<i>Aksar </i>

Courtesy: Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM

In this fast-changing scenario, the concept of Hindi films has undergone a radical change. If Hawas, Murder and Aitraaz spoke of married women cheating on their husbands behind their back, Aksar goes a step further: In this film, the wife blatantly cheats on her husband right in front of his eyes. Piping hot concept, isn't it?

Aksar, directed by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, takes a look at relationships. The story isn't about two men fighting for a woman. This one has a complex theme. In terms of storyline, Aksar does push the envelope, but the question is, will the orthodox Indian moviegoer digest the theme?

Aksar has an out of the box kind of a plot: A millionaire hiring a casanova to have an affair with his wife, the millionaire-husband then catching the wife red-handed in an uncompromising position in the bedroom, the wife not regretting her decision... the concept, though bold, is extremely modern for the Indian audiences.

But the biggest flaw lies in the penultimate reels, which can be guessed after a point and most importantly, the cat-n-mouse game is hardly the type that would appeal to a viewer. In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to state that the ending cannot be deciphered easily.

At best, Aksar has lilting music [Himesh Reshammiya] and individualistic sequences as highs, but the lows outweigh, overshadow and outnumber the plusses completely.

Ricky [Emraan Hashmi] is a leading fashion photographer, who carries his heart on his sleeve. He's an absolute womanizer. The film begins with Ricky getting a call from Sheena [Udita Goswami], who asks him to meet her in a gym. Once there, the two have a showdown since Ricky had used and dumped Sheena's friend Nisha [Tara Sharma]. A heartbroken Nisha had even contemplated attempting suicide.

Three years later, Ricky is about to hold an exhibition of his creations, when a millionaire walks in and buys the entire lot even before the exposition has begun. The millionaire, Rajveer aka Raj [Dino Morea], has a pre-condition: Ricky should make Raj's wife Sheena fall in love with him [Ricky]. Ricky is perplexed, for he fails to understand why a husband would hire someone to have an affair with his wife. But Raj explains that he wants Sheena to divorce him and this would be possible only when she falls in love with another man.

Ricky flies to London -- that's where Raj and Sheena live in a splendid mansion -- and starts playing his cards. Sheena detests the presence of Ricky at first, but the hatred transforms into love gradually.

The plan seems to be working perfect. Raj catches Ricky and Sheena red-handed, but instead of regretting her decision, she hits back at Raj: If he can have extra-marital affairs, so can she. Raj is stunned, he feels his game plan has gone kaput.

Realizing that Sheena wouldn't divorce him, Raj turns to Ricky, tells him to pack his bags and return to India. But now Ricky does a somersault. He's enjoying using a rich woman and staying in the lap of luxury. Raj is stunned again. It's a clear case of double crossing...

Mix Unfaithful and Indecent Proposal, add a dash of Bollywood masala, shake it, stir it and the plot of Aksar is ready. Yet, despite the inspirations, it must be noted that the plot of the film does seems inventive. But, to be honest, a subject like this has its limitations.

Director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan unfolds the plot gradually. The story actually gathers momentum when Emraan accepts the proposal and arrives in London. The twist in the tale -- Udita refusing to divorce Dino -- only raises the expectations of a better second half. The post-interval portions also start well and with another twist in the tale [one of the characters is murdered], you only wait for a nail-biting, nerve-racking finish. But the climax, although novel, is just not happening for the aforesaid reasons.

From the scripting point of view, the fault lies in the pre-climax. The hidden camera bit looks contrived/false mainly because the camera is concealed behind a wall. If the camera was hidden behind a wall all through, how could it capture the entire murder episode with such clarity? The hidden camera plays a crucial role in turning the tables, so the end should've been more logical.

After handling light entertainers [Dil Vil Payar Vyar, Dil Maange More], director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan explores a new genre this time: Thriller/suspense saga. To Ananth's credit, the director has handled a few sequences deftly [especially the pre-interval portion], but the impact a thriller ought to make is missing, partly because the climax is a downer. Also, the story unfolds at a lethargic pace all through.

Himesh Reshammiya's music is a scoring point. 'Jhalak Dikhlaja' and 'Lagi Lagi Lagi' are chartbusters already and the two songs only accentuate the goings-on. But the placement of the Himesh Reshammiya track in the end ['Mohabbat Ki Guzarish'] doesn't serve any purpose. Cinematography is of standard; the locales of London give the film a visually stunning look. Dialogues are witty at places.

Aksar revolves around three characters, but if there's anyone who stands out at the end of the day it's Udita Goswami. She may not be a great actor, but she nevertheless drives the movie with conviction. The generous display of skin show only makes her a favorite.

Emraan Hashmi is efficient, but the problem is he's getting repetitive. Right from Murder, Aashiq Banaya Aapne to the recent Jawani Diwani, the skirt chaser-serial kisser bit is getting too much. Dino Morea looks suave, acts ably, but needs to work hard on dialogue delivery. Tara Sharma doesn't get much scope. Rajat Bedi is adequate. Suresh Menon is okay.

On the whole, Aksar has hit music as its trump card, but a difficult-to-absorb theme and lackluster screenplay will only go against it. At the box-office, this one's a disappointment!