Phhir
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 11:24 IST
By Subhash K Jha, Santa Banta News Network
/> Starring Rajneesh Duggal, Adah Sharma, Roshni Chopra

Directed by Girish Dhamija

Rating: **

The best performance in this pretty but listless supernatural thriller comes from the film's producer Vikram Bhatt who plays a sinister extortionist's voice on the telephone.

We never see the character. But it remains the single-most expressive performance in a film suffused with deadpan performers who seem to have traveled all the way to the idyllic British countryside for a vacation.

But then they decided to make a quick thriller to supplement their holiday expenses.

The film exudes a kind of stock-slickness...The rugged castles and the verdant outdoors are well shot. The plot ? Ah....now that is another story...Rajneesh Duggal (know him?) has two lives to portray.He does the needful with the expertise of a trapeze artiste with a sprained ankle.The trip, as they say, is pre-destined.

Adah Sharma's hair and caps suggest she's auditioning for a bar waitresses role in a London-based sequel to Madhur Bhandarkar's Chandni Bar. She's supposed to read minds and predict the future. Wonder what she would have to say about this film!

The film is about a husband's search for his missing wife (played by one Roshni Chopra who provides an all-new definition to a listness debut).

One evening the Duggal chap is supposed to join his wife for dinner at a restaurant. She just doesn't turn up! If she didn't like the food at the restaurant why didn't she just say so?

For the rest of the film Duggal wears the expression of a man who can smell a bad odour. Sharma keeps getting flashes of what's to come.

The only engaging moments in the narration occur when the film's editor rewinds the plot to get a supplementary view on the goings-on.

That apart protagonist's search for his spouse makes none of the impact of, say, Mani Ratnam's Roja where Madhoo's husband was abducted by militants during their honeymoon in Kashmir.

Phhir has neither the political or cultural specification to make the man's search for his wife poignant or even interesting.A Pakistani cop is of no help.

To the aggrieved husband, or to the film.Pravin Bhatt's lucid cinematography and Manish More's savvy editing salvage what looks like a case of a missing spouse who could remain where she is for all we care.
Movie:
Phhir
Reviewed by:
Subhash K Jha
on
and Rated:
2/5
Review Khakee - The Bengal Chapter - Gritty, and Intense!

Netflix’s Khakee: The Bengal Chapter is not your usual cop-vs-criminal drama—it’s a raw and intense crime

Tuesday, April 01, 2025
Kanneda Review - Parmish Verma Shines in a Gripping Gangster Drama!

Set in the aftermath of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Kanneda presents a compelling depiction of a growing

Friday, March 21, 2025
Nadaaniyan Review: A Heartwarming Gen Z Rom-Com with Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor!

The much-anticipated Gen Z romantic comedy 'Nadaaniyan' has finally arrived on Netflix, marking the

Saturday, March 08, 2025
Crazxy Movie Review: A Gripping Thriller That Redefines Suspense Cinema!

Shouldering a film where the protagonist dominates nearly every frame is a formidable challenge for

Friday, February 28, 2025
Mere Husband Ki Biwi Movie Review - A Chaotic Rom-Com with Missed Potential!

Mere Husband Ki Biwi attempts to deliver a quirky romantic comedy but ultimately stumbles due to a

Saturday, February 22, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT