By Taran Adarsh, August 26, 2005
Let's clear the misconception at the very outset!
NO ENTRY is not even remotely similar to last year's MASTI or the Hollywood flick THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH, as being widely speculated. The only similarity is that both MASTI and NO ENTRY talk about men wanting to have their share of fun outside marriage. And since the issue of extra-marital affairs is treated humorously in the two films, there's a possibility that people might draw parallels.
Having cleared the misconception, let's get into the analyzing mode.
When the writer of several successful laughathons decides to direct a laughathon himself, expect nothing but the best. Director Anees Bazmee, who has tackled romance [PYAAR TO HONA HI THA] and thriller [DEEWANGEE] with flourish, besides writing a number of David Dhawan flicks, now attempts a comic caper that drives you nuts.
In spirit, NO ENTRY is akin to David Dhawan movies. The mantra is very clear: Garnish light moments with spice [sex], gloss [fabulous locales] and hip-swinging music. Concentrate on gags and punches. Throw logic to the winds. Pack a number of stars in the enterprise. Presto! The recipe for a paisa vasool entertainer is ready.
So does Bazmee get it right? Does NO ENTRY emerge as a paisa vasool entertainer? The answer to both the questions is a big 'Yes'. NO ENTRY is a joyride that's sure to send the moviegoers into raptures. NO ENTRY also works because it does not pretend to be something that it's not. The sole idea is to entertain and NO ENTRY delivers what it promises.
Having said that, let's add that when you saunter into a movieplex screening MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI, HULCHUL, MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA and now NO ENTRY, leave your brains behind, don't wear your thinking caps and forget what the term 'logic' means. If you follow the rules, you'd relish NO ENTRY from start to end.
In a nutshell, MUNNABHAI M.B.B.S., MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI, HULCHUL, KYAA KOOL HAI HUM and MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA regaled viewers and also struck gold at the box-office. Now add NO ENTRY to this illustrious list!
NO ENTRY is the story of three men:
Kishen [Anil Kapoor] -- the married man.
Sunny [Fardeen Khan] -- the bachelor.
Prem [Salman Khan] -- the 'married bachelor'.
While the faithful Kishen has a suspicious Kaajal [Lara Dutta] as his wife, playboy Prem has a trusting wife Pooja [Esha Deol]. And then there is Sunny's to-be wife Sanjana [Celina Jaitley], who is a bit of both.
Trouble brews when Prem decides to make Kishen taste the 'forbidden fruit' that he loves so much. This 'forbidden fruit' is the sultry siren Bobby [Bipasha Basu], who walks into the lives of them all, leading to chaos, craziness, commotion and crisis.
Who is Bobby, who manages to turn their lives topsy-turvy? Astonishingly, each one has a different answer to this question. Kishen dupes Kaajal into believing that Bobby is Sunny's wife. Sunny tricks Sanjana into believing that Bobby is Kishen's wife. That's when the trouble begins!
Comedy is serious business. To make people laugh requires not just the right lines and situations, but the right kind of actors as well. Their comic timing has to be immaculate, or else the jokes would simply fall flat. NO ENTRY has it all and as a result, it works well!
Although the film defies logic, Anees Bazmee must be credited for coming up with a compelling script. Everything is well explained right at the outset and the reasons that prompt Anil Kapoor to cheat on his wife is convincingly told.
A number of sequences stand out in the first hour:
• Lara's suspicious nature, first involving her maid and then at the shopping mall, when she spots Anil's car.
• The sequence with the astrologer [Razzaq Khan], involving the two couples -- Anil-Lara and Salman-Esha.
• Fardeen's 'suicide point' [cliff] sequence.
But it's the post-interval portions that bring the house down:
• The entire marriage sequence [Fardeen-Celina].
• The sequence at the Mauritius resort. A lengthy sequence, but the most hysterical part of the enterprise.
• The climax at the 'suicide point' [cliff] again.
But, from the writing point of view, there are some loose ends as well. The Boman Irani track looks completely forced in the narrative. Even the sequence in the second half, when he bumps into Salman in a hotel, was just not required.
Besides, the film could've done with a much better musical score. Not that the songs are mediocre, but how you wish you'd carry the songs on your lips like the comic sequences in your mind, after the screening has concluded. The film can also do with some trimming in both the halves. Ideally, a 10-15 minute scissoring would only spruce up the proceedings.
Directorially, Bazmee exhibits his versatility with NO ENTRY. This is the first time he has handled comedy [as a director] and not once does it look that he has stepped into a new territory. The execution of comic portions is the mainstay of the enterprise without doubt.
Cinematography [Ashok Mehta] is splendid. Every frame is of the picture postcard quality, reaffirming the fact that Mehta is the best in the business. Anu Malik's music is alright. From the filming point of view, the title track [choreographer: Raju Sundaram] and 'Just Love Me' [choreographer: Vaibhavi Merchant] stand out due to the picturizations. Dialogues are witty and in sync with the mood of the film.
NO ENTRY boasts of a galaxy of stars, but the ones who stand out are Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Lara Dutta -- in that order. Salman is excellent throughout, but it's his work in the climax that takes the graph of the film to an all-time high. However, he is missing for a substantial part in the post-interval portions.
If you saw Anil Kapoor in a serious role last week, watch him in one of the craziest roles ever in NO ENTRY. But despite an excellent performance, watching Anil in almost every frame of the film may not appeal to everyone. Bipasha Basu has never looked so hot, so inviting. But it's not about the looks, but talent and Bipasha scores on that front as well. Lara Dutta springs a surprise, essaying the role of a suspicious woman to perfection. Truly, this is one of her most uninhibited works!
Fardeen Khan comes into form in the post-interval portions, when the story focuses on Anil and Fardeen mainly. And the actor leaves a strong impression in the resort sequence. Ditto for Celina Jaitley, whom you start liking only towards the second half. Her skin show in 'Ishq Mein' will send the guys drooling. Esha Deol is relegated to the backseat. She gets a chance only in the final scene [when Salman apologizes to her] and she makes full use of it.
Boman Irani is wasted. Pratima Kazmi suits the ferocious part well. Paresh Ganatra, the guy enacting the role of Bipasha's lover, is fantastic. Sameera Reddy makes a surprise appearance towards the end and looks alluring.
On the whole, NO ENTRY is a joyride that is bound to click with the masses in a big way. At the box-office, NO ENTRY has all it takes to prove a success story on account of its massive star cast and excellent comedy it has to offer. Go have fun!
