Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd is a medium budget film which manages to keep its audiences entertained to an extent.The film has six newly wed couples who set out on their honeymoon and gradually their relationship with each other grows and each of their characters emerge.The film may not have a concrete storyline but has several strong characters and a few enjoyable moments too. The film definitely has its funny moments with each of the characters having their own quirks.Honeymoon Travels is lighthearted,fun and full of surprises.However it lacks depth in its script and at times the screenplay tends to stagnate a bit when no concrete actions take place in the lives of the couples even after several skeletons in the closet are revealed. Nonethless Reema Kagti's first directorial venture does manage to make a mark as an above average film which is fairly entertaining.
Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd is director Reema Kagti's first directorial venture and has been produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani.The film stars Boman Irani (Oscar Fernandes),Shabana Azmi (Nahid),Abhay Deol (Aspi),Minissha Lamba (Zara),Kay Kay Menon (Partho Sen),Raima sen (Milly),Amisha Patel (Pinky),Karan Khanna (Vicky),Sandhya Mridul (Madhu),Vikram Chatwal (Bunty),Ranvir Shorey (Hitesh),Dia Mirza (Shilpa),Arjun Ramapal (Jignesh) etc.
The film is about six couples who embark on a honeymoon package tour to Goa. The couples embark on their journey by bus and it turns out to be an extremely eventful journey.Their are six different couples who come from different cultures and backgrounds, they try to get to know their partners and also befriend each other.During their journey a bit of each of their past lives is revealed and their true characters emerge.Most of them have past secrets or various insecurities that they have buried which come to the fore in the course of time.Oscar Fernandes and Nahid are an elderly couple who were earlier married to other people, but various tragic circumstances in their lives have brought them together.The Bengali couple Partho and Milly are a typical conservative couple who are stifled by their conservative values which are enforced for the happiness of their parents.The Gujarati couple Hitesh and shilpa are never happy as Shilpa has been forced into this marriage by her father but was in love with another boy.Pinky and Vicky are the Punjabi couple where each of them have their own dreams and desires and can't really convey this to the other.The quirky but perfect Parsi couple,Aspi and Zara who never have fights and are irritatingly perfect but behind their perfectness there is an unbelievable secret that both of them hide.And finally the NRI Bunty who married Madhu after meeting her online,but here too there is a skeketon in the closet.The lives of these six couples is slowly about to unravel and all their secrets are about to be revealed.
Reema Kagti's film is cleraly character driven and it is her characters that manage to take the story forward rather than the plot.Reema gives her characters real life qualities and weaknesses which make them believable and identifiable.Honeymoon Travels has several funny moments which come in the form of the characters quirks and also some funny situations.But even the few sensitive moments are handled with finesse and care.Nonetheless Reema tries to keep the film lighthearted by not brooding on the sad aspects of her characters life and just moves forth to the next situation. She uses the flasback technique to reveal a part of her characters past lives and even the use of old poignant film songs in several of her characters lives is a fine directing stroke.Even the length of the film is kept in check and is just two hours long.The use of the radio throughout the journey narrating the story of each of the characters is extremely innovative. On the whole Reema Kagti has shown a lot of potential with her first film as a promising director, she has also made use of several common beliefs that prevail among couples.
Nonetheless there are a few loopholes that stick out in the film.There is no real plot in the film but instead the characters and their lives are explored.The element of fantasy where one couple is showed to have super powers is quite far fetched as it is the only unrealistic angle in an otherwise routine,normal and realistic film.The gay angle is introduced into the film but is left suspended after that and has no culmination.Also the end is quite abrupt as it ends and some of the couples stories are left suspended.Also sometimes the director just presumes that the audiences have understood some of the nuances of her characters without explaining them.
The film has lighthearted music by Vishal-Shekhar and the songs,Sajnaji Vari Vari and Halke Halke are a mixture of melody and fun.The choreography in the song where Abhay-Minissha dance gracefully is awesome, and the one where everyone just has a good time is full of joy.Cinematography is good and the dialogues too are well worded.Performances by each and every actor is first rate and enhances the film. Boman Irani as the typical Goan man is simply wonderful in his performance especailly his accent and his expressions which make him adorable. Shabana Azmi is the epitome of dignity and she too lends a quite strength and class to her character especially with sher-o-shayari.Kay Kay Menon as Partho was first rate as the conservative simpleton, Raima Sen was extremely natural and refreshing.Abhay Deol as the slightly nerdi Parsi guy also gives a good performance,Minissha Lamba does a fairly good job,Ranvir Shorey has a very small part but nonetheless manages to make a mark, Dia Mirza looks extremely pretty but does not get too much scope and Arjun Rampal is strictly average.Amisha Patel is average in her performance and Karan Khanna definitely shows he has potential. Sandhya Mridul too delivers a convicing and good performance but Vikram Chatwal is just about average.The rest of the actors manage to do a convincing act in their parts and overall all the performances are noteworthy.
Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd may not be pathbreaking in terms of an exceptional storyline, but Reema's adept handling of the film and the great performances make the film fun,breezy and refreshing to watch.It defintely is an above averge film that has several entertaining moments.But the film may appeal more to the multiplex audiences and at the box office the film may have an above average to good ratings.
|
| Reviewed By: Rachel Fernandes |
 |
 |
Related Pictures |
|
|
|
