Producer : Gava
Director: Rakesh Roshan
*ing: Rishi Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla
Music: Rajesh Roshan

Released on : September 15, 2000

Reviewed by: Alok Kumar
alok@indolink.com

out of 
Back in 1992, Rakesh Roshan announced a new project. Last friday, eight years later, the project finally hit theaters. A remake of Indecent Proposal, Karobaar would have been a run away hit if it had released back in 1992. The film has a sound story, great acting, melodious music, and director Rakesh Roshan's skilled touch. Today, however, the film's prospects look bleak, which is a shame, because in spite of it's stale look Karobaar is definitely worth watching.

The film's plot revolves around the lives of three people, Amar (Rishi Kapoor), a middle class lawyer, Seema (Juhi Chawla), his fiancee, and Rajiv (Anil Kapoor), a rich tycoon who believes, just as Robert Redford did in Indecent Proposal, that everything and anything has a price tag, even love. Rajiv meets Seema and is enthralled by her. He knows that she is his friend's fiancee but he can't help his feelings, and when he tries to act upon them, he is rejected. Having never been rejected by a woman, Rajiv walks away with a bruised ego and a promise that he will one day win Seema, at any cost. The film's pivotal plot twist arrives when, after marriage to Amar, circumstances throw Seema back into Rajiv's life, causing distrust between Amar and Seema, ultimately leading to their separation. Years later, fate throws these three characters together again when Seema, now living with Rajiv, meets an emotionally injured and angry Amar, leading to an emotionally charged court-scene climax.

Performances on the parts of everybody are superb. Rishi Kapoor delivers a fantastic performance as Amar, though he is too old for these types of roles. While watching Karobaar, Juhi Chawla's transformation as an actress from a perky-and-cute Juhi of the early 90s to the voluptuous beauty she is today is apparant. Her performance is also quite good. She delivers in the emotional sequences and look very good. Anil Kapoor is the star of the show, and turns in an excellent performance, giving Redford a run for his money in the portrayal of the same role. The characters are developed in such a way that you can't really hate any one of them. They are shown as mere chess pieces that are manipulated by the strong hand of fate. Even Anil Kapoor's character, one with shades of grey, has his moments, showing sparks of goodness. The characters are not portrayed as angelic figures, though one might argue that Juhi Chawls's character unbelievably epitomizes good, though I feel that she portrays a typical "Indian" woman.

Rajesh Roshan's music, especially the beautifully written "Aarzoo Ki Raahon Mein" is superb. His musical score proves that he saves the best for his brother's films.

Rakesh Roshan has scored high with two movies this year. After Kaho Naa.. Pyar Hai, it is refreshing to see Roshan release a mature love story with complex characters. The emotional scenes are handled very well, though the film sometimes sags from excess melodrama.

The film's one main drawback is it's staleness, which is, unfortunately, all too apparant, in spite of some breathtaking locations. Had some scenes been reshot, perhaps the film would look less dated. The actors look older as the film progresses, which is fine, because the plot permits it. The aging of the characters adds a certain novelty to the film. All in all, this movie is a great one to watch. Had it released earlier or looked a little fresh in terms of visuals, it would have recieved a higher rating. Hopefully, the movie's box office fate won't mirror that of another delayed project, Gang. Gang was delayed by ten years, and even though it was a hard-hitting and excellent directorial debut from the late Mazhar Khan, the film tanked at the box office. Watch Karobaar for the performances and music, if nothing else. Oh, and I might add that this movie is certainly one for all Juhi fans, if you want to watch her progress over the years.