Kites (2010)

Movie Review : Kites (2010)

Rakesh Roshan Presentation of a Filmkraft Productions (I) Pvt Ltd production.
Released by Reliance Big Pictures (2300 screens worldwide, 500 overseas in over 60 countries,).

Language
Hindi, English and Spanish

Genre: Action romancer
Target Audience: Worldwide
Running time: 130 minus

Cast
Hrithik Roshan...... Jai
Barbara Mori...... Natasha
Kangna Ranaut...... Gina
Kabir Bedi...... Bob
Nick Brown...... Tony
Yuri Suri...... Jamaal
Steven Michael Quezada ... Cop
Luce Rains ... Bounty Hunter
Anand Tiwari ... Robin
Jamie Haqqani ... Police officer
Dave Colon ... Mexican Policia
Ivan Brutsche ... Border Patrol
Clark Sanchez ... Bounty Hunter
Ronald Hamilton ... Railyard Worker

Crew
Producer: Rakesh Roshan and Sunaina Roshan
Story: Akash Khurana, Anurag Basu and Robin Bhatt
Director: Anurag Basu (Hindi), Brett Ratner (English)
Line producer (USA): Prashant Shah. Cassettes and CD's on T-Series. 
Singers: K K, Vishal Dadlani, Suraj Jagan, Hrithik Roshan, Suzanne D'Mello, Rajesh Roshan and Anushka Manchanda. Lyricist: Nasir Faraaz and Asif Ali Beg. 
Music Director: Rajesh Roshan. 
Cinematography: Ayananka Bose. 
Editor: Akiv Ali (Hindi), Brett Ratner (English). 
Media Promotions: ImageSmiths and NR2 – the image engineers. 

Shooting Locations
Los Angeles
Las Vegas
Santa Fe
Filmistan

The Story

Shot in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Santa Fe, Kites is an unconvincing love story about an Indian man's affair with a Latin woman and their predicament as they don't understand each other's language, Kites is about their misadventure.
The story starts in a harsh terrain of the Mexican desert where a mortally wounded man Jai (Hrtithik) is left to die in the heat of the scorching sun. Once a street smart, carefree young guy, he is now a wanted man.
As death looms, the only thing that keeps him alive is the quest to find the love of his life, Natasha (Barbara Mori) - a woman betrothed to another man. Jay and Natasha fell in love despite language and cultural barriers and embark on a crazy boring trip.

Star Power

One for the sensational performance by Hrithik

Business Analysis

‘Kites’ pushes the envelope in terms of just how much flashy packaging an audience will buy when there's absolutely nada inside. No doubt about it, opening-week numbers will be good in metors and metropolitans as the language sidelines its single screen audience.
But the failure to imbue this cross over dream with any character, ingenuity or humor may leave season's B.O. door wide open from Monday.

Promotion

The promoters/marketers/media, everybody had gone crazy to cash on the hype. But the question is why to make the maximum noise in that particular market which is not going to buy your product. The hype, the 150 crores thingie, crossover fundas everything is fine but not for India as the makers himself want an international recognition. The noise should have been made over there not here going by the language even in its Hindi version the film has.

The promos/teaser are interesting and the media hype by Image Smiths and NR2 – the Image Engineers has been astronomical which will bring the initials but at the same time will double the expectation level.

The marketing has been effective with its branding and all but musically it has wasted a great opportunity.

Technical Analysis

‘Intezar kab tak hum kareinge bhala’, well if we thought that ‘Kites’ might be Indian answer to Hollywood ‘Slumdog Millionaires’ and if not that at least a decent cross over flick Bollywood papas are aiming for long then take out your designer handkerchiefs and cry out ‘loud’ and ‘high’. The much hyped Hrithik Roshan starrer with a Mexican bala Barbara Mori as his co –star, a decent helmer like Anurag Basu and a reputed banner like Rakesh Roshan’s Filmkraft which has given quality entertainers in past turns out as a major disappointment.

On paper ‘Kites’ appeared like a hot cake which everybody would have wanted to buy so it was designed to look as a 150 cr something like never before bollywood brochure targeted at the world audience that seemed to have the license to take the world's money and run. But Alas, like the lead pairs the movie runs without any direction to find its audience and again we say to ourselves that ‘yes, good looks can deceive’.

‘Kites’ is an all time low empty luxury vehicle from its producer ‘Rakesh Roshan’, director ‘Anurag Basu’, Writer… sorry writers Akash Khurana, Anurag Basu and Robin Bhatt, that pushes the envelope in terms of just how much flashy packaging an audience will buy when there's absolutely nada inside.

‘Kites’ cuts its own strings by a weak story, zero chemistry, no melody, no romance, and tries to fly with the winds of hype, good but unconvincing stunts and a sensational Hrithik Roshan who has just missed a great opportunity to introduce himself pleasantly to Hollywood. What a waste.

Anurag’s limitations as an helmer and a writer gets exposed with this flick and the movie ensures that Anurag sensibilities are limited to a certain sect where he can please his audience with some videsh influence in films like ‘Gangster’ and ‘Life in a Metro’ but when it comes to please the videshis and he desi together, he runs out of ideas and lacks proper understanding of the term called ‘mass appeal’ and the audience pulse.

Which once again cement the view that shot taking is not film making.

Coming to the film which starts superbly and has an interesting concept of two lovers flying together but heir fate lies in the hands of others and in the end they are denied is spoiled by the makers who in their dream to make this fly high on international skies commit blunders as follows.

1) The characterizations is poor and its hard to connect with the two lead pairs Hrithik and Barabara who start loving each other but on what grounds is hard to believe. And its never gets explained in the film what makes them attracted towards each other when they can,t understand their language…… is it lust that brings them together or what?

2) A love story can still survive even if the reason of attraction is not convincing provided the pair oozes on screen chemistry, warmth when they come together…. Alas, the chemistry between the Hrithik and Barbara who are torn between paisa and pyaar is thanda and in minus degree celsius. A blink of your eye and Barbara in bikini is gone.

3) Even if the attraction is not convincing and the pair is not delicious on screen and you are trying to woo the international audience, still some taste can be provided if the music is melodious, song dance, naach gaan is the only identity Bollywood has had to lakhs of cinegoers worldwide and mind u am not talking of experts. Even over here the movie scores a zero. Even worse, previously the music director Rajesh Roshan has given his best for this banner. The helmer Anurag Basu previous flicks have scored major plus in music.

4) even after all this known departments fail and you run out of cards then still you can rely on some quality action to punch your films prospects, which are there but again it doesn,t seem to be the way it should be…….. I mean not required, its not a chase movie.

5) and finally, the last nail in the coffin is provided by the language…. Sorry languages in the movie, people speak English, Hindi, and Spanish in the film where Spanish spoken by Barabara is subtitled in English whereas the English interaction are not subtitled and right now am recollecting where and when was Hindi spoken in this Bollywood film.

All this make this 130 minutes misadventure numbing and it’s more than such a frail conceit can sustain.
But it has its share of plus where Hrithik Roshan is sensational and gives his most matured performance till date.

Cinematography by Ayananka Bose is jaw dropping and Anurag’s shot taking is commendable. But why the editor Akiv Ali turns blind eye to repetitive shots is hard to digest. Why Kangana was reduced to minimum is hard to believe. A wounded tormented Hrithik on quest for his lost love in Mexican desert doesn,t shave but manages to change his clothes. From Mexican attire to a jeans…..??. etc etc.

Reviewed at PVR, Juhu, Mumbai on May 20, 2010.
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