Awry ambitions
Sauda - The Deal
Cast: Sanjay Kapoor, Preeti Jhangiani, Aryan Vaid, Suman Ranganathan
Lyrics: Praveen Bharadwaj
Music: Anand - Milind
Direction: Jai Prakash
T Series (QRC)
Sauda - the Deal is Bollywood's umpteenth take on Indecent Proposal, and it simply goes sleaze-happy. In what is arguably the most crucial moment of the film, millionaire Vijay Oberoi (Sanjay Kapoor) says: "Every businessman looks into profit and loss before making an investment."
What profit did Sauda's makers see in this production is not hard to guess. With a curvaceous Suman Ranganathan, ready to dare and bare, the formula was simple: Sell it all cheap. Sauda, heartless and crude, does it without an iota of self-respect.
Indeed, self-respect and integrity are sorely lacking in this skin-flick, which has the hero, Sameer (Aryan Vaid), falling for the indecent proposal Oberoi puts forth to him. Devika (Preeti Jhangiani), the "commodity" in this trade is not keen to oblige.
But the deal has more to Oberioi's lust — after all, he is simply an art and artist lover. The "facilitator" of the deal, Monica (Suman Ranganathan), must wreck the happy marriage of Sameer and Devika because back in college, she was madly in love with Sameer. Pushing immoral tactics to new levels, Monica tries to corner Devika, which takes you to a gory climax akin to Daar meets Baazigar.
Millions are doled out by the film's protagonists like nobody's business. Money has little value; so has human dignity. Whatever little redemption comes in the final twist to an otherwise "all's well that ends well" tale.
Performances aren't the highlight of this film. Locations are. Shot almost entirely in Dubai (for no particular reason), the film is watchable if only to see familiar jaunts like Bur Dubai and the creekside on the big screen. But that isn't enough lure to watch a battered tale.
