I've
often
been
asked,
what
makes
a
film
different
from
another
bearing
a
similar
storyline?
My
reply
is,
the
execution
of
the
subject
makes
all
the
difference.
Recall
Doosri
Dulhan.
Now
recall
Chori
Chori
Chupke
Chupke.
The
issue
-
surrogate
motherhood
-
isn't
new,
but
if
handled
expertly,
it
would
make
for
an
interesting
viewing.
Sadly,
Life
Express
fails
and
fails
miserably.
The
serious
issue
has
been
tackled
carelessly,
callously
and
amateurishly
and
for
this
reason,
it
comes
across
as
an
exercise
in
boredom.
In
fact,
the
film
falls
flat
at
the
screenplay
level
itself
and
since
the
direction
(Anup
Das)
is
equally
unimaginative,
even
the
talented
actors
in
the
cast
fail
to
redeem
the
enterprise.
Life
Express
tells
the
story
of
an
urban
couple,
Tanvi
(Rituparna
Sengupta)
and
Nikhil
(Kiran
Janjani),
who
have
no
time
to
spend
with
each
other
or
start
a
family.
It
also
tells
the
story
of
Mohan
(Yashpal
Sharma)
and
Gauri
(Divya
Dutta),
who
lead
a
poverty-ridden
life
in
a
village.
The
ambitious
Tanvi
aborts
the
plans
of
having
a
baby
since
she
feels
that
the
impending
pregnancy
will
make
her
skip
her
job
for
a
few
months
and
in
turn,
she
would
lose
out
on
the
golden
opportunities
in
her
career.
Subsequently,
a
common
friend
suggests
the
concept
of
surrogate
motherhood
and
they
decide
to
go
for
it.
Just
when
you
thought
that
Hindi
cinema
is
evolving
and
first-time
directors
are
ready
to
experiment
with
hitherto
untold
stories,
a
film
like
Life
Express
makes
you
change
your
opinion.
The
director
had
a
solid
plot
on
hand,
but
first
the
writer
ruins
it
with
an
impoverished
screenplay
and
subsequently,
the
director
wrecks
it
by
showing
no
maturity,
as
far
as
execution
of
the
material
is
concerned.
In
fact,
barring
the
sequence
in
the
end
-
when
Divya
makes
Rituparna
realize
the
importance
of
being
a
mother
-
the
writing
is
lackadaisical
and
boring
at
most
places.
Besides,
the
story
also
unravels
at
a
snail's
pace.
Who's
got
the
patience?
The
songs
are
also
a
sore
point.
Rituparna
Sengupta
is
a
fine
actor,
but
is
bland
here.
Kiran
Janjani
is
miscast.
Divya
Dutta
is
the
sole
actor
who
acts
convincingly.
Yashpal
Sharma,
as
Divya's
husband,
is
okay.
Dayashankar
Pandey
provides
some
comic
relief.
Vijayendra
Ghatge,
Anjan
Srivastava
and
Alok
Nath
are
wasted.
On
the
whole,
Life
Express
is
a
lifeless
experience.
Director:
Anup
Das
Cast:
Kiran
Janjani,
Rituparna
Sengupta,
Divya
Dutta,
Yashpal
Sharma,
Alok
Nath,
Nandita
Puri
Story first published: Monday, September 20, 2010, 15:44 [IST]