Josh Review 2.5/5 | Josh Movie Review | Josh 2000 Public Review | Film Review
review by josh {2.5/5} & review rating
against the backdrop of goa, venus records & josh de tapes ltd. is a story about energy, youth, love and zest for life. Max (Shah Rukh Khan), a cool Dada Goan, is the leader of the Eagle Gang, who is constantly on the warpath with Basque City’s newest inhabitants, Prakash (Sharad Kapoor), and his pack of the Bichhu Gang. . the two gangs revel in this feud and love to show their strength to each other.
This feud is further complicated when Prakash’s town-raised brother Rahul (Chandrachur Singh) falls in love with Max’s twin sister Shirley (Aishwarya Rai). Rahul, a sensible young man, does not agree with the senseless violence resorted to by the two gangs. in the end, the film confirms that senseless violence leads to destruction.
Inspired by West Side Story, the film captures your attention from the very first sequence. The feud between the two gangs is established early on and the execution of these scenes demonstrates director Mansoor Khan’s mastery of the medium. the first half is exciting; is full of tense, humorous and sensitive moments, all handled with a finesse that most gang war movies lack.
The interval point is one of the highlights of the film. the battle of wrestling for supremacy and ash losing consciousness when shah rukh tries to strangle chandrachur is remarkably shot. this point raises the expectations of an equally exciting second half. but the film loses ground in the portions after the interval.
blame it on the movie script: the basic premise of the story (the truth behind shah rukh and ash’s father) is weak. the flashback portions, along with nadira’s characterization, should have been better explained. even the climax leaves a lot to be desired. The courtroom sequence, when the verdict is pronounced, and before the accident of Sharad Kapoor’s real killer, seems like a shortcut to ending the story quickly.
another drawback is the goan atmosphere that is projected in the film. It cannot be denied that it gives the film a rich look in terms of colors used and language spoken, but the atmosphere will not be accepted in Rajasthan, Punjab and Bihar.
however, there’s no denying that mansoor khan deserves full marks for deviating from the mainstream by casting two big stars as brothers. giving equal images to shah rukh and sharad, so refusing to submit to the dictates of the market takes courage. for the rest also, its execution of sequences is remarkable. Watch the tense moments between Shah Rukh and Sharad Kapoor or the light scenes involving Chandrachur and Ash or the fight to the climax when Shah Rukh shoots Sharad, you have to accept the fact that the director knows his stuff.
anu malik’s music beautifully complements the comings and goings. the film has a melodious score and each song is equally well illustrated. ‘Sailaru Sailare’, ‘Apun Bola’ (played efficiently by Shah Rukh) and ‘Hai Mera Dil’ are gems that will add to the replay of the movie viewing. the action scenes (abbas ali) are vibrant. the fights look realistic and have been canned without resorting to crudeness. dialogues are natural. the cinematography (k.v. anand) is fabulous.
shah rukh khan stands out as max. looks at the character and interprets it with the greatest sincerity. this is undoubtedly one of the best performances of his career. aishwarya rai looks stunning (as usual!) and gives a great performance too. It should be noted that Shah Rukh and Ash do not look like strangers playing the role of twins.
sharad kapoor brings a pleasant surprise. He is totally in control and plays his role to perfection, matching Shah Rukh at every turn. this movie should be the turning point in his career. chandrachur singh is also top notch. he looks at the character, who was so important, and his performance will surely be appreciated. Priya Gill has too small a role to make an impact. Nadira suffers due to weak characterization. sharat saxena and viveck vaswani provide proper support.
Overall josh is a well made movie with great performances and a successful musical score. but the goan environment will restrict your prospects in some states due to lack of identification. furthermore, an average second half and a weak climax are major limitations. however, with the kind of opening the film has generated, it should see its distributors hit the mark of safety. however business in mumbai and south india will be the best.
