Vijay
Anand's
evergreen
classics
Teesri
Manzil
and
Jewel
Thief
have
been
inspirations
for
many
a
film-maker
over
the
decades.
A
number
of
films
have
borrowed
from
these
two
classics
that
are
rightfully
acknowledged
as
textbooks
in
film-making.
Director
Rohit
Shetty
also
seems
like
a
big
fan
of
Teesri
Manzil,
since
the
script
of
his
third
outing
Sunday
is
structured
on
those
lines.
But,
in
actuality,
Sunday
is
inspired
by
the
Telugu
film
Anukokunda
Oka
Roju
[2005].
A
lady
is
murdered
at
the
very
outset
and
the
pieces
of
the
jigsaw
puzzle
are
fixed
in
an
interesting
and
stylish
way.
Any
whodunit
works
if
and
only
if
the
needle
of
suspicion
points
at
the
various
assorted
characters
all
through
the
narrative.
And
Sunday
has
that
quality,
it
keeps
you
guessing!
As
a
storyteller,
Shetty
whitewashes
his
previous
highly
competitive
works
[
Zameen,
Golmaal
]
and
comes
up
with
his
most
watchable
experience
so
far.
Oh
yes,
there
are
glitches
[in
the
second
hour
specifically]
and
Shetty
should've
taken
care
of
them,
but
let's
not
fuss
over
trivial
matters.
To
sum
up,
Sunday
strikes
the
right
balance
between
the
two
diverse
genres
[suspense,
comedy].
It's
a
film
that
holds
appeal
more
for
the
aam
junta,
not
for
the
hard-nosed
critics.
Sunday
can
be
summed
up
in
four
words:
Engaging,
engrossing,
entertaining
and
enjoyable!
A
dead
body
found
floating
in
a
lake...
Unexplained
scratch
marks
on
her
neck...
Supari
killers
out
to
kill
her...
A
taxi
driver
who
yells
'bhoot,
bhoot'
every
time
he
sees
her...
Sehar's
[
Ayesha
Takia
]
world
turns
topsy-turvy
when
she
gets
a
clue
about
the
missing
Sunday
of
her
life,
which
points
to
a
possible
violent
attack
on
her.
A.C.P.
Rajveer
[
Ajay
Devgan
]
takes
up
the
case
to
sort
out
the
complicated
and
jumbled
up
threads
of
Sehar's
life.
In
the
process
of
solving
Sehar's
case,
it
comes
to
light
that
on
Sunday,
different
people
interacted
with
her
and
amongst
them,
one
could
be
the
accused.
The
lot
included
Ballu
[
Arshad
Warsi
],
the
taxi
driver
and
his
friend
Kumar
[Irrfan
Khan],
a
struggling
actor,
Ritu
[Anjana
Sukhani],
Sehar's
close
friend,
a
scary
and
suspicious
character
[Murli
Sharma],
who
resides
in
Sehar's
society
and
the
group
whom
she
had
come
across
while
partying
at
the
discotheque.
Rajveer
is
convinced
that
Sehar
is
innocent,
but
he
is
also
equally
sure
that
she
is
linked
to
everything.
Is
Sehar
really
as
innocent
as
she
claims
to
be?
Even
though
the
two
genres
[suspense,
comedy]
move
concurrently,
the
suspense
element
isn't
heavy
on
your
mind
and
nor
are
the
comic
portions
of
the
nonsensical
variety
that
one
laughs
at
the
spur
of
the
moment
and
forgets
all
about
them
the
very
next
moment.
The
funda
is
clear:
Make
a
wholesome
entertainer
that
works
for
an
avid
moviegoer.
Although
the
story
isn't
path-breaking,
the
screenplay
[K.
Subhaash,
Robin
Bhatt
and
Tushar
Hiranandani]
holds
your
attention
all
through
the
first
hour.
The
writing
is
highly
competent
in
this
hour.
It's
only
in
the
second
half
that
things
slow
down.
Reason?
There's
an
unwanted
song
['Pyaar
To
Hona
Hi
Hai']
and
an
unrequired,
long-drawn
chase
[with
cars
somersaulting
in
the
air],
that
tapers
the
impact.
Even
the
climax
should've
been
more
convincing.
The
shock-value
--
so
vital
when
the
murderer's
identity
is
unveiled
--
is
missing
in
the
end.
Also,
a
more
prominent
actor
would've
only
enhanced
the
impact.
The
screenplay
writers
should've
worked
harder
on
the
second
hour,
since
that's
the
most
important
aspect
of
any
whodunit.
Yet,
all
said
and
done,
director
Rohit
Shetty
steers
the
film
through
turbulent
waters
with
his
expert
execution.
The
songs
--
by
various
music
composers
--
give
the
film
a
varied
sound.
'Kashmakash'
[Shibani
Kashyap]
is
the
best
of
the
lot.
Filmed
on
Esha
Deol
[excellent],
the
song
boasts
of
an
imaginative
picturization.
'Manzar'
[Raghav
Sachar]
is
another
winner.
This
one's
filmed
on
Tusshar
[dances
very
well];
it
has
a
catchy
beat
and
an
equally
arresting
choreography.
The
stunts
[Jai
Singh]
are
stylishly
executed.
Aseem
Bajaj's
cinematography
is
topnotch.
He
proves
yet
again
that
he's
amongst
the
best
in
the
business.
Dialogues
[Sajid-Farhad]
are
admirable;
very
much
in
snyc
with
the
mood
of
the
film.
The
sets,
especially
in
the
Esha
Deol
track,
are
awesome.
The
performances
are
likable!
Known
for
intense
roles,
Ajay
Devgan
shows
a
flair
for
comic
moments
and
gets
it
right.
Sunday
would
only
multiply
his
fan-following
since
the
actor
has
started
deviating
into
areas
that
he
seldom
visited
as
an
actor.
As
always,
Arshad
Warsi
is
in
terrific
form.
It's
a
treat
to
watch
him
essay
his
role
with
such
precision.
Irrfan
is
another
actor
who
surprises
you
all
the
while.
In
fact,
this
combo
--
Arshad
and
Irrfan
--
compliment
each
other
very
well.
Ayesha
Takia
is
a
complete
natural.
The
best
thing
about
her
is,
she
never
makes
you
feel
she's
acting.
She
just
slips
into
her
role
so
well.
Her
introduction
--
her
dubbing
for
an
animation
film
--
is
excellent.
Anjana
Sukhani
doesn't
get
any
scope.
Mukesh
Tiwari
is
first-rate.
Murli
Sharma,
Vrajesh
Hirjee
and
Ali
Asgar
are
alright.
On
the
whole,
Sunday
is
a
well-made
entertainer
that
has
the
potential
to
click
with
moviegoers.
It
also
has
the
advantage
of
having
open
weeks
ahead,
with
no
major
opposition
till
15th
February.
Should
end
the
drought
that
the
industry
is
facing
after
a
flurry
of
flops.