Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke

Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke -- The Word is Love

MAIN CAST:
Aishwarya Rai -- Sahiba
Abhishek Bachchan -- Karan
Amrish Puri -- Mr. Grewal
Sonali Bendre -- Nisha

BRIEF PLOT OVERVIEW:
Sahiba witnesses a murder and is chased by the perpetrators, but Karan--an army officer returning home to marry his sweetheart, Nisha--saves her. A truly sweet guy, Karan decides he will protect Sahiba while she journeys home. When they arrive at the Grewal's palatial estate, Sahiba's family greets Karan as...Sahiba's new husband!

FILM -- 1.5/5
Everyone knows that 95% of all Bollywood films follow specific formulas. The difference is that some films follow these "yes-we-know-what's-going-to-happen" well enough that we still watch the entire 3 hour movie, while others fail miserably to bring anything fresh to the plot. Unfortunately, DAPK tends to follow the latter, and while the film is decent, it also tends to "drag on." Some of the scenes and dance sequences fit, but others feel tacked-on, and I honestly wouldn't have any qualms about skipping at least 45 minutes of this movie. The script is really choppy, with twists that change every 5 minutes (but still don't give the film a "WOW!" factor) and piss-poor attempts at foreshadowing. On the bright side, the slapstick humor is funny and the scenery is nice.

CHARACTERS -- 1.5/5
Aishwarya Rai is not a born actress; rather, she is a carefully crafted one, and this film proves it. While this is not the terrible acting of her earliest films, it certainly isn't the incredible acting she has managed in her newer movies. Her physical beauty is marred by her inability to create more than two facial expressions, and she constantly looks like a deer trapped in the headlights. Worse yet is her on-screen romance with Abhishek Bachchan (the man who would later become her husband in real life), which looks realistic during "cute moments", but looks rehearsed and awkward when it tries to be dramatic and sensual. Except for a few bright spots in "O Mere Rabba," Aishwarya and Abhishek never manage to properly portray their romance past the school child phase. Even the villains fail to make a mark, and they come off as too campy and exaggerated, even by Bollywood standards. The other supporting actors, however, shine through in the film. Amrish Puri's acting always gains an emotional response from the viewer, Sahiba's uncles are both poignant and hilarious, and Sonali Bendre looks beautiful during her extended cameo sequences.

MUSIC -- 2/5
The songwriting in this film showcases both the best and the worst. "Ek Haseen Ladki" is upbeat and fun, mixing Indian instruments, western beats, and showtune theatrics without any hitches. The title song is pretty, but not extraordinary, and the reprises are forgettable. Likewise, songs like "Yeh Sama Yeh Nazare" are the sort of songs you see on the soundtrack listing and go, "Wait, what part of the movie is THAT from?", and while "Mera Mahi Bada Sohna" is fun to listen to and great to watch, it gets boring after the first 4 minutes. The same goes for "O Mere Rabba," which would have been much better if they'd cut a few verses out. However, some of the music is very good; "Koi Taza Hawa" and its oh-so-Bollywood dance sequence saved DAPK from plummetting in to the abyss.

OVERALL -- 2/5
While Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke has its bright moments, it suffers from a lack of originality, ocassionally bland dialogue, and subpar acting from the two leads. Unless you're really in to Bollywood films that follow the romantic formula to a T or are an obsessed Aishwarya Rai fan who watches all of her movies, I suggest watching DAPK for free on YouTube instead of paying for a rental. Trust me: it's as plain and commonplace on a big screen as it is on a web browser.

TOTAL SCORE -- 7/20 (bad)