After a dissappointing Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, the succesful SRK-Juhi Chawla combination returns, this time, with help from Jackie Shroff. I wanted this movie to be a great film, one that I could watch repeatedly and enjoy, like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Darr, or Yes Boss. When A.R. Rahman´s fantastic musical score released back in January, I was ecstatic -- "This is it! This film is gonna rock!", I thought. Sadly, One Two Ka Four doesn´t rock. As much as I want to, I can´t turn this into a great film. As much as I love the lead pair, especially the leading lady, a mediocre product just can´t be turned into a good one. But does this mean that One Two Ka Four is a bad movie? It teeters dangerously between being a waste of time and being worth watching, with gorgeous locales, great music, and good acting.

The film revolves around the trials and tribulations of Arun (Shah Rukh Khan) an agent of a special tasks force unit out to get a notorious drug lord (Nirmal Pandey). Arun is a man with problems. His partner Javed (Jackie Shroff) is mysteriously killed, leaving behind previously motherless, now orphaned children for him to care for and an annoying, hyper friend Geeta (Juhi Chawla). Geeta helps Arun care for Javed´s children and, in time, Arun and Geeta fall in love. Meanwhile, Arun stays hot on the trail of his drug lord and finally spots him in a nightclub with a woman who looks shockingly like Geeta. Feeling angry and betrayed, Arun is shocked to see his love cavorting with a dangerous criminal. From here on out, Arun becomes embroiled in a web of danger as he stalks closer to the identity of Javed´s killer and the truth behind the mystery surrounding Geeta.

One Two Ka Four had such potential. The film could have been an enthralling suspense thriller but instead switches multiple tracks from comedy to romance to mystery, etc. The script never really settles on any one genre and, as a result, ends up being a film that could have been a lot more than it is, a mish-mash of different plot elements. The movie ends up being a sort of celluloid vomit - one that has all the nutritious ingredients to make a good film, but in the end just ends up being a watery substance that is ultimately indigestible. It´s a shame, really, because the performances are first rate.

Shah Rukh Khan is good as usual, but is hampered by a lack of character development. He is his usual, dependable self, as is Jackie Shroff. Juhi Chawla, however, is marvelous in her role. She´s funny, charming, and looks absolutely beautiful. She performs well in the song sequences as well, especially in the club dance number "Osaka Mauraiya". She is one of the few bright lights of this film, along with AR Rehman´s soft, soothing music. The songs are an absolute delight, though could someone please tell me where "Sona Nahin Na Sahi" is in the film? The song, which was picturized beautifully in the trailors, is oddly missing, a seriously dumb move on the part of the editing team, as the song could have been another bright spot in this dull movie.

The film could have been saved had some of the comedy been edited out and had the plot been consistently suspenseful throughout, but alas, this is a Bollywood movie, so they have to find some way to mess it up somehow. K Shahilal Nair´s direction is very mediocre, which is a shame, because he is considered to be a very good director. The man strikes out twice this year, earlier with Grahan, which wasn´t half bad, but not that good either. Nair keeps getting hurt by films that are immensely hyped. Grahan, for example, was touted as being a classic, with one of Manisha Koirala´s finest performances. The film ended up being okay, but hardly a classic. OTKF suffers from a similar fate of being overhyped with little to show for itself. Hopefully, this isn´t the last film from the Khan-Chawla combo, because they have such an amazing chemistry. So, in the end, the audience is left with a half-baked, inconsistent script with loopholes galore and nothing to show for itself, except for a fantastic turn by Juhi Chawla and great music. Watch the film for Juhi, or just wait to see her in forthcoming projects like Yahoo! or Ek Rishtaa, costarring Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar. Either way, you won´t be missing much.