Kareena Kapoor in 36 - China Town

36 – China Town is an Indian film released in 2006. It is written by Shyam Goel and directed by Abbas & Mastan co. You are right in guessing that it could be nothing else but suspense – thriller fiction. Yes, fiction because story is far away from real life. The coincidences, the circumstances and the characters all are nothing but bring together forcefully. There should be some reason to murder, events should be logical through intriguing and less artificiality would be the only way to conduct a thrill and suspense. Abbas-Mastan knowing this thing very well instead fail to bring a convincing play this time.

The cast is good as Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Khanna, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Isha Koppikar, Priyanka Chopra are there to convince that the play would be good and of right masala. But what if the script is loose and has no logic. Plot should be convincing and main environment should be grossly and serious. Instead whole movie is full with poor dialogues, dull sarcasm, and illogical humour.

Let come to the story itself. 36 – China town is a casino in China Town, Goa, India. The owner of the casino is looking for her lost child madly but in vain. She has announced 25 Lacs on finding her son.  At last, Raj Malhotra (Shahid Kapoor) a hero of Bollywood film industry and Priya (Kareena Kapoor), who elopes from her house, finds the child and ready to share the reward equally. When they reach at the house they find the mother dead and ran away. The news about the murder of Sonia Chang (Isha Koppikar) spread in the town and an inspector Karan (Akshay Khanna) starts investigation. Priya’s suitcase becomes the reason for both of them (Priya-Raj) being involved in the murder. However, other important suspects are there;

• Natwar (Paresh Rawal), is a bookie in casino


• K.K.(Johnny Lever) & wife, a visitor of a day of the murder and caught as a suspect


• Naseer Ahmed (Upen Patel) is once happen to be in a jail in case of murderer

The impact of the story is zero because all the character though are good in their performances are the only waste here. Their dialogues, their artificial behavior, are the real cause for the flop. They could be appear much better if the script would be substantial and with some logic. With the present making of the film seems that murder for them is nothing but a chance to enjoy holiday. The total opposite feelings develops after seeing the film. Not even a single character is seemed sorry on the death of lady and not even sorry for the poor predicament of the child who is too young to know the tragedy happens to him.

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Shahid Kapoor is a far-fetched dream of present youth. Akshay is average but spoiled by his wife Prinka Chopra, nothing but a pretty doll of a senior officer. Here kareena Kapoor has taken some margin by showing little sympathy with the child though she has no sympathetic dialogue to show her true feelings.

By: Rakshanda Fawad (Lahore, Pakistan)