Paap (2003) User Reviews

Disappointing

[AishFan · 5/10 · 27 February 2004]

With all the slick and the appealing trailors, I was expecting a very fascinating film. However, I was sadly disappointed. From the trailors, it seemed as if Uditi rebels against her traditions right from the film's start, but her character was misrepresented. I was expecting something more along the lines of Jism. The best part of this film is its setting. It is very unique, and I have not seen it before in an Indian movie. Spectacular cinematography in the mounatainous Karachi depicting Tibet was absolutely breathtaking. The look of the film is completely fresh and new. However, when going to the real hero of the film, the story, there is the rehash of the same Bollywood storyline. An extremely different setting does not give an excuse to use the same conflicts that we have seen over and over again (boy meets girl, dad against their union, etc.). John's character was different and rather self-centered. Songs were excellent.

Paap is an almost exact remake of 'Witness' starring Harrison Ford, but made very well.

[ukb007 · 11 April 2005]

Paap is an enjoyable romantic thriller, made very well. It is one of the few Hindi films that is very enjoyable, although the musical score is somewhat disappointing. Even if you've seen 'Witness' (starring Harrison Ford) before, the film will engage you. Witness dealt with an Amish community, and this one is set in a small Buddhist community. Remake or not, this is good cinema. We ought to see more of this kind of films rather than the mindless ones churned out regularly from the Hindi film industry.

Some other remakes that are recommended:

1. Dewaange - Akshay Khanna - (after 'Primal Fear' starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton)

2. Aithraz - Akshay Kumar - (after 'Disclosure' starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore)

was that the greatest comedy ever made or what?

[jisingh · 1/10 · 21 May 2005]

what happens when a great director turns to script writing, a seemingly successful producer takes up the task of direction, a not-so-known model thinks she has got the caliber of becoming a top actress, and a flop actor who thinks, not wearing a t-shirt will make him as popular as salman....? well... they can churn a comedy out of it!

don't believe me?? have an example: (writing only the English translation of the dialogs, watch out the movie for the actual Hindi dialogs)

scene: The climax: The villain is holding his gun and pointing it on the heroine. While everyone is watching this helplessly, the hero steps forwards.

Fire the shot. I said fire the shot. If you want to kill someone, kill me. (He comes closer, and puts his head in front of the gun)

who you're going to kill? Her ?? (points to heroine)

or him? or this kid? | (camera moves to her father, then to a small kid...)

and if you still don't get satisfied.. are you going to kill all of 'em? | (This time you see a dozen of villagers.)

how many people you're going to kill? just how many...? Its enough. Stop all that (crap).|

(The villain starts feeling sentimental, drops gun, bends down to knees, surrenders! Bravo... The power of emotions!)

So this is what you see in this terribly acted, "witness"-copied, two hour drama: paap

The characters: A kid: who is the eyewitness of a murder. The hero: who is a police inspector, and his sole task is to save that kid from any danger, and taking him from DELHI to MANALI, safely. The heroine: who does nothing but feels lonely in the silence of MANALI, & then she writes some sentimental Hindi poetry (watch out the movie for a class poetry, well I mean, a third-class one.) A gang of three villains: who have got this big task of tracking down the hero & the only eyewitness of the murder, the kid.

The storyline: The heroine comes to DELHI to take a kid (who is supposedly some avatar, according to her guru) back with her to MANALI, meanwhile the kid witnesses a murder. The hero jumps in, and finds out that the murderer was one of his senior officers. Now to save the kid and the heroine, he has to drive till MANALI (driving is a tough task you know.), meanwhile he gets hurt and then spends an entire month while getting well...

No! he doesn't come back, its the villains who track him down, and come all the way to MANALI, & get killed (2 of them , the third one surrenders, as described earlier...)

And what the guy does, while he is in MANALI?? well, one day he prepares daal (an Indian dish), the next day he milks a yak (watch out on discovery), another day he rides a donkey, & so on...

Ohhh... by this time you must have been thinking, what the heck this name PAAP (means "sin") is given for then? well... In the entire movie the heroine is told almost a dozen times (by her father) that its a 'paap' for her to think about this guy! & here goes a dialog describing the complete movie in a sentence:

heroine: "agar ye paap hai, " | If thats a sin.. | "to aaj mujhe ye paap kar lene do," | ..then lemme do it. | (and she touches hero's face and starts crying)

Oh god. Was that the greatest comedy ever made or what?

