February 9, 1998

Amid the explosions Vinashak  weaves in a tale as well.

By Anupama Chopra

Movie: Vinashak
Director: Ravi Deewan
Cast: Sunil Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Danny Dengzongpa

Body counts are always high in Sunil Shetty starrers. In film after film, the muscle man mauls and maims his way to success. And when the man behind the camera is Bollywood's ace action director Ravi Deewan, you can be sure that ample blood will be shed. But the good news is amid the exploding jeeps and machine guns, Deewan manages to weave in a tale too.

Shetty is, what else, an honest cop battling corrupt police officers, drug smugglers and a an evil jailer (Danny Dengzongpa with permanently flared nostrils) who has converted his jail into a crime headquarters. To infiltrate his empire, Shetty has himself falsely implicated in a murder charge and imprisoned. But soon the mission falls apart and the bodies start to pile up. Vinashak is compelling in parts. But eventually Raj Kumar Santoshi's screenplay becomes gimmicky -- he can't seem to decide whether the heroine (Raveena Tandon) should live or die. However, she reappears for the last shot, standing in front of the tri-colour. But for action aficionados, these are minor quibbles. Ultimately Vinashak has enough in it to make it "paisa vasul".

Same Old Story

A formula film with a thin storyline and jokes that pall.

Movie: Banarsi Babu
Director: David Dhawan
Cast: Govinda, Ramya, Bindu

The latest instalment in the David Dhawan-Govinda productions, Banarsi Babu is a hurriedly orchestrated, often unfunny, three-hour gag.

Govinda is Gopi, an earthy Banarsi bumpkin, betrothed before birth to his father's best friend's daughter, Madhu (Ramya). Brought up in Singapore, Madhu returns home a bimbo in skimpy clothes. The marriage, aided by a wicked mother-in-law (Bindu), quickly turns unhappy. The action then shifts to Singapore where Gopi woos Madhu back and, in the process, teaches her the finer points of Indian culture. Banarsi Babu's regressive values might have been offensive if the film wasn't so blatantly nonsensical. Govinda is brilliant and there are inspired moments -- one scene has him playing a ghost and doing Bindu's classic Mera naam hai Shabnam number (Kati Patang) with Bindu. Apart from Govinda the other characters are wafer-thin. Technically poor and carelessly directed, Banarsi Babu is reduced to being a shoddy Govinda showcase. Dhawan's fine record of creating side-splitting comedy with Govinda is showing signs of wear and tear. Perhaps it's time for an interval.

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