Movie Review: 8 X 10 Tasveer; Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Ayesha Takia, Sharmila Tagore, Girish Karnad, Javed Jaffrey, Anant Mahadevan, Rushad Rana and Uttara Baokar; Director: Nagesh Kukunoor; Rating: **1/2 - Could have been much better.
Jai Puri (Akshay) is a forest ranger in Canada. For over a year he is having a live in relationship with Sheela (Takia) and staying separately from his parents Jatin (Benjamin Gilani) and Savitri (Sharmila Tagore) because he doesn’t approve of his father’s business dealings. Jai is blessed with supernatural powers with which he can look at any photograph and can actually go right into that moment when it was actually clicked. Through this he helps the needy who come to him to seek answers but at the same time this whole process is dangerous to his health as the high anxiety caused because of it can even kill him. His life gets shattered when he comes to know about his father’s death. It is supposedly an accident as his father slipped down their yacht and had a heart attack when fallen into cold water. His mother, father’s business partner cum brother Sunder (Anant Mahadevan), business associate Adit (Rushad Rana) and good friend cum lawyer Anil Sharma (Girish Karnad) were present on the yacht when the accident took place. While Jai too dismisses it as an accident, Habib aka Happi (Javed Jaffery) a whimsical ex-cop meets him and explains the possibility of a murder. Jai in the beginning disbelieves him but Happi tries to bring to notice proofs that lead Jai to believe that it was indeed a murder. Jai starts using his special gift to trace the murderer through that one photograph which was clicked just minutes before his father died. But then two more murders take place and Jai is left stunned. How one shocking revelation leads to other and what “truth” comes face to face at the pre-climax forms the rest of the film.
The film begins well. Though slow paced you understand it is intentional and go along the flow. The premise of the film and the setting keeps getting really interesting and also some superbly shot sequences keep you on the edge. It is almost like watching a Hollywood suspense thriller directed by M.Night Shyamalan. But the whole premise falters during the last 30 minutes in what appears like a never ending climax. With the big suspense tumbling out and the reasons given by the murderer appearing far from convincing, you stop taking it seriously. But one can admit, the identity of the murderer is indeed very shocking and something that even the biggest of suspense film fan’s can find it difficult to predict. However, even after it is revealed, the film takes too much time to wind up. After a point you lose count of how many dead bodies are fallen.
But to give him due credit, Kukunoor shows tremendous progress as a technician and has done just the perfect casting for all the parts. His interval point is simply superb as it wipes out all the predictions you are making up till then. Kukunoor was always considered a master story teller but this time he has faltered in this area.
Akshay Kumar deserves a bow for taking the risk to be a part of such an unusual project. He has acted sincerely and given it his all. It is not the typical Akshay that you have got used to watching in the last two years. Ayesha Takia is back in form and impresses. Javed Jaffrey is simply superb right from his entry to exit. Girish Karnad makes a rare appearance and is good as usual. Sharmila Tagore lends grace to her character. Anant Mahadevan and Rushad Rana are good as well. The actress playing Javed Jaffrey’s nurse ex-girlfriend is natural.
The film hardly has scope for music and thankfully songs are kept minimized. The background score by Salim Suleiman successfully elevates the thrill element.
8X10 is not entirely a bad film. If you can digest the revelation in the climax, it can work for you otherwise you will end up coming out pulling your hair.
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