I heard this comment while walking out of the cinema hall:

what the "#$@@!, Its us, who committed the sin. Bought a ticket worth 140 bucks. Might have got two bottles of beer w/ that money.

A subtle remake of the Hollywood film 'The Witness'

[Sherazade · 7/10 · 28 January 2006]

This film was very heartwarming and thought provoking, although the opening song was a bit drowsy and long! John Abraham is in fine form here, starring as a police detective who falls in love with a pretty but naive girl (who is protecting a little boy in her care) during a murder investigation gone awry. The storyline is solid until it reaches its mostly unbelievable climax! It's almost like the writer had a good idea for this very picturesque film, but halfway through lost focus! To me, its silly when writers or directors (and I've seen this especially in Bollywood cinema) try to make the actors forcefully send a message to the audience. It should be purely entertainment or left to the audience to decide what their point of view is. When it comes across as an opinion being forced on the viewer, it ruins the film and makes it subjective instead of objective. I don't want to give too much away but it is worth a watch! John Abraham is a total 'Paap' in this role, no puns intended!

A unique visual experience.....

[JAGDEVS · 9/10 · 8 March 2004]

This film has a sort of small independent filmaker arthouse feeling to it. The story itself is quite simple and starts of with some very stunning visuals i the title song. Then begins the story with a violent murder. thus this is where Kaya(Udita Goswami) the budhist monk girl meets the dangerous dashing hollywood stlye cop(the Antonio Banderas of India-john abraham). After a gun battle in a dodgy carpark and a semi serious gunshot wound, begins the cop's escape from the corrupt and dangerous police force who want to protect their own backs! in the meantime Kaya is strugling with her love for shriven(the cop). The musical score is simply spectacular with earthy ethnic beats to match the spectacular locations where the film was shot! Some of the Scenes are simply stunning whereas a couple leave something to desire. on the whole a thouroughly enjoyable film that shows us that bollywood can be more than just mindless entertainment for the masses and that it sometimes has something of value to offer more films like this please bollywood needs them...

A Monastery of a Movie.

[Herag · 13 June 2004]

We need more Pooja Bhat's since she has singularly elevated the Hindi Filmdom to a new level. She has a incredible feel for the content and Characters. The new Entrant Udita Goswami as "Kaaya" bristles with a subtle nuance of a performance.I reckon she has a great potential. Pooja Bhatt's another find John Abraham could do better if he can get out of his Jism-trademark-psychosis looks, but he is refreshing to watch after you are fed the filth in movies like "Baazigar" and Ugly morons like Sharukh Khan,Salman Khan,Shakti Kapoor,Johnny Lever who have polluted the Hindi Films so much so you need a toxic cleanup. After you see the likes of Goswamy,Abraham,Jr.Bachchan,Saif Ali Khan, you feel you were duped and taken for a long time.The Music has a feel of the Fathe Ali Khan's divine melody with the superb Background music and one number that makes owning the CD a must. The Script tries to rancour and instill some Monasteric Principals and does it well, albeit with drama, since love is universal, neither Bollywood nor Hollywood has any Stakes as to how it should be depicted. The Fight scenes are cleverly done especially the one with the Rope. As far as the Villain's in Bollywood they are dime a dozen we need these morons for the front benchers who comprise the "Box-Office", who dictate much of the Filth and contribute to the decadence which explains the flourishing of movies like "Main Hoo Na", "Devdas" etc, since unscrupulous Media has to decipher and dictate for the unsuspecting audience. Overhaul the credit goes to likes of Pooja Bhatt,Aparna Sen,Nagesh Kukanoor who have the courage to standup and call a Spade a Spade.

Witness and Paap pretty much the same

[Briteyes55_65-1 · 23 February 2004]

This movie remember me of Witness 1985 with Harrsion Ford. But a different ending. I like both movies. Its a nice action film. Music nice. You feel for the two. And you wonder what will happen at the end. Will they end up together. Check out both versions of the movie.