Weekend Fun

Rumor is these two are going out together. He isn't such a good kisser, is he?

Naqaab candids

Enjoy watching Akshaye maing love and laughing with his heroine. It's more hot than the scene was in the movie!

Opening good in Mumbai, not good in other cities

The film opened well in Mumbai(70%) but was not good elsewhere(30-40%). The reports are on the negative side and the film may struggle to find acceptance. Better chances in metroes.(boxofficeindia.com)

Hope word of mouth drives more people to theatres!

Akshaye talks to Taran Adarsh

Why is he so overwrought? Definitely the worst interview I saw him do!

It's too early to judge!

Looks like Naqaab is not getting the collections it needs. Go here.

Deepa Gahlot doesn't like it either

Abbas-Mustan have found the easy way out… pick a not very well-known Hollywood film, get a writer to adapt it, sign up stars and shoot at foreign locations. Sometimes they hit the bull’s eye, sometimes not — as with their latest Naqaab, which is too twisty—turny for its own good.The other odd thing is that Dubai seems to have become a suburb of Mumbai. Anyone from a poor Goan girl escaping a stalker, to an our-of-work actor, to an aspiring filmmaker, probably could just catch a cab and go to Dubai, like they would from Andheri to Nariman Point. They don’t even encounter a stray Arab on the way!In this film lifted from Dot the I, a waitress called Sophie D’Costa (Urvashi Sharma) is engaged to rich guy Karan (Bobby Deol), when she goes to dine with her shrieky gal pals at a restaurant and is told there is a an Egyptian tradition which says that if a to-be-married girl dances with a stranger, it will bring luck. So she picks Vicky (Akshaye Khanna)—in the first of many script conveniences- and he turns up the next day claiming to have fallen in love with her. He even uses lines from the original (“Just once! Just one glass of water! In a brightly lit public place! We don’t even have to speak!”).A voice on the phone keeps telling him what to do, and there are flashes of him signing some papers, by which one gathers that he has an agenda in wooing Sophie. And she is attracted to his crazy casualness (drinking wine in coffee mugs!) as opposed to the stiff formality of her millionaire fiancé. Sophie ditches Karan, quite literally at the altar and when she goes to Vicky, they have a shock in store. Till this point, it looked like the three were playing games with one another.Audience’s curiosity is sought to piqued by the device of video cameras—hidden and visible—shooting every character. Then the directors turn around and play games with the audience. Without revealing what happens, because there is a bit of suspense—it can be said that the plot gets so outrageous and absurd that film turns into an unintended comedy.No performance worth commenting on, but the newcomer Urvashi gets to preen over the entire opening credits in different costumes, as if it were her showreel. She’s a pretty Udita Goswami-Minissha Lamba look alike – but no sign of talent yet.

(Afternoon)

