Alag Movie Review: 'Different' Is Not Always A Good Thing

Subi Samuel Movies? ALAG is about a uniquely gifted young man played by Akshay Kapoor. Akshay?s mother died in childbirth and hence Akshay is brought up by his father. Akshay has a problem wherein he can not face the sunlight and so he grows up in the basement of his home amongst the books in the huge basement library as his company, and so he developes as quite learned young man. After the death of his father, Akshay is admitted in a reformation centre run by Jayant Kriplani. Dia Mirza is Jayant?s daughter and she also works in the centre. Akshay faces problems in the centre as he always speaks the truth and he can?t bear the sight of any living thing suffering in pain. He has the unique gift of having the healing touch and also being a conductor of electricity. As expected, he falls in love with Dia Mirza and she also responds. Internationally renowned scientist Tom Alter appears as the villain as he wants to take away Akshay to conduct research on the working of his brain. Does Tom succeed in his plan? The answer comes in the climax.

Production values are good and Fuwad Khan?s mood cinematography is the highlight. Aadesh Shrivastava?s music is melodious and sounds good while seeing the film, with `Leke aaye lamha tanhai ka? being the best of the lot, but no one real hit number.

It is a brave effort to make a different kind of film, but a different film is not necessarily a good film. Dia gives dark glasses to Akshay to allow him face sunshine, and then later contact lenses. Why is it that the doctors who treated him in his childhood did not see this simple solution as the remedy to the boy?s problems? Also it is not explained how Akshay acquires supernatural powers which is a major flaw in the script. The scenes in the ?reformation centre? hardly make any sense and the climax is like a routine Bollywood film and anything but 'alag'.

Performance-wise, debutant Akshay Kapoor does a fair job considering it is only his second film. Dia Mirza?s role is not properly conceived and yet she somehow manages to be convicing and bring a little life to the role. Jayant Kriplani overacts most of the time while Tom Alter is convincing as the ambitious scientist. Mukesh Tiwari and Sharat Saxena leave their mark in brief roles. As the director, Ashu Y. Trikha fails to deliver the goods. Considering that Krrish releases this week followed by Superman Returns the week after, we feel this film does not really do justice to the concept of a super hero film and audiences are better off waiting for Krrish next week.