Chameli Reviews

Charm Meli.
-Nimish Inamdar 23rd jan 2003.

Sadak, Chandani Bar, Market, and now Chameli. PNC has has come up with the same concept of Red Light Area with a minor change. The one night show builds up a scenario of the RLA as witnessed by a rich white-collar person.

The story starts with depressed Aman Kapoor (Rahul Bose) who sets out in his car in a stormy night to get stuck in a RLA and by fortune or misfortune, meets Chameli (Kareena Kapoor) and then the ball revolves around them. The film snatches out the human out of the sex worker. “Even we have hearts” is the motto carved by the film.

In the first half the script dialogues Chameli. It’s all about her life, her family, her friends and her approach to life. The crew has successfully managed to create a sympathetic angle in the life of Chameli. The second half is basically tussle of Aman’s and Chameli’s life as the former encounters the daily problems of the later. He spends heavily, bears all the abuses, beatings, and yes influence, in order to save her. At this point the cupid strikes and brings some light in Aman’s darkened life. This part of the film encarves “Even we have hearts and we do care.”

The plot seems to be good with good direction, and a realistic approach. Everyone from the cast are good enough to portray their characters. The film reviews were flooded with the story that Kareena Kapoor was brilliant in her role. I would like to back out from this. At no point in the film did I notice that her acting was natural, and meant to perform as Chameli. According to me she is not yet fully matured enough to understand and carry this type of role. Such roles of sympathy always prove beneficial in career of any actress, and its this stage when they declare themselves to be away from the mainstream cinema. But in case of Kareena, I think her stage is still to run amongst the trees and sing songs. Cause more than acting her selling point is glamour, and its better she concentrates on that rather that choosing “meaningful” roles.