"Good in parts " Joginder Tuteja

In recent past it has become fashionable for film makers to adjudge a non-living object as one of the film’s main characters. It could be a location or a train or a mobile - just about everything.
Well, Abbas Mustan have more than justified the existence of film’s central protagonist - a handycam - which is more than just a character!
This handycam not just captures the moments of other three protagonists of the film - Bobby Deol, Akshaye Khanna and newbie Urvashi Sharma - it also redefines these moments. Each of the three turn out to be beneficiary of technology; each of the three also suffer from the same. Filmy as it may sound, but then it is real as it gets. Well, to get into the what, when and how affair of things, one needs a definite dekko at NAQAAB, which is easily one of the best films to have come from Bollywood this year.
This is one of those rare suspense flicks when just as a revelation seems round the corner, as an audience you just want it to go on for some more time. First 10 minutes of the movie itself gives a good enough indication of something intriguing happening round the corner. One can sense something overtly suspicious coming over but then you love the feeling of being teased around by director duo Abbas Mustan.
This is the reason why you get a plateful of climax when there is not one, not two but as many as 5-6 twists in the tale. Just when you consider yourself to be smart enough for having grasped the climax, Abbas-Mustan deceive you by making you stare on to the bigger picture. While you are digesting this twist, the fast pace ensures that there is yet another angle introduced which makes you look at the screen open mouthed in amazement.
The trend continues till the fascinating turn of sequences leave you absolutely stunned and makes you truly appreciate the beauty of a tale which is an absolute original as far as screens in Indian cinema are concerned. Well, if there is a film this year that could qualify as one helluva roller coaster, then NAQAAB is the one.
Reasons are aplenty for this. There are two things that remain consistent during each and every frame of NAQAAB - Urvashi Sharma and the handycam. While Urvashi Sharma dominates the proceedings, especially the first half, with more than 90% of the scenes showcasing her talent and assets, the handycam is a constant companion. In fact except for probably a stray extra in the background, entire Dubai seems to be carrying a handycam in tow. Well, there are reasons for that, you know!
It is this very handycam that make sure that you differentiate between what is public and what is private. There are two of these which delve into the finer details of multi-millionaire Bobby’s and poor soul Akshaye Khanna’s lives, another one that doesn’t leave Burger-selling-Urvashi-who-would-soon-be-Mrs. Bobby alone and then there are more which are fitted in almost all of Dubai.
No, this is not some suspense that is being revealed here! In fact Abbas Mustan roll out the cards very early in the day and make you apply your brains to check out the reason behind such extensive coverage. Is it clear case of spying? Is it some revenge drama? Is it the case of everyone being gray out here? Or are they all black and evil? Is the one who is a hunter actually the one who has been hunted? Or is it the other way round?
One thing which becomes quite clear at the very beginning of the film is that this is no routine love triangle. It was not meant to be after all! Even though a couple of sequences give a MURDER deja vu, you know that there won’t be panting and groaning just for titillation purpose. As a viewer you don’t get a chance to feel so because the script it at a far higher level. And once the second half of the film begins, it only takes the film to greater heights with every 10 minutes.
Characters start becoming clearer, the plot thickens, blood spills and the film seems to be have come to an and. But then the classic scenario of ‘what you see is NOT what you get’ takes over. There is far more fun in store as the film only moves forward towards the last 20 minutes rather than ending at the point where most films normally would have.
The motive turns out to be the most unique for a Bollywood flick while the justification is just real! The pawns realize the game they had been the part of all this whereas the player truly turns out to be the King. Well, almost!
Urvashi Sharma is very good talent in the making and performs as a seasoned artist. She displays very good range in emoting and whether they are romantic rendezvous, dramatic moments, light hearted banters or tearjerker sequences, she catches the finer nuances well. She looks gorgeous throughout while her body language is consistently good. She is easily one of the best debutants to have arrived in a long time.
Akshaye Khanna is good in his part but unlike HUMRAAZ, this time around he is eaten up by Bobby Deol who has a superb second half written especially for him. Watch out for his sequences in the penultimate reels of the film and you would know why. After SHAKALAKA BOOM BOOM, JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM and APNE, this is yet another winning performance by Bobby this year.
Musically, Pritam’s ‘Ek Din’ and ‘Ae Dil’ haunt dominate the background score that is excellently crafted by Salim-Sulaiman and compliments the thriller flavor of NAQAAB. Flashes and glimpses from the past continue to make an appearance while editing pattern turns over a new leaf for the team. Drama is gripping while thrills are just tout. By the time the film reaches it’s crescendo, one knows that it is no ordinary thriller.
The suspense seems to be far more layered, the deceit seems to be far more engaging, the reasoning seems to be far more comprehendible while the motive is truly shocking. In nutshell, you get much more than what you would have bargained for.

Indiaglitz.com

This guy liked the movie very much and called it the best movie this year so far!

Show Stealing-- RadioSargam

Abbas Mustan, the makers of superhit thrillers like Khiladi, Soldier, Ajnabee, Humraaz are now unveiling the most shocking thriller of the year titled Naqaab. Made under the banners of Tips Music Films, Naqaab also brings back the team of 2002 superhit Humraaz, Bobby Deol, Akshaye Khanna and Abbas-Mustan together.
Naqaab’s plot and characters were kept secretive right from the very beginning and this has helped it in a way to create enough hype and curiousity amongst moviegoers.
Naqaab is a thriller which witnesses two men vying for attention from the same girl.
The plot of Naqaab revolves around Sophie (Urvashi Sharma). She happens to be from a middle class background. Sophie’s character is that of a sexy and confident young girl who is engaged to Karan Khanna (Bobby Deol), a stylish millionaire.
Things move on smoothly until one day, Sophie meets Vicky Malhotra (Akshaye Khanna). Vicky is a struggling actor. He is an ambitious man who can do anything in quest of becoming an actor. Sophie’s interest in Vicky gives rise to a lot of problems in her relationship with Karan.
The film also emphasizes on the pasts of the three characters, which add more spice to the already existing tadka.

Naqaab, as a thriller gives quite a handful of shocks to its viewers towards the climax. The suspense unfolds at a rapid pace and is quite surprising. The screenplay did not work for me in the second half and the film looses it points over there. Though, the climax is quite compelling and jerky.
Naqaab is not the run of the mill stock and it is a story to watch out for. The thrilling moments are certainly the reason to call it different. The storyline is unpredictable till the very end and chooses a narrow lane to unveil the secrets. At times though, the objective of one of the central characters is not believable.
The screenplay is let loose in the second half until the climax tightens it back again. Abbas Mustan are known for their different storylines and this time too they manage to pull off a well made Naqaab. The script is not the best one you will witness, but the polished blend of narration, screenplay and script works well.
Editor Hussain Burmawala has done a good job in putting together the best portions of the film. Pritam’s music helps in the narration of the plot. Salim Sulaiman’s background score is haunting. Choreography of ‘Ek Din Teri Raahon Mein’ is elegant.
Like in Humraaz, this time too Akshaye Khanna delivers a show stealing performance. Bobby Deol leaves his stylish mark in the second half. Urvashi’s character is well crafted and the fresh look on her face is quite appealing and dangerously seductive.Vikas Kalantri gives a satisfactory performance. And, so does Vishal Malhotra.
On the whole, get some time out of your busy schedule to catch up with a ‘surpriseful’ Naqaab. The opening is not up to the mark but should improve over the weekend.

