Shabd Movie Review

Hindi cinema is truly evolving and the new directors and writers on the block are attempting stories that defy the set rules of commercial cinema.

But in an effort to come up with a refreshingly different tale, certain films deviate into areas that are abstract and bizarre. And that's where they falter!

SHABD is a prime example of this statement.

Yes, SHABD is a love triangle, but in this film the husband [Sanjay Dutt] encourages his wife [Aishwarya Rai] to have an extra-marital affair with her colleague [Zayed Khan], so that the husband could incorporate life-like, realistic situations in his current novel.

Can it ever get more bizarre than this?

Debutante writer-director Leena Yadav ought to know that certain topics are taboo for Indian audiences. Besides, which man in his right senses would tell his wife to have an extra-marital affair if they love each other passionately? And guess what? The dedicated wife also agrees to this weird and uncanny arrangement. All this for the sake of a novel.

Sorry, the very premise of the story is faulty!

Leena Yadav has had a dream debut. With fabulous producers like Pritish Nandy and Rangita Pritish Nandy and A-list actors like Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai on her side, Leena should've come up with a riveting fare.

But after you've watched SHABD, you realize that not all directors are capable of delivering the goods. SHABD is a stylish fare without doubt, but the script, mainly the screenplay in the second half, is so baffling that the viewer wants to tear his hair in disgust.

Sad, Leena let go of a golden opportunity from under her nose!

SHABD tells the story of Shaukat [Sanjay Dutt], a gifted writer who's reeling from the critical failure of his last novel. Antra [Aishwarya Rai], his reticent and sensitive wife, supports him indisputably. To regain his command on writing, Shaukat decides to incorporate his story into his real life.

Antra comes across Yash [Zayed Khan], a man who's impossible not to fall in love with. However, she does not show any romantic inclination towards him until her husband Shaukat asks her to indulge in a relationship with Yash for the sake of his story.

Shaukat strongly believes that the real life escapades between Antra and Yash will add meat and heat to his story. But little does Shaukat realize that Antra is actually fascinated by Yash. And then comes the twist in his story that he hadn't anticipated.

But by the time Shaukat tries to change the direction in which his novel [and also his real life] is heading into, it's a bit too late.

Besides a weird plot, SHABD suffers grossly in the screenplay department. Soon after the characters are established and Sanju encourages Ash to have an affair with Zayed, Ash refuses Sanju's proposal instantaneously because, [i] she's a married woman and [ii] she loves her husband dearly.

Ash even tells Sanju that the next time Zayed tries to get [over] friendly with her, she'd reveal her marital status to him.

But, in the very next scene, when Zayed continues to flirt with Ash and even broaches the topic of his dream woman [hinting at Ash], she continues to sit right next to him and even cracks a joke. Why didn't she tell him then and there that she's already married? Why didn't she nip it in the bud?

In fact, Ash conceals her marital status right till the pre-climax, though she's torn by the guilt all the while. Why?

More strange things occur in the screenplay! Sanju drops by in the college [Ash and Zayed are professors] during lunch break and when he looks at Zayed, he has a content look on his face because, in his eyes, Zayed fits the role of the lover to the T. Strange, isn't it? The husband approving the wife's lover!

In the post-interval portions, the viewer is in a dilemma. You often wonder who's more confused - Sanju or Leena Yadav? Sanju suddenly gets possessive of his wife, then advices her to meet her lover, then starts shedding buckets of tears, then lands up in a mental asylum, then wants to dance with his wife, then there's a song... Really, what was the director thinking when she chose this script?

The only complimentary thing about Leena's direction is that she has handled a few sequences well. Like, the intimate moments between Sanju and Ash are handled aesthetically. Even the sequences between Sanju and the domestic help Rajani [Sadia Siddiqui] are interesting.

Music [Vishal-Shekhar] is melodious and very much with the times. In fact, a couple of songs do stand out - 'Khoya Khoya Thha Duniya Ki Raahon Mein', 'Chahaton Ka Silsila' and 'Sholo Se' [picturized brilliantly]. Another winning score from the duo! Cinematography [Aseem Bajaj] is excellent. The film is visually striking.

Sanjay Dutt enacts his part well. The sober look - crew-cut hairstyle, glasses et al - suits him well. Aishwarya Rai takes to the role with conviction. And like always, the screen fills up with her persona.

Zayed Khan is a complete miscast. He doesn't look like a college professor and even otherwise, doesn't have the maturity to carry off the role with precision. Sadia Siddiqui is very effective. Kamini Khanna, as the nosey professor, goes overboard.

On the whole, SHABD is too abstract to appeal to the traditional Indian audiences. At the box-office, the film will find it difficult to stay afloat after its first weekend. Poor show!