|
|
EDITOR'S PICK
Rating: **
Chargesheet is a whodunit murder mystery from the renowned Navketan
banner. Veteran actors on screen with legendary actor Dev Anand leading the
list, naturally that is reason enough for anyone to go and watch the movie.
Set in the backdrop of the Bollywood-underworld nexus, Sultanbhai aka
Naseeruddin Shah, an underworld don based in Dubai, loves his moll, a young
babe, to distraction and to fulfil her desire to enter Bollywood, he commissions
a film to be made just to launch her.
The team assembles in picturesque Mahabaleshwar. A well known director Mahesh
(Jackie Shroff) and a scriptwriter (Milind Gunaji) are virtually on his payrolls
and have to comply with his request of taking his beloved Maria as the heroine.
Suraj, the current heartthrob, too has to agree.
Maria`s entry spells an unceremonious exit for Mini Singh, the erstwhile
reigning heroine (Divya Dutta). Annoyed with this ouster, she threatens to
expose Mahesh and Suraj, who have obviously had good times with her. Both of
them have ugly fights with her and leave. They realise she has to be eliminated
and a plot to kill her is hatched.
Sultanbhai instructs his trusted lieutenant, the one-eyed KK to give supari to a
local guy, Tony. Gambhir Singh, a retired cop, enters to meet Mini Singh, his
former daughter-in-law Reema, who bid goodbye to her little daughter and husband
for the arc-lights.
A heated argument ensues. He too threatens to kill her. Mini Singh is suddenly
shot. The needle of suspicion points to all three.
Gambhir Singh is outraged as his integrity is questioned by a corrupt police
inspector Dhamle (Yashpal Sharma) who has been bought over by the don. Dhamle
manipulates the chargesheet and thus lets the filmi duo go scot free. Gambhir
Singh appeals to the home minister to let him investigate the case in seven days
else he is ready to be hanged in public.
The investigation drags and has Dev Saab in the forefront of course. Expectedly
so, he solves the murder mystery and emerges as the real hero of the film. In
any case, he is the only one who still retains his charm and style.
Divya Dutta does Mini Singh to perfection. The younger breed of new actors is
sincere but leaves no impact. Cham Cham (Devshi Khanduri) has shades of Zeenat
Aman of Dev Saab`s Ishq Ishq Ishq with a guitar, short skirt etc. Yashpal Sharma
as Dhamle is his usual self, a la GangaaJal kind of performance.
The treatment has old world sensibilities. The plot, though not predictable, is
neither gripping nor is the music hummable. But unlike some of the movies made
today, Chargesheet story and screenplay are good. With some
literally titillating scenes liberally thrown in, this movie would definitely
appeal to the mass front benchers. A must see if you have to.