大象传媒

Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag (Ram Gopal Varma's Fire) deserved to be watched without the shadow of Ramesh Sippy's classic Sholay (Flames) hanging over it. As the producer/director has made clear, he has "not remade Sholay as everyone is presuming," but "something from an inspiration" of Sholay. But when the opening of the film starts with instantly recognisable sounds of the original's unforgettable score, it's really hard not to keep comparing the two. Simply contemporising Sholay and placing it in the "dark underbelly of Mumbai City" isn't enough, and Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag quickly extinguishes itself.

Two small time crooks, Raj (Prashant Raj) and Heero (Ajay Devgan) are recruited by ex-police officer, Narsimha (Mohanlal) to capture underworld gangster Babban Singh (Amitabh Bachchan). Narsimha has both professional and personal motives to nail Babban who has massacred his family. The only survivor, sister Durga Devi (Sushmita Sen) provides a love interest for Raj while Heero falls for the Ghungroo (Nisha Kothari), the only female rickshaw driver in Mumbai.

"THERE ARE NO SPARKS BETWEEN DEVGAN AND RAY"

Amit Roy's photography is brilliant, but the script is poor and filled with unneccessary and misplaced references to Al Qaeda, America and Iraq. The shortcomings don't end there - Devgan and Kothari fail to light any fires with their onscreen chemistry, and there are no sparks between best buddies Devgan and Ray - the overriding relationship in the original Sholay. Bachchan's Babban looks tired, and falls far short of the 'cruel beyond imagination' character of the billing. Ray shows promise but isn't challenged with much more than looking broody, and Rajpal Yadav's comedy cameo is just annoying. All of this is backed by an Amar Mohile score that's both overpowering and distracting, making this fire more of a damp squib.

Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag is out in the UK on 31st August 2007.