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The Vow

A saccharine and paint-by-numbers slice of romance, which is largely boosted by the appeal of its two leads.

Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (3D)

The under-utilised 3D adds little to this prequel, which only serves as a sore reminder of the brilliance of the original films.

Any Questions For Ben?

The talented bunch of actors ably cut through the surface gloss, but it’s tough to remain invested in the plight of the self-absorbed lead.

Shame

It starts off as brutal but arresting stuff, and the two lead performances are scorching, but disappointingly dissolves into a case of tragedy for the sake of tragedy.

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Aashayein (Film)

by Mamta Bhatt | August 27, 2010 10:30 | Edited August 30, 2010 10:34

While its premise is touching, the film’s continual decision to enter into a fantasy world detracts from the coherence and impact of the story.

After being diagnosed with cancer and given a few months to live, a pessimistic patient, Rahul (John Abraham), struggles to cope with the diagnosis. Abandoning his fiancé, and refusing medical aid, Rahul checks himself into a hospice housing cancer patients filled with hopes of survival. As he slowly befriends these optimistic sufferers, Aashayein narrates Rahul's new lease on life, where he (literally) dreams up ways to defeat his diagnosis.

 

In his previous films, writer/director Nagesh Kukonoor has deftly explored diverse subjects including widowhood, disability, and prisoners on death row. However, Aashayein falls short of his previous efforts. Although the film is a poignant story about hope and a man's struggle to cope with death, the story loses its impact by entering the world of fantasy. The sequences in the latter half of the film, where Rahul's repeated fantastical dreams provide him with the clues to overcome death, are hard to believe. These fantasies, though used to great effect to try to explain the inexplicable, detract from the impact of the story. Aashayein would have been more effective if it grounded the issue in reality.

 

Conversely, the actors commendably attempt to breathe life into their characters. The film also tugs at the heartstrings with the sequences in the hospice and the motley assortment of characters that reside there.