
masses,
especially
in
the
North
and
the
heartland
of
India,
will
greet
it
with
claps
and
whistles.
There
are
highpoints
galore:
Sunny's
fight
with
the
midgets,
Sunny-Vivek
and
the
jeep
stunt,
the
raft
portion,
Jackie's
first
encounter
with
Sunny-Vivek-Sameera
and
the
jump
from
a
cliff
[awesome!]
and
the
climax.
In
fact,
the
penultimate
reels
are
simply
breath-taking
and
the
spectacular
sets
only
elevate
the
impact.
If
the
action
scenes
are
without
doubt
the
soul
of
the
film,
the
director
and
his
team
of
writers
balance
the
proceedings
with
several
light
moments
that
make
you
flex
your
facial
muscles.
The
snoring
sequence
or
Vivek's
conversation
with
the
chief
of
the
midgets
[Lilliput]
are
two
examples
to
illustrate
the
point.
Also,
the
mythology
aspect
is
beautifully
woven
in
the
script
and
the
animation
[in
the
post-interval
portions]
gives
the
film
a
different
texture.
There
are
loose
ends,
but
they're
trivial.
The
erotic
song
in
the
second
hour
looks
completely
unwarranted.
Was
it
added
to
provide
some
relief
from
the
drama?
It
stands
out
like
a
sore
thumb,
even
though
its
picturization
is
very
stylish.
Also,
the
special
effects,
in
the
last
few
reels,
could
be
better.
Sachin
Bajaj
handles
two
departments
--
writing
and
direction
--
with
aplomb.
The
film
has
style,
but
there's
substance
too.
This
is
amongst
the
finest
directorial
debuts
of
2006.
Naksha
is
also
writers
Milap
Zaveri
and
Tushar
Hiranandani's
most
accomplished
work
so
far.
Their
fundas
are
clear:
Give
the
audience
an
adventure
flick
and
pad
it
up
with
adrenaline
pumping
moments.
Allan
Amin's
action
sequences
deserve
distinction
marks.
The
action
co-ordinator
comes
up
with
stunts
that
truly
match
international
standards.
Pritam's
music
is
racy
and
at
least
two
numbers
deserve
special
mention
--
'U&I'
and
'Shake
It'.
The
sets
[Nitish
Roy]
are
imaginative
and
visually
striking.
Vijay
Arora's
camerawork
is
extra-ordinary.
The
aerial
shots
as
well
as
the
indoor
work
[sets]
are
splendid.
Background
score
is
topnotch.
It's
good
to
see
Sunny
in
form
after
a
long,
long
time.
The
role
doesn't
demand
histrionics,
but
star
power.
His
presence
alone
elevates
a
sequence
to
a
different
level,
but
it's
the
death-defying
stunts
that
he
pulls
off
without
much
of
an
effort
that'll
win
his
fans
back.
In
fact,
Naksha
should
prove
to
be
a
turning
point
in
the
actor's
career.
Vivek
is
decent,
but
he
tends
to
go
over
the
top
in
a
few
light
scenes
with
Sunny.
Although
his
performance
is
just
right,
the
fact
cannot
be
denied
that
Vivek
is
a
cold
proposition
at
the
box-office
and
that
could
affect
the
initial
prospects
of
the
film.
Cast
in
a
negative
role,
Jackie
plays
the
part
with
utmost
conviction.
Sameera
is
alright.
Suhasini
Mulay
and
Navni
Parihaar
have
little
to
do.
Ditto
for
Lilliput.
Mridula
Chandrashekhar
is
okay.
On
the
whole,
Naksha
is
a
solid
entertainer
that
comes
at
a
time
when
there's
a
genuine
vacuum
of
mass-appealing
films.
This
pulse-throbbing
adventure
film
is
aimed
at
the
masses,
who
should
love
it
for
its
interesting
plot,
gripping
screenplay
and
excellent
action.
At
the
box-office,
Naksha
should
work
big
time
in
places
like
Delhi,
Punjab,
Uttar
Pradesh,
Madhya
Pradesh,
Rajasthan
and
Bihar
as
also
in
the
interiors.
Business
will
be
ordinary
at
mutiplexes
[due
to
the
strong
Lage
Raho
Munnabhai
wave,
especially
at
Mumbai,
Delhi
and
other
metros],
but
single
screens
should
be
fantastic.
Go
for
this
adventure!