Meera’s charisma & Lucky’s musical notes fail
Noreen Aslam

BOMBAY—When Mithun Chakraborty was out of form and needed instant money, he banked on one name in Bollywood and that was Rajiv Babbar. Rajiv was one-man army behind Mithun Chakraborty who churned films right, left and center, and also made quick money from small centers of film distribution. Now, Rajiv wants to establish himself as a upper class director- producer and comes up with an idea to present not- so-famous singer Lucky Ali and Pakistani actress Meera in a film that would have been a turning point for all those involved in making of the film.
Meera, who is one film old in Bollywood, thought of making it big by appointing some people who are not so famous in Bollywood. People around her also have a history of earning money by befooling Bollywood filmmakers over the years. Meera went to London to get some roles on the lines of Nandita Das and Aishwarya Rai in trans-Asia films. But, before her voyage to London could bear fruit, ‘Kasak’ kills all the euphoria. Lucky Ali is not going through a good phase either. He wanted to become an actor and got a chance in Tanuja Chandra’s ‘Sur’. That film blocked the careers of not only its director but of most of those involved in it. Now, he attempts do some thing unusual and make a mark in Bollywood. The end result is disappointing. It shocks the trade people as Meera’s skin shows go unnoticed, and the exhibitors wonder if they would be able to recover their cost.
‘Kasak’ is the story of fortunes and misfortunes; fortunes for those who have got luck because of others and misfortunes for those who have trusted all the wrong people in life. Amar (Lucky Ali) is such a man who gets entangled in the web of fortunes and misfortunes. He is a rich person who is trying to save her mother from the clutches of death. But his efforts go in vain and his mother dies. Now, as a male attendant he wants to nurse other people and save them from pain that once took the life of his mother.
Here he meets a beautiful lady Anjali (Meera). She is a woman who wants to reach to the top and does not have patience to wait . Since Amar is a millionaire , she gets married with him. But the love between the two lasts only for a while because it was not love that she was looking for. She wanted Amar to gift her his entire wealth. But Anjali’s true face is revealed when she kicks Amar out and becomes the mistress of the whole wealth.
Amar is heart broken. He wants to meet the life in its true color. At this juncture, he happens to meet Raunaq (Mukesh Tiwari), who introduces Amar to the Captain played by Puneet Issar. The new bonding starts showing its effect on Amar and he finds fortunes turning his way. The wealth comes back to him, and he wants his love back too. And if not, at least he wants to see the changing faces of women for the last time. Time gifts him an opportunity, but not before he is pitted against it once again.
Heavily borrowed from films like ‘U Turn’, ‘White’ and others, ‘Kasak’ is an amalgam of east and west, the Bollywood style. Rajiv Babbar wanted to make a film that could be a showcase for international cinema. That’s why he signed a Pakistani actress and an NRI actor. Rajiv wished to explore the territories that he had never ventured before. So, he took the entire burden on himself. He produces ‘Kasak’; he writes ‘Kasak’ and also directs it . Even he shares the dialogue credits with Sanjay Masoom and Neeraj Sahai. But, ‘Kasak’ fails to satisfy the appetite of the viewers. the Rajiv Babbar has not only wasted a golden opportunity; he has also wasted talents of technicians like cinematographer Nadeem Khan and music director M. M. Kreem. M.M. Kreem’s beautiful compositions have just gone waste. While his last film ‘Paheli’ is going for Oscars, his latest is faced with miseries.