London Dreams: A review

Two years ago, Vipul Shah plucked a rustic Akshay Kumar from the fields of Punjab and dropped him into the plush streets of London to give us a beautiful love story in Namastey London. With London Dreams, the man behind hits such as Aankhen and Waqt traces a tale of friendship and jealousy from Punjab to London, but jettisons strong storytelling for technical glitz, powerful stars and a lavish canvas.

From Bharat Bhushan’s Baiju Bawra to Amitabh Bachchan’s Yaarana, the saga of friends turning foes over professional rivalry has been a Bollywood favourite. Vipul Shah’s treatment of London Dreams is, however, more inclined towards Amadeus, a winner of eight Oscars, which traced the fallout between musicians Mozart and Salieri. As with Salieri in the 1984 film, London Dreams starts in flashback mode, as Arjun (Ajay Devgn) sits in the greenroom of London’s Wembley Stadium recounting his story. But unlike Amadeus, it’s cut to the mustard fields of Bhatinda, where a young Arjun nurtures a dream: to be ‘Mai ka lal Jaikishen’. But while Arjun has a passion for music, his friend Mannu (Salman Khan) has the real talent. “Uske paas hunar hai aur mere paas sirf junoon,” Arjun laments.

After the death of his music-hating father the 12-year-old Arjun moves to London, to hardships. Years later, Arjun forms a band called London Dreams and invites Mannu to be a part of it. Mannu’s talent and charisma earn him more fans and also the affections of band member Priya (Asin), whom Arjun longs for secretly. So Arjun goes about destroying his friend, his band, his music and finally, himself.

Vipul Shah scores when it comes to the rustic setting, the earthy humour, the emotional bonding between the two friends and the comic scenes, but falls short when dealing with the musical theme and the concept of a band. The first half is slack and loose, though things do pick up after the interval. But what has been his strength till now becomes Shah’s biggest problem in London Dreams: he flounders in the climax scene, which is as abrupt as it is unconvincing. Ritesh Shah’s dialogues fail to pack in a punch.

While the larger story is credible for the greater part, the film lacks logic and realism. How does a 12-year-old sustain himself playing a flute on the London streets, yet save enough to put himself through music school? How does an impromptu act in the middle of Trafalgar Square earn Arjun a band in less than five minutes?

If London Dreams is worth a watch, it is for some of the performances. Salman Khan plays, well, Salman Khan again, but it is his Mannu that breathes life into London Dreams. As a village bumpkin with a heart of gold, Salman makes Mannu endearing, the only character that strikes an emotional chord with the audience. Whether it is with hitting on an airhostess in broken English or addressing Asin’s Priya as Chennai Express or a Dharmendra act in front of the Louvre in Paris, Salman is a treat.

In contrast, Ajay Devgn brings a new intensity to his character, but suffers on account of a sketchily written character. You don’t feel much for his character, even when he whips himself with his belt when he finds himself attracted to Priya. And the rockstar looks are fine, but where is the rockstar attitude, Mr Devgn? Asin functions as a pretty prop with very little to do. Even her romance with Salman is too half-baked to register. VJs Rannvijay and Aditya Roy Kapoor have ample screen time to prove themselves. The two do well with their cool dude acts, but fall short when it comes to the emotional scenes. Jumping around throughout, brandishing their musical instruments like toy guns, doesn’t really help either.

Technically, London Dreams is top notch. Sejal Shah’s cinematography of robust Bhatinda and striking London is a sight for sore eyes. The top shot of Wembley at the beginning and the crowd frenzy in the stadium at the end are captured well. The use of colour to depict various moods in the film — especially when Ajay gets into monologue mode — is also commendable.

However, for a film that calls itself a musical Sholay and Mamma Mia!, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music falls far too short. Whether it is Khanabadosh, Barso re or Mann ko ati bhavey, none of the numbers manage to recreate the Rock On!! magic. Salim-Sulaiman’s background score, however, impresses, especially in the confrontation scenes.

Watch London Dreams if you must. We recommend you go back to a DVD of Namastey London instead.

Priyanka Roy, t2