Avantika (Kareena Kapoor) is a teacher in a university in Delhi. She has come back from New York where she teaches, because her father has suffered a heart attack. During this period, she meets a temporary Professor Ehsaan Khan (Saif Ali Khan). Soon they begin seeing each other and love blossoms. A few months later, Avantika receives a call from her university in New York, asking her to come back for the Fall Semester. Avantika breaks the news to Ehsaan. He in turn, tells her he doesn’t mind coming to the United States with her, to find a job. but first they need to get married. Kurbaan movie review…
Soon after the marriage, they leave to start a new life in New York. They buy a house in an Indian neighbourhood and move in. Just as they are setting up home, their conservative Muslim neighbours, Hamid and Anjum invite them over for dinner. The next morning, Salma, one of the women Avantika met the night before at the dinner, visits her under the pretext of gifting her sweets. When Avantika invites her in, Salma tells her that she is in grave danger. Nothing is what it seems.
Salma pleads with Avantika to help her. What follows next, is a series of incidents that sucks Avantika into a vortex of danger and intrigue. As her life spirals out of control, Avantika realizes that she is a pawn in a huge game.
And no one is to be trusted.
Saif Ali Khan does well in a negative lead character, and Kareena as Avantika is clearly torn between her love and hate for him. Vivek Oberoi’s part isn’t convincingly scripted, but he has given a spontaneous performance and his presence is energetic. Om Puri excels in his part as the mastermind, while Kirron Kher is fine. Nauheed Cyrusi and Dia Mirza excel in the cameos.
Kurbaan works in most parts, however the subject that Vivek Oberoi decides to go solo to investigate and pursue the case – which ought to have immediately handed over to the FBI especially after the ghastly incident of the bomb blast on a plane carrying VIP Delegates.
Also towards the end in Kurbaan, as Saif wanted to save his wife and the unborn child’s life, he could have just fired some shots in the air – to receive bullets on him directly to end his life. Instead the director stretches the love story further in the train compartment.
Kurbaan shows the uselessness of a fanatic’s version of jihad and signifies that the most important jihad (struggle) is that for the conquest of self.
Is an intense film which stretches up to 2 hours 40 minutes and has 2 memorable songs – Ali Maula and the title track.
On the whole, Kurbaan is just an average film, flattering previews from film critics notwithstanding.
Cast of Kurbaan:
Saif Ali Khan – Ehsaan Khan
Kareena Kapoor – Avantika
Vivek Oberoi – Riyaz Masood
Kirron Kher
Om Puri – Bhai Jaan
Diya Mirza
Evans Forlidas
Cheryl Alessio
Faezeh Jalali – Anjum
Credits & Crew of Kurbaan:
Director – Rensil D’Silva
Producer – Hiroo Yash Johar & Karan Johar
Associate Producer – Apoorva Mehta
Cinematography – Hemant Chaturvedi ISC
Executive Producer – Marijke DeSouza
Story – Karan Johar
Screenplay – Rensil D’Silva
Music & Background Score – Salim Sulaiman
Lyrics – Niranjan Iyengar, Irfan Siddiqui (Aali Maula)
Dialogues – Anurag Kashpay, Niranjan Iyengar
Production Design – Indrani Pillai
Editor – Asif Ali Shaikh
Sound Design – Nakul Kamte
Action Directors – Parvez Feroze
Stunt Co-ordinator – Phil Tan, Spiro Razotos
Choreography – Vaibhavi Merchant
Costume Designer – Aki Narula
Secondary Costume Designer – Gopika Malkan
Casting Director – Shanoo Sharma
Assistant Directors – Balakrishnan Thevar, Nishat Rizvi, Shamin Mistry, Dion Matthews, Arif Khan, Sheetal DeSa
Line Producer – Adtya (Aditya) Singh Baghel
Line Producer US – Prasahant Shah (Bollywood Hollywood)
Kurbaan, movie review