'Dangerous Ishhq' a lavish costume party

There’s absolutely nothing remotely dangerous about “Dangerous Ishhq”. If anything, it’s a confused tale, which travels from one time period to another, through various dialects, costumes and murders, in an effort to piece together a present day murder, with ample computer-generated action and emotion thrown in.

Complicated? Well, it is and more. It is utterly illogical.

In fact, filmmaker Vikram Bhatt pumps in massive funds for a 3D effect, which is limited to a few fight sequences involving shattered glass pieces and guns, giving the overall texture a cheap, computer-game feel. Surely, this limited scope should’ve indicated to Vikram Bhatt that 3D isn’t key to this Bollywood love story, or stories.

Even his choice of story on past life regression that spans 500 years is outdated. It was a theme that was quite popular back in the day, when Rishi Kapoor and Tina Munim (now Ambani) rocked it in “Karz”, but we’ve come a long way, and past life doesn’t figure prominently anymore. If anything Himmesh Reshamiya’s flop “Karz” remake should’ve been an indicator.

“Dangerous Ishhq” ends up as nothing more than a lavish costume party that attempts at showcasing yesteryear star Karisma Kapoor’s versatility (in dressing?). If anything it’s her killer looks and unflinching gaze that gets our attention.

She plays Sanjana (Karisma Kapoor), a stunning model, who is all set to tie the knot with her rich boyfriend Rohan (Rajneesh Duggal). But their romance is cut short when Rohan is taken hostage, with his kidnappers demanding a massive ransom from his industrialist dad. While the negotiations are carried out, for his release, Sanjana travels back and forth in time, once (and only once) with the help of a psychiatrist, to revisit her past romances, each time with a Rohan lookalike, in an attempt to piece together the mystery behind the present day kidnap, and nab the villain who changes identity each time.

Despite the outdated theme, you can see why Karisma chose this film. Playing so many characters in one film is an offer many actors can’t resist, but whether they have the insight to see if it will work is another matter altogether.

Also, this is a completely one-sided love story, with Karisma taking centrestage all through and Ragneesh Duggal being shoved and tied up, as the script would demand it, in the background. And, in those few scenes that he is required to perform he appears stoic and devoid of any expressions barring an angry one. Even Karisma’s last film “Baaz – A Bird In Danger” is guilty of sidelining the hero (Dino Morea), while she got the spotlight. And, that trend repeats here as well.

And it’s unfortunate that experienced actors like Divya Dutta and Jimmy Shergil get roped into such sub-standard plots.

In any case, watch it if you are a Karisma fan, but please don’t shell out the extra dirhams for the 3D experience because there’s none.

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