Shikhar
Starring: Ajay Devgan, Shahid Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Amrita Rao, Javed Sheikh
Director: John Mathew Matthan
Rating: 2 / 5 (Average)
As a follow up to his 1999 hit Sarfarosh, Director John Mathew Matthan brings a film about ambition, greed, and a disregard for the environment.
Shikhar, which opened on Friday, centres around an ambitious builder Ajay Devgan, who wants to build an entire city from scratch, never mind that his dream will upset the ecological balance of the area concerned.
Shahid Kapur plays an impressionable young boy, who under the influence of Devgan, chooses the wrong path, until of course, better sense prevails in the end.
Like Ashutosh Gowariker with Swades, John Mathew Matthan too attempts to tackle a social issue with Shikhar.
And although he deserves a pat on the back for the nobility he shows and for the intention behind the enterprise, the director doesn't really pull off his attempt convincingly.
It's meant to be a seamless blend of masala story and social cause, but alas, it comes off looking like a hotch-potch of too many under-developed ideas.
Till the point where it's the story of an ambitious boy following in the wrong footsteps, it's actually quite a watchable film, but with the ecological angle coming in, the story loses direction.
Shikhar also tends to get too preachy at times, further alienating an audience that is still trying to make sense of what's going on, on screen.
Of the actors, Shahid Kapur is the only one who leaves an impression. He is sincere and believable in every frame. He lends credibility to the role even though it is only half developed.
Although Shikhar is a well-meaning effort, but the director is unable to achieve what he sets out to do.
Some films are meant to provide just three hours of entertainment, others leave an impression. While Shikhar may not be a film that you'll remember for a long time, one cannot deny the director's attempt to take the road less travelled.
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