"The film belongs to Akshaye Khanna all the way"--Bollyvista

They are called the "Masters of Suspense". With 'Naqaab', Abbas-Mustan, not only prove why they are called thus, but also lay claim to the title of "Grandmasters of Suspense"!
The story is set in Dubai, where Sophiya (Urvashi Sharma) lives with her millionaire fiancée, Karan (Bobby Deol). Out at a celebration party with her girlfriends, Sophiya meets Vicky (Akshaye Khanna). Both are instantly attracted to each other. Neither the fact that Vicky is unemployed nor that she is slated to marry Karan in a few days, can deter her from falling in love with the charming Vicky. Complications follow and soon even the complications get complicated! To reveal anything more will be totally unfair.
The promos of the film might give an impression that the plot is somewhat similar to the director duo's earlier films like 'Humraaz'. But this is nothing even remotely close! Also Johnny Lever, who is a regular fixture in all Abbas-Mustan films, is missing from this one!
This film is a roller coaster ride, with umpteen unexpected twists and turns till the very end!

Kudos to the directors Abbas-Mustan, for attempting such an unconventional subject. The screenplay by Shiraz Ahmed is taut and racy. The background score by Salim Suleimaan is appropriate. The cinematography by Ravi Yadav is functional. As always, veteran editor Hussain Burmawala, maintains a tight narrative structure. The first half is a little below an hour!
Of Pritam's music, 'Ek Din Teri Rahoon Mein' is the best of the lot.
The film belongs to Akshaye Khanna all the way. He is charming and his performance is restrained.
Bobby Deol does his bit. But he doesn't have much scope to work with, until the film embarks on the latter portion of the second half.
Debutant Urvashi Sharma makes a fantastic debut and performs with aplomb. Apart from giving a decent performance, she also looks stunning and vivacious. She is definitely here to stay for a long time.
Vikas Kalantri and Vishal Malhotra ham their way to glory. Raj Zutshi has just three scenes but he is good even in this miniscule role.
This one is surely worth a watch. It's an entertainer all the way!

"Delivers good performance ... Perfect:" Indicine

Director duo of Abbas and Mustan (Baazigar, Humraaz, Ajnabee) are back with their new thriller titled Naqaab. Their previous venture 36 China Town was a disappoinment. So, with the Humraaz combo of Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna in the lead, have the Masters of Thrillers succeeded in thrilling the audience?
Naqaab revolves around the central character of Sophie (Urvashi Sharma), a sweet and confident young girl from a middle class family. Sophie is engaged to a multi-millionaire Karan Khanna (Bobby Deol). One night she comes in contact with Vicky Malhotra (Akshaye Khanna), who is a struggling actor. She feels for him almost instantly. This change in affections cause a rift in the relationship between Sophie and Karan Khanna.
Who will Sophie decide to marry? Is Vicky actually as straight forward as he looks? Is there some mystery behind the multi-millionaire Karan Khanna? Or is there some different story altogether which Sophie isn’t aware of?
Director Duo of Abbas-Mustan succeed in surprising and shocking the viewers. The movie moves at such a fast pace in the second half, especially the last 30 mins, with all the twists and turns that it takes a bit of time for the viewers to grasp and come to terms with the ongoings. Although the first half has some light moments, it disappoints to a certain extent. The songs form a part of the movie and blend well with the narration. The song that stays with you after the movie is ‘Ek Din Teri Raahon Mein’. The cinematography is good, while the dialogues are brilliant.
Some scenes in the movie that make an impact
- Akshaye Khanna’s date with Urvashi at the restaurant.- The scene between Urvashi and Akshaye, at his house. Fantastic.- The last 20 mins, when the mystery is solved, is very well executed.
A few negatives
- The scene wherein Akshaye Khanna steals food from Hyaat, has been ripped off from Vikram Bhatt’s Life Mein Kabhie Khabie.- The background music gets irritating, especially when the hidden camera is capturing the action in the movie.
Akshaye Khanna delivers a good performance, although he is getting repetitive with his facial expressions. His dialogue delivery and comic timing is perfect. Bobby Deol is excellent in a few scenes while strictly average in others. Debutante Urvashi Sharma is confident in front of the camera. She has a good screen presence and looks extremely attractive. Her body language and style somewhat resembles Sushmita Sen. Vikas Kalantri (Nayee Padosan) is average. Vishal Malhotra (Ishq Vishq, Dor) is good.
Overall, with a run time of exactly 2 hours, Naqaab partially succeeds as a thriller. But unfortunately, the thriller is not as convincing as it should have ideally been. Not in the league of a Baazigar, Ajnabee or a Humraaz, but better than most recent thrillers that have been churned out by Bollywood

