Marigold
Monday, August 20, 2007 15:37 IST
By Subhash K Jha, Santa Banta News Network
/> Starring Salman Khan, Ali Larter, Nandana Sen
Directed by Willard Caroll
Rating: **

Two things puzzled me deeply at the end of this aesthetically-shot benign cross-cultural romance between a B-grade Hollywood actress and a Bollywood choreographer.

Why does Salman insist on being called Prem or Sameer in most of his films? A homage to his two filmmaker-buddies Sooraj Barjatya and Sanjay Bhansali?

And.... . did Gulshan Grover dub the one syllable ("Yes") that he gets to utter? Playing the strong and silent haveli guard, a la Bachchan in Vinod Chopra's Eklavya (another homage??) Grover scowls at everyone in sight specially Salman romancing his American mehmaan from across the 'sloven' seas.

To begin wuth Marigold (Ali Larter) is unbathed, misbehaved, misinformed and Miss Incorrigible all the way.

In her journey from the US to India she lies to get a seat, talks loudly and rudely on her phone after takeoff is announced, screams at the cabbie in Mumbai and sneers at the kind helpful production controller (Suchitra Pillai) who 's given the thankless task of informing the bratty b-grader from Hollywood that the film she came to shoot in India has been shelved.

Then of course, Marigold mishehaves some more.

Soon we get to know why.

"I've never done a film which doesn't have a number in front of the title. . Basic Instrinct 3, Fatal Attraction 4.... After every film of mine my father leaves me a voice- mail message asking how much lower I'll fall, " she tells the calm cool and captivating choreographer.

Soon, they are serenading each other on the Goan beaches and then in the stunning Rajasthani havelis where the narrative shifts in the second-half.

The choreographer- meets –B-grader scenes have some charm in the first -half, thanks to Salman's innate charisma. For reasons best know to him and his American director, his eyes are mostly wet in the movie, making this a kind of 'moist-see' experience.

A dry spell begins in the Rajasthani splendour of the deserts where Prem wants to marry Marigold but he's betrothed to a human Christmas tree (played by an out-of-sorts Nandana Sen) who loves the American guest Barry (Ian Bohen) who loved Marigold before he loved the Christamas Tree in Jodhpur when she was in the US.

Before the two pairs of moonstruck lovers find their right partners the narrative hems and haws and hiccups to a point of no return.

Jeez, whoever said the path to love was easy!

It's strewn with thorns as Salman and his American co-star perform some appallingly choreographed numbers (tuned with lip-parching nonchalance by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy) before the wedding shehnai is heard loud and clear.

At the end of it all Marigold isn't such a bad film. It has some sassy lines and an ultra-cool Salman who swings from sweep-waltz to sleepwalk in the blink of a (moist) eye.

There're lots of digs at Bollywood (Vikas Bhalla plays a very bad actor rather well) and Hollywood (the sequel mania which has gripped our cinema has its origins in Bush-land).

But Marigold Lexton needn't fear another number added to her repertoire.

No chance of Marigold 2 at all.
Movie:
Marigold
Reviewed by:
Subhash K Jha
on
and Rated:
0/5
I Want To Talk Movie Review - A Bittersweet Tale of Grief, Hope, and Resilience!

Shoojit Sircar's films often delve deep into themes of grief, death, and the enduring hope that arises from life's darkest moments. His latest film, I Want To Talk, follows in the footsteps of his previous works like Piku and October, exploring loneliness, the

Friday, November 22, 2024
'The Sabarmati Report' Review - A Riveting Tale of Media, Politics, and the Godhra Tragedy!

Vikrant Massey makes a striking return to the big screen with The Sabarmati Report, a gripping film that revisits one of the most debated events in India's recent history'the Godhra train

Saturday, November 16, 2024
Devara - Part 1 Makes Waves at the Box Office with Rs. 77 Crore Opening Day Collection!

Devara: Part 1 made a remarkable entrance at the box office on its opening day, grossing Rs 77 crore across all languages, as reported by industry tracker Sacnilk. The action drama, directed by

Saturday, September 28, 2024
Taaza Khabar Season 2 Review - A Missed Opportunity for Freshness!

The highly anticipated Taaza Khabar Season 2 featuring Bhuvan Bam returns with his character Vasant Gawde, diving into the world of fresh news updates. Alongside Bam, the show

Friday, September 27, 2024
Yudhra Review - A Bumpy Ride Through Action and Chaos!

Ehsaan Loy composing the music, all the elements seem to point to a cinematic success. However, in 2024, audiences have become harder to impress, and despite these heavyweights, Yudhra fails

Saturday, September 21, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT