A hard-core, hot-headed, cold-blooded criminal has a past that resurfaces in unknown ways. It surprises him too by showing him his fuzzy, warm side. In the "opposite attracts" sense, it feels natural that another person's purity will amuse him and eventually draw him to the person. And all of this is played out well too.

It is very clear that the story writer's focus is on the main character, Shivam (Emraan Hashmi). There is no attempt to talk about the other characters. They are a given, a fact that you can accept or reject - your call. Similarly the couple coincidences in the main plot are difficult to digest but they are presented in a very matter-of-factly manner - take it or leave it - the writer couldn't care less.

There is an attempt to make characters more interesting. For example, Malik (Ashutosh Rana) is a person who takes pride in the fact that he is good at judging people and their motivations, but is it true all the time? How will he take it? Good thought for the audience to chew on, but it is not addressed satisfactorily. Such character developments are not given the strong conclusion that the set-up deserved.

Very rarely does a Hindi movie build the whole story around just one character and sticks to that. No back story for the villain, the side-kick, the lead lady - nothing! While that hurts a little bit, at least my usual objection to the mixing of genres is held at bay. The focus on Shivam makes the character study at least that much more interesting. The product becomes worth the watch as the story of Shivam.

The writer's implied arrogance however is easily forgiven, due to the justice done to Shivam's stylization and the depth in which his character has been portrayed. All of which would have been lost, had Emraan Hashmi not been composed and restrained in his performance. Be it as a romancer of the lady, the action-master gangster, the loner, or the loser who is looking for a meaning to his life. I just wish something could be done with his voice. (Or have they done it already? I don’t remember his voice being so jarring and whimpy in his more recent films.)

The other person who really impressed with his performance is Purab Kohli playing the madcap goon who thinks he owns the world. It took me a while to recognize him. This was more because of his act rather than his make-up. On the other hand the women do nothing to evoke any emotion. It'd be unfair to blame them because the writing doesn't do justice to their characters. One is to plain vanilla, the other is in the most difficult situation a woman could find herself in but the one scene that shows you the gravity of the situation comes way too late. Sure, the first scene does tell us about her situation, but it isn't followed up. The next scene shows her in the lap of luxury. It feels like a major continuity glitch in the writing, like they forgot to write a couple of scenes.

The introductory scenes in Mohit Suri's films are both impressive and disappointing. They have a CSI episode kind of an expose only the build up here is not half as exciting. That's because, the basic plot of a criminal seeking redemption has done the rounds often enough.

They try to add a little depth by including a family feud and the chaos an efficient outsider's (Shivam's) presence can do in an already tense situation. But, it goes nowhere and ultimately falls flat on the face.

The filmmakers allude to spirituality and existentialism throughout the film. Afterall you have a monster trying to become the Buddha. If only they had done so with more conviction and didn't have to succumb to out-of-context song and dance. It's a slow, serious film. And though it tries hard, it's not subtle.

Note: I saw this film on Satellite TV.

- meeta, a part of the audience