"Better than the script"--Khaid Mohammed

Note the point, she works in a burger joint, lives in a Dubai villa bigger than the Lal Quila and doesn’t know whether to love the poor man or the rich man. Meanwhile flash, cuts, zips, zaps, toinks and boinks hint at some eerie events from the past and future. Everyone is Dubai seems to be either unreal or surreal. Eesh.
In fact, throughout Abbas-Mustan’s Naqaab, you even keep wondering if you’ve turned into a Daliesque tangdi kabaab? With possibly the most insane whodunwhat made in world cinema, the duo even pay their belated homage to Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali. Being watched on DVD, the classic prompts someone to exclaim, “Arre wah, Ray saab made the real so very real.”
Really, this happens out here. Like it or not, Abbas-Mustan have lost the plot. Result: the right royal headache of the year!
Come on, the directors and their story-screenplay writer Shiraz Ahmed, have merely lifted a Hollywood turnip called Dot the I, which is about as adaptable to our milieu as an igloo is to the tropiocs.
Strange sights-`n’-sounds abound. Collapse! Everyone even trots off to the Cannes film festival to win the Palme D’Or (can’t reveal why but merde!), an Egyptian dancer organises mating sessions at a cabaret palace, and a beach dance jigaloo is performed by Akshaye Khanna as if were trying to outclass Himesh Reshammiya’s surroor. Mr Khanna is a competent actor but would he please stop going off his limborockers?
Of the performances, Khanna despite his odd wardrobe, has his better-than-the-script moments. Bobby Deol – except for a solitary solo piece of dialogue – is criminally wasted. And imagine, that too by Abbas-Mustan! As puzzling as Sudoku, he goes around video-graphing Urvashi Sharma (new mystery-history-geography girl, it seems) when she’s sipping champagne. Bubbly boo. He thinks she’s chilli capsicum, she thinks he’s a kobe sizzler. Trouble bubbles. Urvashiji is already engaged to the richest dude in the world, aka Bobby Deol, who sits with a gang of executives at a table discussing business over a bowl of apples and lemons. Going bananas or what?
Anyway Urvashi runs out of her church wedding to the Fruit Dude, scaring the daylights out of a couple of little girls who had just told the bride, “You look so beautiful.” Debatable. But hang on, there are miles to go before you sleep (at home that is).
Next: Akshaye, Bobby and Urvi talk as expertly as Ashok Mehta and Santosh Sivan about the rapid strides in video technology. So boring. Theatre actor Ganesh Yadav shows up as a cop to look menacingly at a couple of irritating nerds who hang all around the place like Chinese lanterns. Yet nothing is more comical than Akshaye Khanna (given yards and yards of footage) in the wardrobe of either a schoolboy’s or of Jeetendra’s.
To be sure, the editing chops by Hussain Burmawallah are snazzy but why an abruptly short first- half followed by lumbering post-intermission antics? Pritam’s music score is a snoozer.
Of the performances, Khanna despite his odd wardrobe, has his better-than-the-script moments. Bobby Deol – except for a solitary solo piece of dialogue – is criminally wasted. And imagine, that too by Abbas-Mustan! As for Urvashi Sharma, well, she is obviously dubbed. And despite the camera going ga-ga-ga over her, she doesn’t display any USP.

Hindustan Times

"Akshaye is good" --MTV India

Karan (Bobby Deol) is in love with Sophia (Urvashi Sharma - my new girlfriend). She works at Burger King but stays with Karan. They plan to get married soon. Enter Vicky (Akshaye Khanna) and our Burger King wali falls in love with him. Oh Oh. The thing is that Akshaye always has a handycam with him, so that looks a bit creepy. Apart from Raj Zutshi that is! What is he doing there? You'll have to watch the film for that. But then even if you don't, you're not missing anything.REVIEW: Watch it for Urvashi Sharma - they show her in a bikini. Wow! I'm liking already. As for the thriller part, there's not much interesting there. The first half of the movie plays like a typical love triangle and things start unfolding in the second half albeit in an unintentinonally comical manner. Out of the cast, Akshaye is good while Bobby gets lost in the same rich-boy-long-hair role. Reality cinema.. ooops!!!BOTTOMLINE: Thrilling? Ummm.. not really!

Midday Review (Spoilers)

