Three people. Three Davids. Three lives. And one final linkage. Er.. Almost. A complex way of telling to shut your mouth and live on rather than making changes around. Unnecessarily complex.
The movie could've been done by him and himself only. Bejoy Nambiar, the man. After the smaller, psychedelic version seen in Shaitan, a hit-and-run case story and finally leading to mutual misunderstandings, comes a decent version of an usual routine. The same routine, which would've taken three different producers of the same era to picture it in their own different flavors. Nice way of cost-cutting, Mr. Director!
The story begins with the climax and ends with the climax again. Only difference is that what happens between these climaxes is somewhat dull. Alright let me put it straight, boring. What's so special about David the gangster, being the ultimate loyal servant to his master, ending up in a stage to kill his own king? Or that David, the guitarist who tries to avenge his anger against a politician? Or that David, the drunkard who wants his best friend's would-be as his own wife? It is for that simple reason that they never end up achieving their missions at all. That's David. Or rather, defining an attitude for that name.
Come 1975, London and Neil Nitin Mukesh as David the gangster fires and kills enemies of Abdul Ghani in a ruthless manner with his .5mm pistol. Hooks up with Noor, the maid's daughter who is a real-life rock-band singer. Monica Dogra, even though essaying the role neatly, still has to overcome her foreign lingo. It's just intimacy and sheer intimacy when you see Noor. And a background music for you to remind that until and after the movie has ceased. He eventually learns about his master being his father, an usual copy of older movies and hunches a plan to attack him after tying up with the Indian spys. Meanwhile, Ghani's son, that computer whizkid in Shaitan is a spoilt brat and progresses to damage his father's "image" for which Ghani decides to marry him with Noor, the pregnant lady with David's child. Noor rejects the marriage and stays in David's room for their love episode remembrance. And all this in 1975, is a tad unbelieving.
In between sneaks in David, the guitarist. Mumbai of 1999 doesn't look anything different than Mumbai of 2013. I wonder why that year was picked up for reasons I may not know. A serious guitarist who doubles up as a teacher for a few homes, friend for Lara Dutta and bass guitarist in a pub. Why serious? Because he's eating dinner when his band at the pub is busy thulping beer. Amid this, he has a family headed by Nasser who happens to be a small-time religious leader of his community, inspiring people to do God's work. His dreams and ambitions are that of any simple, middle-class boy which get shattered on one rainy day when Rohini Hattangady, the Hindu leader puts black paint on his father's face and he walks out in the open to seek out why.
Chiyan Vikram, the last of Davids, falls in love with Isha Sharvani, the Kalaripayattu queen who is a deaf-dumb combination but is extremely beautiful and is hooked with his friend. I wonder why the people of Goa really speak in that way of how is being depicted. In spite the scene is 2010, it is rather immaterial. He seeks out help of his dead father, of Tabu, of his mother and of Prahlad Kakkar for her hand but ultimately fails. Tabu as the massage parlour owner is class, making one wish like a friend of her nature. But I don't know why the dead father's character was needed for some comic attempts.
Now, for the character assassination er.. ratings. Neil Nitin Mukesh is surely an under-utilized actor who badly needs a good director. Vinay Virmani, an exact copy-paste look-alike of Ranvir Shorey is new and can go up provided he stops looking like the replica. Vikram is wasted, utterly wasted for the way he acts. Despite pouring his own money, Vikram is not up to mark. Isha Sharvani is truly beautiful. Rest look like Shaitan's crew which are required but, negligible.
Check for the climax. The second one. You'll find it a better movie to have skipped it before.
Shaitan was much better than this. Much, much better, Mr.Nambiar.
Oh, forgot. "Ghum Huye" is an awesome track to sign off. And stop that Jhoolelaal track remixing over and over. Tired of hearing Ali getting first rank every time.
Don't watch it again. You might just start liking it.