Kurbaan Movie Review

Intense, emotional, impactful and edge-of-the-seat drama, Kurbaan is the India’s most powerful film on terrorism. Rating: 4/5

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Om Puri and Kiron Kher
Director: Rensil D’Silva
Producer: Karan Johar

Story
Professor Avantika Ahuja (Kareena Kapoor) from WEBB Institute, New York meets charming Professor Ehsaan Khan during her stay at Delhi. The complete charmer that he is, she is floored by his wit and intelligence. They fall in love and get married to move to New York, where Ehsaan chooses to teach a course on Islam and the Modern World. Soon, Avantika discovers that her creepy neighborhood of Afghani-Pakistani people have links with terrorists and are going to bomb an air craft carrying a UN delegation to Iraq. All hell breaks lose when Avantika discovers that Ehsaan is one of them too. On the side track is Riaz Masood, a young American Muslim journalist who works for WBAC News Network, who loses his love Rehanna Ibrahim (Diya Mirza) in the same aircraft bombing and is seeking a revenge upon her killers. Ehsaan and other terrorists plan an attack on New York subways with as many as six bombings at different stations. Will Avantika and Riaz be able to stop it?

Review
Kurbaan was a well-thought concept by Karan Johar that was developed tactfully into a full screenplay by Rensil D’Silva. All the characters are well etched be it the vulnerable blissful Avantika who gets trapped in a world she can neither accept nor escape, the cold-blooded but suave, charming and deceptive Pakistani terrorist Khalid Anwar aka Professor Ehsaan Khan, the crisp and stern Bhai Jaan (Om Puri), or the obedient wife Nasreen Apa (Kiron Kher) who can also turn into a suicide bomber in the hour of need. All of them wronged by the west and well connected by a common interest – revenge in the interest of Muslim brothers who are suffering in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The realistic treatment of the theme and character gives ample scope for discussion over issues like US’s oil-greedy foreign policy, media’s biased reporting, American attitude towards wars in middle-east and their positive image of their own government. The screenplay is absorbing and offers edge of the seat drama and action in the first half but second half has a few pot holes that could’ve been filled at the expense of the length of the film.

The love story between Kareena and Saif was sensitively handled. Especially the end when the movie ends with an extreme closeup of Kareena’s eyes showing her loss of love, life and reason – marking the ironic reference to Kiron’s dialogue when she said ‘Ehsaan ki aankhein pather hogayi thi’.

This could be Kareena’s best performances where she emoted best with her eyes and expressions. Saif Ali Khan shows apt transition from a charming lover to hard hitting terrorist, Vivek Oberoi puts up a sincere performance and shows again that he can act and act very well in a well written role.

Its one of those films that leave a lump in your throat because of their intensity and impact. Kurbaan, although is criticized for its violence but its emotional depth and sensitivity in treatment makes it India’s  most powerful film on terrorism… on par with Pakistan’s Khuda Ke Liye.

My Verdict: Don’t miss it!

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