What’s it about: It’s not one thing. It’s many. Anyway, here’s a start: Karan’s rich, Sophie’s poor. He tells her he loves her, wants to marry her. She agrees. At an engagement party for her friends, she senses a kindred spirit in Vicky, a wannabe actor. The two revel in each other’s company even as Karan’s still besotted with Sophie. It turns out Vicky was employed to bait Sophie into falling for him by a shadowy voice named Rohit Shroff. Things get ugly as Sophie leaves Karan high and dry at the altar and runs straight into Vicky’s arms and his bed. The next morning, Sophie goes to meet Karan to say she’s sorry. He tells her to get out. Minutes (or is it hours, in screen time) later, Karan blows his brains out. End of story? What’s that!What’s hot: It’s an Abbas-Mustan film. Which probably is the film’s USP as well as its undoing. You expect to be entertained. You expect the twists and turns. The cloak-and-dagger stuff that’s now stuff of legend. You expect too much. The film delivers, to a point. And then they go and throw elements of a black comedy at you. Hmmm....What’s not: It’s all about the digicam. As in most of Abbas-Mustan’s work, there’s always a Holy Grail and this digicam is no less. The soundtrack by Pritam doesn’t really set the pace. The track that plays during the opening credits goes on and on, I’m assuming to tell the world that Urvashi is eye candy. Not that they needed to try so hard. The loud and irritating extras get too much screen time. Vikaas Kalantri’s extended performance speaks volumes on why he’s getting so few film roles. Oddly enough, Raj Zutshi is only left holding a digicam for all the time that he’s up on the screen. Naqaab only picks up in the second half, which is when all the mysteries unravel. In a move probably inspired by most Hollywood blockbusters this year, the flick has a faux climax, immediately followed by the actual climax followed by an epilogue of sorts. What’s that? Karan’s described as a billionaire, millionaire, and a multi- millionaire by different faces throughout the film. Can’t they make up their minds? Or is his financial status as rocky as the share market tends to be? A million here, a billion there... the film’s writers really don’t seem to care.What to do: You have to watch this film to figure out why I haven’t stopped laughing since.

"Impressive but typecasted"--Martin D'Souza Spoilers in this review

Two assistants in prison for the murder of their boss, Bobby Deol acts like schoolboys on a picnic which dilutes whatever impact the weak script manages to bring about. Vikas Kalantri and Vishal Malhotra, who find themselves behind bars, are trying to figure out what emotions to give the camera and in the bargain goof up the scene. NAQAAB does not live up to the director duo Abbas-Mustan’s forte of making thrillers. The duo who have given hits like BAZIGAAR and DARAAR fail to revive the magic of HUMRAAZ, even though the cast still has Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna, the two stars of the last-named flick. So what’s wrong? For starters, the script is very weak and that’s where the story ends. What unfolds next is struggling actor Akshaye Khanna and private detective Raj Zutshi’s handycam work that is being filmed as a reality movie. The only surprise element here is that both don’t know to what extent they are being used. Also, debutante Urvashi Sharma, who is engaged to millionaire Bobby Deol, knows not what her boyfriend is upto.
Akshaye Khanna is once again impressive, but the roles he is getting are typecasting this talented actor. Bobby Deol is passable but what really spoils the plot is the inclusion of Vikas Kalantri and Vishal Malhotra whose roles are neither clearly defined, nor is their acting upto the mark. In short, it’s like an eyesore every time they come on screen. Whatever little intensity is built up goes kaput when they open their mouths. Clearly, a case of bad casting. One scene is a repeat of LIFE MEIN KABHIE KABHIE when Akshaye and Urvashi go to a five-star hotel for lunch. Aftab Shivdasani treats Koel Purie to a five-star lunch using room service and request for the food to be kept outside a door that has a ‘Do Not Disturb Sign’. Akshaye does ditto. Urvashi Sharma is confident for a newcomer. She carries off her scenes with ease and is as comfortable in a bikini as she is in a sari. All she needs to take care of is certain camera angles, which does not do justice to her looks. Music by Pritam is what keeps the film together.

