Main Aurr Mrs Khanna is a boring film which should have gone straight to DVD.

In a Diwali week when every other film in town is over-advertised and over-blown, one was expecting Main Aurr Mrs Khanna to be a sleeper surprise. Directed by debutante Prem Soni, Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna could've been an interesting story had the drama quotient been a bit stronger. What comes across is too simple and ordinary which has lesser drama than even a saas bahu soap or reality shows. Prem Soni who does a dual job of being director and writer of the film could not do justice as a writer as the screenplay seems quite weak.

The story revolves around Samir (Salman Khan) and Raina [Kareena Kapoor] who are married and settled in Melbourne, when suddenly Samir has a downfall in his career so he decides to shift base to Singapore and start afresh while he sends his wife off to her parents’ house in Delhi. This is where the twist in the film occurs when three lives get entwined at an international airport as Kareena bumps into a stranger Akash [Sohail Khan], who instantly falls in love with her at first sight. The catch is that Kareena does not board the flight to Delhi and stays back in Melbourne to find herself a job at the airport and this is where the story takes a u-turn.

The lesser spoken about the performances, the better. Salman Khan who has become a hot property after Wanted almost seems to sleep-walk through his part and his rock star status and style has not been put to any use at all. He’s uptight, stiff-necked and has an inexplicable plastic smile on his face even in dramatic scenes. It’s a pain to see Kareena Kapoor’s talent being wasted in a role that’s neither properly written nor fleshed out, she has a fixed expression on her face, an expression of someone in a dilemma. Sohail Khan capers about as a fun-loving guy for most of his part, but falters when he has to get emotional.

Debutant Director Prem Soni gives no reason to look forward to his next work. His writing and style of direction is outdated. Yes, there are some beautifully cinematographed shots where lighting changes in split seconds and there are also some hummable songs, but that doesn’t gloss over the plot holes so wide that a dozen Salmans can walk through them.

Preity Zinta’s special appearance and her item number actually manage to perk up the proceedings somewhat. The lady looks lovely- her impish charm which she revealed in Dil Se is still intact. It’s a shame that one isn’t getting to see more of her.The director ropes in music composer Bappi Lahiri to play a cameo in the movie, and again, one is not sure why? His character, as shown in first shot is that of a shop owner who bursts into a song every moment. But besides that first shot, he hardly does anything which any other character actor could not have done.Dino Morea has a walk on part, he should have instead stormed out.

The film is a confused offering as it is neither a comedy nor is it a serious discourse on marriage or love. Based on the lines of romantics we had way back in the 90’s, it seems too outdated to impress the gen next or people in the fast forward lane. And with two other biggies at the box office it might be really washed out sooner than expected.


Sameer Dagga