The Film: Ittefaq
Synopsis:

Sure to keep cinema halls empty

Crown Films' Ittefaq directed by Sanjay Khanna and produced by Asoo Nihalani and Raj Lalchandani is a routine flick with a lot of confusion in it. In the making for a long time, what makes it worse for the film is that it carries a stale look. To begin with, the story of the film has nothing new to offer while the script is highly convoluted tadding to the confusion. Although Ittefaq is the third film of director Sanjay Khanna and Sunil Shetty together after Anth and Shastra but they seem to be stuck in a groove not wanting to come out of it. This movie is no better than the previous ones Khanna and Shetty did together if not worse.

Starring Sunil Shetty, Anupama Verma, Mukul Dev, Pooja Batra, Shakti Kapoor, Ashok Saraf, Kader Khan and Mohan Joshi, the story has Mukul Dev running from his village and coming to Bombay. He looks out for a job for a living, but ends up as an eyewitness to a murder. He is on the run as the gangsters are after his life. On the other hand, Pooja Batra runs away from her house because her father Kader Khan wants to marry her off to a rich boy whom she disapproves. Pooja and Mukul meet each other and fall in love.

Sunil Shetty plays a cop turned gangster who is hired to find this couple. Though he was a policeman, Sunil had no choice but to take the law in his own hands since the corruption affected his own life. Sunil succeeds in his mission, but when he hears their story, it brings back fresh memories of his late lady love Anupama Verma and ultimately decides to protect them. Needless to say that ultimately the film ends on a predictably happy note.

The film defies logic and the audience sensibilities are taken for granted. Scenes have been incorporated in the film according to the whims and fancies of the director. And that could be the reason why in a film that is supposed to be a crime thriller you have all the ingredients that make a potboiler. Be it action, romance, emotion, dances, item song or comedy but a lot of comedy in the film is unintentional.

Technically too it is a sub standard fare. Whether it is the cinematography or the editing. Music by Dilip Sen- Sameer Sen in the film is listless too. Songs just pop in and out as per the convenience of the director.

The less said about the performances the better because no actor in the film seems to be interested in the proceedings and they just sleep walk through their parts. Sunil Shetty is good in parts but overall is a disappointment. Pooja Batra and Anupama Verma have hardly much to do in the film. Mukul Dev looks out of sorts. Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Mohan Joshi and Ashok Saraf perform mechanically.

On the whole, Ittefaq will prove to be an also ran at the box offiice.