glamsham.com

Rajeev Masand doesn't like the film either

From prolific filmmaker duo Abbas-Mustan comes this week's brand new release Naqaab.
In this film that's set in Dubai, newcomer Urvashi Sharma and Bobby Deol play a young couple engaged to be married. It’s another thing he's a multi-millionaire with a home the size of a palace, and she works at Burger King and pays him rent to live under his roof.
Just days before her marriage to Bobby, she meets and strikes up a friendship with an aspiring actor played by Akshaye Khanna. Sparks fly between the two, but on Urvashi's insistence their friendship is kept strictly platonic. On D-Day, however, just moments before she exchanges marriage vows with Bobby, Urvashi has a change of heart.
Up until this stage, the film made perfect sense to me, but it's from this point onwards that Naqaab turns truly bizarre. It would be unfair to reveal any more of the plot because that would give away the surprise element of the film. But believe me, you'd never have guessed where this film was going anyway, because it's so ridiculous and unimaginable. Now you're probably wondering why I'm complaining if the film is unpredictable, because unpredictable is a good thing, right? Well, there a difference between unpredictable and ridiculous, and the thing about the twists and turns in Naqaab is that they're absolutely ridiculous.
For years Abbas-Mustan have ripped off popular films from Hollywood and delivered successful Hindi remakes: Khiladi, Baazigar, Daraar, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, Ajnabee, Humraaz and Aitraaz.
But with Naqaab they've hit their weakest note because it's a thriller without any thrills if you ask me. There's none of that nail-biting tension, no suspense and an anti-climax to top it all. I could pick a hundred holes in the screenplay but I don't even want to bother, because that would still mean putting in more effort than the writers and the directors have.
You know one's willing to suspend disbelief if your script can convince me to make that leap of faith. And Abbas-Mustan know that better than anyone else. We've happily gone along with their stories of mistaken identities, reincarnations, double roles, death-avenging relatives, and murderous spouses.
But with Naqaab they come up with something so bizarre that's it's really difficult to digest. In all honesty, I was so stunned by the banality of the plot that I was convinced this couldn't be a rip-off. It had to be some amateur writer's amateurish effort which Abbas-Mustan decided to direct.
But to my surprise I discovered that Naqaab is not only a bad script, it's also not an original script. Go to the internet and look up a film called Dot the I starring Gael Garcia Bernal. The directors of Naqaab have plundered, lock stock and barrel from that obscure American film. It's not just the plot and the premise of that film that's been borrowed, even dialogues from that film have been directly translated into Hindi and shamelessly used.
When a film's not working for you, you can usually find a million things to not like in it. As far as Naqaab is concerned, I have to ask if the costume designer of the film was smoking pot while at work. How else do you explain the horrifying clothes that she's draped most of the actors in—red lace gloves for the leading lady, pink satin shirt with a matching pink waistcoat for Bobby, and double-layered clothes for Akshaye. Hell, why? Also what's with all those ugly sets? From the outside Bobby's home looks like the Queen of England's holiday home, but the interiors are the kind of tasteless sets they used to construct at Hyderabad's Banjara Hills for those B-grade family dramas in the eighties. There's little one can say about the three actors in this film, they perform adequately but fail to make much of an impression and it's hardly their fault given the kind of material they're working with.
I'm going to go with one out of five and a thumbs down for Abbas-Mustan's Naqaab--it's far-fetched and illogical and there's hardly anything to like about it. The film's promos very correctly describe it as the most shocking thriller you'll see this year—honestly I still haven't recovered!

CNN-IBN

"Great in parts" -- Sanjay Ram

Does it have the twist and turns? Sure it does. Is it the most shocking thriller of the year? Well of course; especially because you walk in seeking thrill and you end up laughing your guts out (isn't that shocking enough?). Holding you attention through the first half, having you anticipate for the thrill, the film spills hilarity in the second half until the end.
The premise for the thrill is the intermingled life of three characters. Sophie (Urvashi Sharma) shifts base from India to live in Dubai. She lives in with Karan (Bobby Deol), a multi millionaire, who is soon to be her beau. In a pre wedding festivity, dancing with Vicky (Akshaye Khanna), she realizes her affinity towards him. Soon they begin going out on occasional dates, but this distressed damsel cannot seem to forget her multi millionaire innocent fiancée, who is waiting for her back home. On the D day, walking the aisle, dressed in white she realizes things are not right. She speeds away, without any explanations, only to return to Karan the following day to provide a loose one.
A distressed and traumatized Karan, with no place to turn to, befriends death. What follows is the questioning of belief, sentiments, emotions and a startling truth.
Now the basic plot is simple, but the frivolous details are beyond belief. The gasp comes at not what is revealed but the fact that it could be something as banal as what they say. Once the major clue is thrown at you, it really isn't difficult to pick up the pieces and put two and two together. The climax in particular is perhaps something you would have figured out as soon as the characters begin spilling the beans.
The one aspect that could have made the film a good watch would have been the dialogues. Sadly they are they are precisely what you end up chuckling at. The shallow explanations hit you hard and this is probably what shocks the most.
A few other shocks are the partially developed characters, while some have a background. We are led to believe the rest have no other work in life than to be excited in frivolous indulgences, mainly a handy cam.
What saves the film is the well shot locales and the Dubai excursion. The camerawork and cinematography is good. Even the editing is well done. The film though not filled with the thrill you would have wanted it to contain, flows cohesively without tangents that take it into another realm. Though the music plays a significant role, it really does not do much for the film, the excitement it could have brought seems absent.
Shocks don't just stop with what is told. Even the characters don't fail to distress with their performances. Debutant Sharma sobs and laughs, but fails to deliver any impact. After the good acts in Apne and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Deol's depthless character has him deliver a bitter performance. Khanna is great in parts and OK in a few others. The additional characters that have nothing much to do, manage to disappoint well. Kalantri, Malhotra and Zutshi in their minute odd roles do nothing for the story.
Barring the sour shocks, this film has nothing much offer. Its Box office do cannot be expected to be great. This film might just about manage to do fair business in certain centers, but nothing shocking per se.
Naqaab is shocking and the disguised intentions will have you sniggering.

Business of Cinema

Filmfare slams Naqaab

In spite of being touted as the ‘most shocking thriller of the year’, (corniest tag line ever!) I would never say my expectations were sky high but they weren’t below the ground level either! To be frank, Naqaab, is in fact the ‘most disappointing thriller of the year so far’. The film's impact deteriorates as the time passes... from bad to worse to plainly absurd, illogical and seriously insane!

