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Lacking and limping – though not by design – “Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu”, staring Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan, packs a conventional plot into an unconventional execution. That the execution happens after three-quarters of the film is a matter for a different debate.
Starting out with a fresh indie-look, one can see that Shakun Batra, the debuting director, has a knack for apt camera placement. If not for this talent, which he shares with cinematographer David MacDonald, the film would have been an enterprise staler than the one it is now.
The opening monologue – a clever one, chronicling his life-cycle – introduces us to Rahul Kapoor (Imran Khan), a not-so strapping lad whose life is a tightly held leash by parents Boman Irani and Ratna Pathak Shah. One, a high-minded esteemed, architect in India. The other, a socialite who may have a PhD in high-society mingling and make-up stashed in the nook of her purse. It’s obvious that theirs is a malfunctioned marriage; and why Rahul is sibling-less.
Enter Riana Braganza (Kareena Kapoor), a free-spirit with no prominent life agenda. They meet, get drunk, get married and try to annul it a day later. No, this isn’t a spoiler, because this much was in the trailer. What the trailer didn’t tell us was the film’s unexpectedly flat and un-involving pace, with the lead’s acting chops only jumping gear when the film reaches its third act.
Kareena Kapoor, in a recent interview with Dawn.com debunked the rumor that “Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu” is a remake of “What Happens in Vegas”. I guess, I should listen to celebrities when they state facts. In our conversation, I asked Kareena about her acting motivation to which she responded that she’s led by spontaneity and naturalness.
During her bid as Riana, both naturalness and spontaneity played their parts perfectly. It’s just that conviction was left out in the cold.
Both Riana and Rahul are individuals safely tucked into their own private universes. We are already informed of Riana’s radical ideology (a gift she inherited from her parents we later learn), and throughout the movie’s running time her character never leaves her mold. Thus, our protagonist is Imran’s Rahul. Similar to Ranbir Kapoor’s Sid (from “Wake Up Sid”), he is the one making the journey – and in the film’s only salvation – the climax – he does.
“Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu”, in an attempt to establish itself as new-age romantic drama, loses its audience and grip often. One gets the feeling that Karan Johar (the film’s producer) was looking for nonconformity akin to “Wake Up Sid!” with a conformist rom-com (romantic-comedy) idea. However, it isn’t a rom, nor is it a com.
Still, unlike most Bollywood ventures, the payoff is worth the wait. If only the rest of the movie (and the songs, credited to Amit Trivedi with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya) were snappier and unafraid to venture into a more indie-mindset.
