|
|
Director: Geetha Krishna
Cast: Prabhu Deva, Simran, Radhika Choudhary, Ambika, Prithviraj, Mouly, Devan, Manivannan, Charlie, Vyapuri, Pandu, Kovai Sarala.
From the
many photographs given to him, Prabhu Deva selects Simran’s
as that of his future bride. Devan, his well-wisher and father of
his best friend Prithviraj, takes up the task of going to
Simran’s house with the marriage proposal. But one look at
Nasser the father of Simran, and Devan goes into a fit or rage.
It seems, many years ago, Nasser’s brother-in-law was
working as a driver in the tycoon’s house. Nasser had fallen
in love with Devan’s sister and the duo had got married.
It’s now the time for one of those innumerable
‘flash-backs’ that abound in the film. Devan had never
forgotten the slight to his family honour. So he rejects his
newfound niece.
Nasser dies of shock and a dejected Simran flies to Singapore, thanks to a kind priest’s help. Prithviraj is already there on some business and Prabhu Deva too lands up there to look up on his friend. And is shocked to find Simran presented as his friend’s fiance He backs out of the scene. Simran who keeps mum all the while decides it is confession-time. She suddenly reveals about her love for the hero. His frequent telephone calls to her earlier had touched a chord in her heart and they had fallen for each other. Oops, I’ve used ‘flashback’ too! Simran says about how she had come to be in Prithviraj’s life. All to do with the blue-eyed youth who hounded her in India all along clicking her photos, kept spying on her in Singapore, and then dropped out of sight without any explanation. A couple of more ‘flash-backs’ here. The next time the hero meets Simran he is shocked to see a ‘Thali’ round her neck. Nothing to worry, she had tied it on, herself.
Yet another
‘back-to-the-past’ scene is shown. A lot of
unintentional comedy too, when the temple priest gives a long
drawn out explanation and discourse to justify her act. And, of
course, the hero removes the ‘Thali’ and ties it on her
again. ‘Time’ for the audience to breathe a sigh of
relief. It is not a simple story with a straight narration.
Characters keep entering and their newfound relationships make it
more complicated. The hero, heroine, and best friend all turn out
to be cousins finally.
Each character has his bit to tell. And the characters all being related, the same stories are repeated to one another again and again. There is a second heroine, Radhika Choudhary (Kannupada Poguthaya, the Vijayakant film, was her first release) who exposes everything except her talent. At times her lip movements and the dubbed lines seem to have no connection at all. No lip-synchronisation, even in the Hindi gazal that appears in the film.
The locales are exotic, the frames beautiful and the costume colourful. But what the film lacks is cohesive narration. A few more of such films, and Prabhu Deva whose career is on a downslide, will be left with no career to speak of. Simran does her part but it’s just not enough to salvage the film. Incidentally one wonders the relevance of the title to the story. Is it because the heroine’s first encounter with the hero is with the words, "What’s the time?" Or is it because the narrative style had the irritating habit of moving backward and forward into ‘time’? Or because a character remarks, ‘my time was not right’ (I like one to say ’it’s just not my day’)? Or is it because – one suspects this may be the real reason – the audience are made to go through a tough ‘time’ sitting through the film. Squirming in their seats, wondering when their ‘time’ will come to walk out!