To get things straight, Abbas Mustan’s ‘Naqaab’ is loosely based on ‘Humraaz’ and highly inspired from Sting’s smash hit song ‘I’ll be watching you’ and thus you get to see truckloads of cameras aimed at our petite, forever caked up ‘Ameesha Patel-esque’ waitress Sophia (Urvashi Sharma) who by the way loves to wear bikinis and ride her scooter to work (which supposedly shows her poverty!) The poor girl is engaged to a millionaire Karan (Bobby, repeats his ‘Humraaz’ act) who is way too understanding and perfect to be true! Thus our ‘white-skinned’ heroine (has she by ever chance used a ‘white’ foundation on her face!) gets bored with the Richie rich and falls for a flirt, Vicky (Akshaye, over-weight and under-performs).

But things are not what they seem like. Sophia’s proximity with Vicky develops cracks in her relationship with Karan and all hell breaks loose, making one of the trio kill the other!

Who commits murder, who is the planner, who is spying on Sophia and for what reason... all your questions are answered, unfortunately none of them justify any of the events that take place earlier and thus as the suspense unfolds, it surprises you with its insanity and absurdity. In an attempt to make the climax highly unpredictable, the director goofs it up further making it even sillier and confusing!

Also, the problem with ‘Naqaab’ is the fact that it has tracks which have absolutely no relevance to the story. Also unnecessary characters come out of no where and disappear equally miraculously! Songs are forgettable but so are the film and the star performances! Urvashi is okay, but displays no chemistry with either of her co-stars. If not acting, loads of skin show will take this girl places. Bobby, it’s high time you get out of your ‘Humraaz’ meets ‘Shakalaka Boom Boom’ roles and Akshaye, what’s with the paunch, we wonder. Also before wearing those low necks, we wish you’d have gotten rid of your ample chest hair! The dress designer of Bobby and Akshaye needs to go back to his fashion designing school as their clothes are absolutely hideous! Sparing one or two funny scenes between Urvashi and Akshaye (that too inspired from Hollywood films) there is nothing worth watching in this film. Stay away from Naqaab as far as possible.

Well, you can't please anyone.

"In fine form" -- Mayank Shankar

Since over two decades now, the Burmawalla siblings, a curious twosome in the Tinsel Town north of Bandra, have amusingly shared their parents, the director's seat, and their suit-length to make films together.


A still from Naqaab

Of over a dozen in their filmography, quite a few were noticeably impressive for their times; and almost all reveal two hard-boiled commercial Bollywood directors that the twins are.

I use the word Bollywood as much as a pejorative, a masala rehash of Hollywood fare, as the song-and-dance movie projects that it's come to signify now.

Almost all known Abbas-Mustan movies somehow find their way to an American pot-boiler of the past, the plot sufficiently curried to suit mainstream Hindi audience tastes: Baazigar (A Kiss Before Dying), Humraaz (The Perfect Murder), Aitraaz (Disclosure), Badshah (Nick Of Time), Ajnabee (Consenting Adults)…

Viewed purely from the perspective of a film trade punter, each preliminarily works at the level of a "proposal", usually a two-hero-one-heroine or two-heroine-one-hero service contract to light up posters.

The pivotal moment in almost each film is the "twist", or the "kahaani mein twist, hee haa haa" (in the end, or at the interval) that turns an entire plot of unfaithful love on its head into a clever ploy, and nearly every character reveals itself as an unforgiving picture of deceit. Naqaab is at best a valuable addition to that formula's library.

One heroine (Urvashi), almost instantly falls for the first hero (Khanna, in fine form), a failed actor. She is engaged to the second hero (Deol), a rich millionaire. Of course this isn't the plot. And a problem with a picture hinged entirely on a twist in the tail is neither can you reveal the premise, nor discuss a film without pointing out its obvious holes.

Especially as the twists — some of them inspired from films that shall remain unnamed, so as not to serve as spoilers — just do not add up. This one has not one but at least five twists packed in a matter of a never-ending final 30 minutes. The effort to shock and please appears evident. But in this unrestrained disorder, you aren't sure if the tail wags the dog, or dog the tail. So you just twist and turn until it's all over, and you can stop questioning, or thinking backwards.

If it's any consolation, it's pleasant to watch Abbas-Mustan back at their game after a brief, bizarre deviation of the recent past (36 China Town, Tarzan: The Wonder Car). I'd recommend they curb their enthusiasm still. Two decades into a business, you may expect two creative people ahead on the learning curve. Their film treatment pretty much belongs to the early '90s: very passable stuff now.


Mumbai Mirror

"Stands out prominently"-- Nikhil Kumar

To call Naqaab ‘The Most Shocking Thriller Of The Year’ (as its tagline says) would be a gross overstatement. Without exaggeration, the movie can be described as an engaging romantic thriller revolving around characters with disguised intentions.

For years, director duo Abbas-Mastan have honed their skills of making thrillers through movies like Baazigar, Ajnabee and Humraaz . Their latest work, ‘Naqaab’ is nowhere near their previous thrillers in which suspense came out like a bolt from the blue.




