Just as Bond movies often open with an action sequence unconnected with the actual plot, Run
(2004) opens with a love song unconnected to the main plot. In the
song, Siddarth (Abhishek Bachchan) tells an unnamed woman that she
belongs to him, and so on. She doesn’t seem enthusiastic, however, and
by the end of the song she has vanished completely, never to be
mentioned again. She’s certainly no impediment to Siddarth going away
to college in Delhi; he’s more worried about having to stay with his
sister Shivani (Ayesha Julka) and her husband Rajeev (Mukesh Rishi);
he’s nursed a grudge against Rajeev for years. His parents hit him with
a pretty efficient guilt trip, though, and he’s off to his sister’s
house in no time.
Shortly after arriving in Delhi, Siddharth catches a glimpse of a beautiful beautiful woman (Bhoomika Chawla) on the bus. He’s immediately smitten. She seems to find him attractive, but she’s very reluctant, telling Siddharth that they’ll meet again if God wills it.
God apparently does will it, because they keep running into one another. (And for once, he’s not actually following her! It’s refreshingly non-creepy.) As Siddharth slowly wins her over, he finds out more about her. her name is Jhanvi, and her older brother is a crime lord named Ganpat (Mahesh Manjrakar) with a bad habit of dispatching thugs to brutally beat any man who shows the slightest interest in his sister.
So far, Run sounds like just about every movie made in India, ever. The difference is that Siddharth is freaking Batman. It’s not just that he’s easily capable of beating up ten men at once. (Ten BIG men!) The film actually lets Siddharth be smart and competent, rather than relying on the villain being stupid. Ganpat does make mistakes, but the film doesn’t rely on them.
While the main plotline is refreshingly intelligent, the comic subplot is spectacularly stupid. Siddharth’s friend Ganesh (Vijay Raaz) follows him to Delhi, promptly loses the address, and spends the rest of the film mugging for the camera while being fleeced by assorted strangers. The punchline is kind of amusing, but the build-up required to get there is painfully unfunny, especially when contrasted with the genuine comic relief provided by Siddharth’s strained relationship with his brother-in-law.
Painful “comedy” aside, though, Run is entertaining. There’s not much more to say.
Shortly after arriving in Delhi, Siddharth catches a glimpse of a beautiful beautiful woman (Bhoomika Chawla) on the bus. He’s immediately smitten. She seems to find him attractive, but she’s very reluctant, telling Siddharth that they’ll meet again if God wills it.
God apparently does will it, because they keep running into one another. (And for once, he’s not actually following her! It’s refreshingly non-creepy.) As Siddharth slowly wins her over, he finds out more about her. her name is Jhanvi, and her older brother is a crime lord named Ganpat (Mahesh Manjrakar) with a bad habit of dispatching thugs to brutally beat any man who shows the slightest interest in his sister.
So far, Run sounds like just about every movie made in India, ever. The difference is that Siddharth is freaking Batman. It’s not just that he’s easily capable of beating up ten men at once. (Ten BIG men!) The film actually lets Siddharth be smart and competent, rather than relying on the villain being stupid. Ganpat does make mistakes, but the film doesn’t rely on them.
While the main plotline is refreshingly intelligent, the comic subplot is spectacularly stupid. Siddharth’s friend Ganesh (Vijay Raaz) follows him to Delhi, promptly loses the address, and spends the rest of the film mugging for the camera while being fleeced by assorted strangers. The punchline is kind of amusing, but the build-up required to get there is painfully unfunny, especially when contrasted with the genuine comic relief provided by Siddharth’s strained relationship with his brother-in-law.
Painful “comedy” aside, though, Run is entertaining. There’s not much more to say.
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