Review - Short Kut: is long & falls short of engaging

I expected a very different movie from the write-up I'd read when I rented this - kind of like THE PRODUCERS or GET SHORTY, about a pair of funny con men who get into Bollywood movie-making and become a hit team despite themselves. Since I didn't get that, I'll just say that either we watched different movies, meetu - or my firangi sensibilities interpreted Akshaye Khanna's and Arshad Warsi's characters very differently than you did.

To me, Mr. Khanna's Shekhar, a Western-trained film buff/filmmaker, seemed to be a decent guy screwed over by Mr. Warshi's greedy and incompetent moocher of a "friend" Raju - as well as by a system that rewards gall over talent. That's not unique to the Indian film industry by any means - in fact, SHORT KUT could probably be shown in California and New York City film schools as is, with no explanation necessary! Amrita Rao's Mansi seemed like a very nice young lady trying to do right by both the man she loves and her (worthless) family, only to see her man descend (for a time) into alcoholism and despair. Shekhar's wooing and winning Mansi back as he shoots his comeback film starring his unaware, swollen-headed former pal guerilla-style on the streets of Singapore(?) was, to me at least, a clever parody of Italian Neorealism that fit his Film Fan character perfectly. (Or maybe I just like Askhaye Khanna most than most Indian fans seem to - I also thought he was great as the Americanized "pukka sahib" in AAJA NACHLE.)

If I had a problem, it was with Mr. Warsi's Raju, who was too clearly a one-dimensional "spoiled brat movie star" to be enjoyable. His Circuit in the MUNNABHAI movies may be as much of a stupid goon as "King Kumar" is, but he is at least a loyal friend - and his comically out-of-control cop in GOLMAAL RETURNS is as much motivated by his love for the hero's kid sister as his exceedingly suspicious nature. Get rid of any positive trait Mr. Warsi's character possesses, and he becomes intolerable rather than comic. It might have worked better, for me at least, if he'd kept trying (and ridiculously failing) to help his friend Shekhar out - from being confused as the author of the script that launched his career to trying to help make Shekhar's comeback movie but always getting diverted to do something "star-like" like make personal appearances or sign autographs. I could still like him while laughing at him as a well-meaning but spoiled and easily diverted movie star.

Of course, that would have been a different movie - though given this one wasn't very successful, who knows but that it wouldn't have been a more popular one? After all, I can't be the only person who hates seeing Circuit behave badly to his "brother"!

One last thought: I notice Anil Kapoor produced this film, as he did AISHA - another film where I felt there were too many "big actor scenes" at the expense of a good story. I haven't seen his other three movies as a Producer - but do they share this "lots of juicy acting at the expense of the plot" problem...?

Meetu - how to say this? I know what you mean about Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan - but I'm thinking of something different. It's a way of directing and/or producing that a lot of movie stars who take those positions do, that gives actors big juicy scenes to play, encourages them to play them full-out - to the detriment of the film's pace and interest level. It's not just indulging the star - it's across the board, usually. (Both Jack Nicholson and Robert De Niro do it a lot when they direct or produce, and their movies just d-r-a-g....)

I'm glad to hear you also enjoy Akshaye Khanna as an actor. Maybe I read too many fan reviews on IMDB or Amazon.com - but sometimes it's like "Is it a cultural thing, or what? I kind of liked that performance, or enjoy seeing that actor."