'Heights of stupidity'

When John M. Mathan announced his second film, I immediately categorized it into the “eagerly anticipating release” list. I was very happy about it and in a way relieved too. Why relief? This guy made Sarfarosh a zillion years ago ( umm…. 8 actually) and never did another movie. Sarfarosh was a very good movie even though it followed a traditional screenplay pattern with songs and fights. His interviews after the success of Sarfarosh were indicative of his honest approach to film-making. When asked much later as to why we haven’t yet seen his second movie, he said something to the effect of “I am finding it very difficult to write something when I am forced to break into a song and dance every 30 minutes”. I felt very sad for him after reading that one.

After watching “Shikhar”, I felt that someone had put a gun to John’s head and forced himself to do something that he admittedly hates. The movie’s fault does not lie just in its classical song n dance break pattern, but in its story that is bereft of new ideas making it an ordeal to watch. To give you an idea, how do you think you would feel about watching a movie in which a guy slowly places firecrackers in a field and lights them one by one and they burst which is followed by “The End”. Don’t we know that the cracker was meant to burst after it was lit? In Shikhar, every plot detail, character or story turn, we know what exactly is going to happen and watch haplessly as it unfolds in the most unconvincing fashion possible.

Ajay Devgan is GG, a millionaire who wants to become a zillionaire by building a city. You read that right. He wants to build a complete city with “Five Star facilities” some three hours from Mumbai, where a millionaire turned “Baba” runs the “Rishi-van”. The Ashram is a stumbling block for GG’s plans and he wants it out of the way. It is very clear to the Baba that the construction of GG City will relocate Adivasis from their serene surrounds to the filth of Mumbai and in general will only make things worse. He does everything in his power to stop the construction and gets an injunction to the effect. GG is in no mood to let a Baba ruin his plans for what he calls his “Las Vegas”. Give me a break!! One look at Las Vegas history will let anyone know that it owes its existence to all the surplus electricity from the Hoover Dam project. There is no such explanation here as to why GG wants his city in these hills, when the only advantage you can think of is naturally available water.

To further his cause, GG befriends the Baba’s son Jai, who is a copy book version of his father. He has the same ideals, the same demeanor, and greets everyone with a “Shubam” (that one really gets on your nerves), but without the experience that you need in order to be wise. GG exploits that part of Jai and befriends him. He slowly exposes him to all the vices and soon, Jai is dancing to every one of his tunes. He even goes to his father on behalf of GG to ask for the land that GG so badly wants.

Things slowly come to a boil when Jai understands GG’s real intentions. In a climax that includes corrupt politicians, a fire, some firefighting, a judge who delivers instant verdicts and a wise chief minister among other improbable plot elements, things come to an end with “good prevailing over evil”. Whew! There is not a single turn the movie makes that you can’t predict with a certainty of 100%.

The movie’s leading ladies have such miniscule roles, that it wouldn’t make an iota of difference to the movie if they weren’t there at all. Even a reasonably good actor like Sushant Singh is unbearable in his dhoti clad ‘shudh hindi’ speaking avatar. Oh! What stupidity?!

By the way, shikhar means peak or heights. Nice name for a movie that scrapes the bottom of the barrel. Stay away from it.