Thaindian News

By Joginder Tuteja
Film: “Team - The Force”; Cast: Sohail Khan, Amrita Arora, Arti Chhabria, Vrajesh Hirjee, Yash Tonk, Sayyaji Shinde and Kulbhushan Kharbanda; Director: Ajay Chandhok; Rating: **

Amrita Arora would perhaps have been left squirming when informed that her two-year-old film “Team - The Force” is finally making it to the theatres. At a time when she is looking forward to films like “Kambakkht Ishq”, which stars Akshay Kumar and Kareena part from Hollywood biggies, old demons in the form of “Team…” are coming out of cold storage.

So what does “Team” stand for? A quintessential ‘masala’ affair that has a bunch of stereotyped friends. These friends have their own cinematic history. Sohail Khan has more often than not been a comic second lead in a majority of his films, Vrajesh Hirjee has been a comic sidekick in all his films and Yash Tonk is still wondering whether he fits in better as a lead in TV or a big screen villain like in “Fight Club - Members Only”.

In “Team” too, Sohail Khan enjoys all the limelight while being a fulcrum to the film’s plot. As struggling artistes, they want to make a music video and find ample support from the friendly uncle played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda. But an evil eye cast by an underworld don, essayed well by Sayaji Shinde, means that it’s time for some action.

In fact if not for Sayaji Shinde, “Team” would have been a dead watch. The story isn’t particularly exciting - it could have worked in the 1990s when masala potboilers like these were in vogue, but in circa 2009 audiences have certainly moved on. This is where Shinde comes to the rescue by playing to the gallery. He might not have metro audiences clapping for him, but does promise quite a few laughs for film buffs in smaller towns.

The ‘land grabbing’ act in the film was seen in “Fight Club” as well. Any more similarities? Well, a lot of them. In that film too the man who was threatened was Kulbhushan Kharbanda, the avenger was Sohail Khan and the supporting cast included Amrita Arora and Yash Tonk!

Coming back to Amrita. Well, she did have an eventful 2008 with “Golmaal Returns”, “Heroes” and “Hello” releasing in quick session. Call it sheer coincidence but in the last two, she had Sohail Khan for company. Now with “Team” she has managed to make it three in a row and is also seen in a relatively bigger role.

But audiences won’t be too keen to watch “Team” as it has a dated storyline. The film went into cold storage soon after its promos aired two years back. But producers were right in releasing it now lest it becomes impossible to revive it ever again as this is the last week before new films start releasing post the producer-multiplex owners tiff over revenue-sharing.