The game is on

December 31, 2011

Some reasons why you may not want to miss the first big Hindi film of the year.It\'s the first big Hindi film of the year. But is there any other reason why you should attempt to see Abbas-Mustan\'s "Players"? If you\'re a Bollywood fan, the star cast — Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu (in a bikini!), Sonam Kapoor and Neil Nitin Mukesh among others — might entice you. That it is the official remake of "The Italian Job", that classic heist flick, might help. And there might be another reason or two: Abbas-Mustan, the directors have perfected a hybrid Bollywood genre in which big money/ jealousy/ revenge/ murder are laced with catchy songs and glamorous locales in a fast-paced package. Their storylines (often 'inspired\') are slick and Westernised, the settings international, but the dialogue and sentiments quite Indian. Sounds like a mish-mash, but it works — most of the time.



Their last outing, "Race", was a perfect example, with Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Bipasha Basu and Akshaye Khanna playing double-crossing games in South Africa in a dark thriller that didn\'t let you settle down. For those with short memories, Abbas-Mustan\'s other hits include "Aitraaz" (the theme loosely borrowed from "Disclosure"), "Humraaz" (a version of "The Perfect Murder") and "Ajnabee". And don\'t forget they gave us — and Shah Rukh Khan — "Baazigar".



Sure, they\'ve had some duds — "Taarzan the Wonder Car" and "36 China Town" to name two recent ones. But if "Race" is any indication, they seem to be in good form currently. Besides, "Players" has a twice-tested storyline that has already been remade in Hollywood — the 1969 version with Michael Caine and the 2003 version with Mark Wahlberg and Edward Norton.



But, with two recent big, much-hyped movies — "Ra.One" and "Don 2" — not quite matching up to their many Hollywood inspirations, you might be advised to tread carefully with "Players". Can its actors bring the same careless charm that their Hollywood counterparts did? How well will the brothers in white Indianise a story whose broad outlines we already know? "Don 2", helmed by one of our coolest directors, delivered a damp squib of a heist and viewers will be understandably wary. With no chart-busting songs to boast of, "Players" will have to depend heavily on its directors\' skills. Bring on the masala, Abbasbhai and Mustanbhai.


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