In ‘Naqaab’, one part of the suspense is not hard to guess. But there are many twists and turns before the film’s climax. The unmasking of the secret is indeed unexpected, but it lacks enough conviction. If the movie’s plot has ample knots and tangles, it also has its holes.

To cut to the chase, ‘Naqaab’ isn’t exactly a nail-biting, edge-of-the-seat experience. It is a fairly decent thriller you wouldn’t mind watching once.

The movie brings together the ‘Humraaz’ team of Akshaye Khanna and Bobby Deol .

Bobby plays a millionaire, Karan, in love with a middle-class girl Sophie ( Urvashi Sharma ) who, despite her rich boyfriend, works in a burger joint. Enters Vicky (Akshaye Khanna), a struggling actor out of work. Vicky’s charm, charisma and eloquence wins the affection of Sophie. Sparks fly, and the two find getting drawn towards each other.

Hidden from all this, there is someone who is watching and filming the three characters.

As the love story gets more complex and contrived, hidden intentions of the characters are unmasked.

The first half of the movie is breezy but clichéd. Story picks up just before the interval and from there on it develops in the second half. There are surprising revelations and interesting bends in the plot. The director duo have tried to add the shock element with force, rather than wit. And there is too much beating around the bush before coming to the point in the climax.

Among performances, Akshaye Khanna’s stands out most prominently. His chemistry with Urvashi is superb. Bobby Deol manages his part well but offers nothing impressionable. Newcomer Urvashi Sharma acts as if she has the experience of many films behind her. She is comfortable and confident in playing her part before the camera.

The film’s cinematography is gripping and its editing is slick. Pritam’s music is passable.

Abbas-Mastan’s direction is tight and there are indeed sequences in the film that pump your adrenalin. But the director duo fail to create the hard-hitting impact in the second half, despite the twists and turns.

To sum it up, ‘Naqaab’ doesn’t turn out to be a riveting thriller, but it is engaging enough to be seen once.

"First-rate" --Ashok nayak

Director Abbas Mustan have churned out thrillers like 'Baazigar', 'Ajnabee', 'Humraaz', 'Aitraaz' to name a few.They are the masters when it comes to thrillers. 'Naqaab' is another romantic thriller from the stable of this director duo. After 'Humraaz', Abbas Mustan, Akshay Khanna and Bobby Deol team up again, also introducing model Urvashi Sharma as an actress.

'Naqaab' is not just another love triangle, but a twisted thrilling love story. The movie does have a lot of suspense in it but does the movie actually stand up to being the most thrilling love story of the year? Well, not quite.

This is how the story goes...
Karan (Bobby Deol) is a multi millionaire who falls in love with a middle-class gorgeous girl Sophie (Urvashi Sharma). Sophie, a girl of self-will, in spite of being the love of Karan's life works at a burger house to earn her living. Being with Karan, Sophie had love, happiness, riches and glamour that she never dreamt of possessing. Here we are introduced to our second hero Vicky (Akshaye Khanna). Vicky a middle-class charming young man aims to become an actor, but fails and is out of work. He meets Sophie at a beach resort. A dance at the resort sweeps both of them off their feet . Despite being engaged, Sophie starts falling in love with Vicky because of his witty and winning talks and actions. Karan is unaware of the relationship that is blossoming between Sophie and Vikram.

Well this sounds like a usual love triangle, a girl trapped between two men. But that's not all what 'Naqaab' has in store for us. Besides all this, there is a fourth person who is monitoring all the three characters. There is something that creates turmoil in the lives of the three. Slowly the story is unmasked and the true faces come to limelight. Is Vicky the only reason behind the split of Karan and Sophie? Is he the only baddie? Is Karan the right man for Sophie? Are the characters the same as they appear? 'Naqaab' conceals different intentions.

The concept chosen by Abbas-Mustan for Naqaab is excellent but the execution fails. The story is dealt in an unusual way, something unique but feeble. The first half of the movie has almost nothing unique or thrilling, most of the sequences are completely predictable. The movie provokes no emotions. The beep that is heard every time the fourth person shoots the activities of these characters is annoying. One could also easily guess the man behind all the suspense, but the intention remained unknown. The ending was different but not convincing. The repeated twists in reaching the ultimate climax has probably never been employed in any Bollywood film before. The approach is interesting but the result not convincing. The setting of the award ceremony evidently appeared unrealistic. And when did human blood become thinner like water and the color so light?

Cinematography is excellent. The locales of Dubai have been captured well. Music was satisfactory.

Bobby Deol looks the character he's been asked to portray but he is not spontaneous. Overall Bobby is good but his expression seems forced. Akshay Khanna's acting is first-rate. The chemistry that he shares with Urvashi is electric. Urvashi is confident throughout. She looks gorgeous and her performance is exceptional for a debutant. She still needs to work on her dialogue delivery. Some homework will increase her chances of pushing towards the top league.

Raj Zutshi is wasted. Vikas Kalantri and Vishal Malhotra are alright.

Overall, 'Naqaab' breaks the promise of being the most thrilling love story of the year. With an interesting and unique theme, the movie fails to be captivating.



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