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By Taran Adarsh, October 8, 2004 - 16:24 IST
There are thrillers that give you the chills. But there are those you’d like to forget the moment you’re out of the auditorium. WAJAHH – A REASON TO KILL belongs to the latter category!
The problem with WAJAHH – A REASON TO KILL is that it tries too hard to keep you on tenterhooks. But, like most Hindi films, the screenplay is the culprit here as well.
The film has two stories running parallel – the murder mystery and a love triangle, with two women loving the same man. Even that can be overlooked, but the climax [so vital in a film like this!] is more of an anti-climax that ruins whatever minimal impact the first half had generated.
Dr. Aditya [Arbaaz Khan], a well-known neurosurgeon, is in absolute love with his wife Trishna [Gracy Singh]. Being a successful doctor, he is preoccupied with work and hence doesn’t spend much time with her.
Trishna gets this recurring dream of someone trying to kill her. She doesn’t talk about it to Aditya because she knows he won’t believe her. One fateful night, someone breaks their glass-window with a stone and sends out a message written in blood!
Even before Trishna could overcome this shock, Raj [Zulfi Syed], a friend of Samir [Sudesh Berry], foretells that Aditya will murder his wife. A scared Trishna starts suspecting Aditya.
Things begin to worsen between Aditya and Trishna with the arrival of Ishita [Shamita Shetty] on the scene. Ishita loves Dr. Aditya and starts meeting him on a regular basis. Trishna confronts Aditya, but he reassures her that Ishita is a mere patient.
The story takes a turn when Trishna’s close friend Sonia [Akruti Mistry] is murdered in their house. Inspector Bholenath [Satish Kaushik], who is investigating the case, suspects Aditya of foul play. Will Trishna’s nightmare come true?
The story [Tony Mirchandani] had all the trappings of a taut thriller. But the screenplay [Sandeep Patel] is so lopsided that the outcome is plain lackluster.
The screenplay is slipshod and leaves several questions unanswered –
- Why does Arbaaz behave in a strange fashion all the while? He’s supposed to be a neurosurgeon, but his behaviour, at times, compels you to think that it is he who needs to consult a psychiatrist.
- The Sudesh Berry track in the film seems forced. The needle of suspicion points towards him when he reveals that Arbaaz had unsuccessfully operated upon his girlfriend. But, thereafter, Berry is always relegated to the background. Why?
- Where does Shamita suddenly disappear after slashing her wrists, soon after Gracy has confronted her? And why does she suddenly resurface in the end? And what mental disorder is she suffering from?
- The end – when the face of the killer is unveiled and the motive is explained – seems okay. But despite knowing everything, why doesn’t Arbaaz expose the killer to the cops?
Director Gautam Adhikari tries hard to keep you on the edge, but his execution, thanks to an inefficient script, gives away. Anand Raaj Anand’s music is strictly okay. The Daler Mehndi track and the one filmed on Shamita [‘Yeh Zamana’] are hummable. Cinematography [S.R.K. Moorthy] is functional. Dialogues [Galib Asad Bhopali] are outright predictable.
Arbaaz Khan looks ill at ease. Ditto for Gracy Singh, who goes over the top in the climax. Shamita Shetty doesn’t get much scope. Satish Kaushik provides some entertaining moments. Zulfi Syed is alright. Vijayendra Ghatge and Sudesh Berry are mere props. Zahid Ali is fair.
On the whole, WAJAHH – A REASON TO KILL is a weak fare in all respects. At the box-office, the lack of aggressive promotion and a poor opening, coupled with a nondescript script, will only prove damaging.
 
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