Producer : Kumar Mohan
Director: Akashdeep
*ing: Manoj Bajpai, Tabu, Om Puri
Music: Anu Malik

Released on : December 8, 2000

Reviewed by: Anjali Abrol
dilwaliji@indolink.com

out of 
After the dreary Dil Pe Maat Le Yaar, Manoj Bajpai and Tabu are back again for another typical cop film, Ghaath. After so many good cop fighting the world movies, you would think that we are sick of watching them, with exception (e.g. Kurukshetra), and you would have thought right. Akashdeep, the director of pathetic Miss 420, starring his own flop wife, Sheeba, is back again to give us Ghaath, and is smart enough to kill his wife off early in the movie (and keep a real actress, Tabu, as the heroine).

The flick involves Krishna Patil (Bajpai), an average middle class guy with high values and under the guidance of his moralistic father, Anupam Kher. Krishna also has a sister, Mansi (Miss 420 Sheeba, you know, the one who gets two minutes of screen time) and brother-in-law, Divakar (Arshad Warsi), also one of the two minute role guys. Guess that beats Raveena's special appearance...at least he had a role in the film...?

Krishna is an honest cop in the making who gets tangled in the web of the local gundas (the Sunil Shetty Aaghaaz trip) and as a consequence, corruption and politics (which are synonymous). He messes with Gunda cop Godbole (Mukesh Tiwari) and Dunda Mamu (Irfan Khan), which haunts him for the next three hours. Though a higher up police officer, Ajay Pandey (Om Puri), supports him and his honest ways, he is forced to leave the police force. He then meets Kavita Choudhary (Tabu), a lawyer, and the typical lovey-dovey dancing and singing thing takes place.

Their songs are interrupted when Mansi and Divakar get caught in a building that collapses and they die. Mamu comes to haunt Krishna, as the building is owned by him. There, their paths meet again and make the rest of the 'good cop fight the big bad world of corruption' movie. Oh, right, and Tabu has an undying love and support for Krishna, and Krishna's endless drive for revenge against Mamu and Godbole.

Direction was average, violence was a bit much, storyline was typical, songs were average, acting was decent, suspense lacked, some scenes could have been either trimmed or removed entirely, dialogue was good, and the movie lacks appeal. Raveena's role, errr I mean special appearance (I shocked you for a minute there, didn't I), was in the song "Baba meri yeh jawani" and was, sadly, one of the highlights of the film. Tabu did well in her role, as did Manoj, though there were some rough spots for him that was atypical to his style or manner. Mukesh Tiwari excelled in his role, and Anupam Kher and Om Puri did well as Bajpai's supporters. Sheeba and Arshad Warsi had small roles...for a reason.

The movie is a decent timepass flick to watch over the holidays when you have time to waste and a remote (with working fast-forward button) in hand. It isn't worth a cinema ticket, so wait for the release on video. Not that I expected much with dreary promotional posters, but even then, with Bajpai and Tabu....