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By Taran Adarsh, March 30, 2001 - 17:21 IST
Glamour Films' ONE 2 KA 4, directed by Shashilaal Nair, falls short of expectations.
Javed (Jackie Shroff) and Arun (Shah Rukh Khan) are members of a special task force that combats drug trafficking. Their main target is a notorious druglord, KKV (Nirmal Pandey). After a tense encounter, they succeed in arresting him, but KKV, with his powerful connections, is acquitted in court.
Javed's life revolves around his four motherless children. But Arun, who otherwise Javed regards as a younger brother, can't stand the kids. The kids too dislike him and make him the target of their naughty pranks.
Into this idyllic existence, comes a dastardly ambush; a sudden and cruel burst of gunfire that kills Javed. Arun is devastated. He decides that from now on he will look after Javed's orphaned children. But the children hate him and refuse to have anything to do with him.
Arun enlists the help of his roommate Champak (Dilip Joshi), but that too does not work. In sheer desperation, he turns to Geeta (Juhi Chawla), a loud and talkative rustic girl whom Javed had befriended. Geeta comes home with Arun and wins over the children. Slowly but surely, she manages to capture the heart of the stubborn and hot-headed Arun as well.
And then, one day, as Arun tails KKV to a nightclub, he sees him dancing with a stunningly sexy woman. It's Geeta!
Shocked out of his wits, he rushes home and angrily confronts Geeta. She bursts into tears and swears she was at home all the while. The children, too, assure him that she is telling the truth.
Arun is confused but all the more determined to solve the mystery and get to the truth. Who is Geeta? Who killed Javed? Who can Arun trust? Will Arun ever know the truth?
ONE 2 KA 4 suffers in one vital department – script. The narrative is laced with the tried-and-tested punches, thereby giving it a predictable look throughout. This mishmash script lacks freshness, with the viewer knowing exactly how the drama would unfold.
Surprisingly, the story does not move in the initial 45 minutes, but gains momentum after Jackie's murder. Thereafter, right till the interval point, when Shah Rukh spots Juhi in a bar ('Osaka Muraiya'), the film holds the viewer's attention. The narration is fast-paced and the plot thickens.
But soon after the interval, the plot meanders from one track to another, some times focussing on the romance between SRK-Juhi, at times deviating to the children and at other times, focussing on drugs. The main theory, of Jackie's murder and who actually is the culprit, is conveniently forgotten and emerges only towards the pre-climax.
Writers Manoj Lalwani and Raaj Kumar Daahima's script is hackneyed and, to be honest, is the sole factor that takes the film's graph downwards. The duo lack ideas to enthral and keep the viewer entertained. The drama is anything but exciting and the suspense not as intriguing as it should have been. A couple of comedy scenes are definitely enjoyable, but that's mainly because of Juhi's effortless performance.
The much-capable Shashilaal Nair, who is saddled with a weak script, shows sparks in a few scenes only, notable among them being Jackie's murder, Juhi's scenes in Nirmal Pandey's club and a few scenes between SRK and the kids.
A.R. Rahman's music is an asset. The composer has concentrated on melody, with the orchestration not dominating the songs. The sound is indeed different and refreshing. Songs that stand out include 'Khamoshiyaan', 'Osaka Muraiya' and 'I Am Sorry'. However, 'Sona Nahin' should be deleted from the film since it is uncalled for in the goings-on and a hindrance in the narrative.
Shah Rukh delivers a spirited performance, lending dignity to some of the hard-to-digest scenes. But the mediocrity in the script compels him to deliver the same expressions at times. Juhi Chawla is wonderful, contributing immensely to the light scenes in the film. Her Haryanvi dialect will be loved for sure. Jackie Shroff is competent in a brief but significant role. Nirmal Pandey overacts outrageously. Perhaps making faces is what acting is all about, he believes. Raj Zutshi gives a good account of himself.
On the whole, ONE 2 KA 4 is handicapped by a weak script, despite plus factors it has to its credit (SRK's presence, A.R. Rahman's music, vibrant action). The film has precious little to offer in terms of substance, which will curtail its prospects to a major extent. Disappointing!
 
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