Kambakkht Ishq (2009) User Reviews

Dated, Dumb Bollywood Camp

[changmoh · 4/10 · 3 July 2009]

Gosh, I thought that they had buried movies about the 'battle of the sexes' and 'swashbuckling stunt-men' way back in the 20th Century. And yet, here it is, all exhumed, reanimated and outfitted with Hollywood names the likes of Sly Stallone, Denise Richards and Brandon Routh - and called 'Kambakkht Ishq'. The title is derived from the popular number, 'Kambakkht Ishq' from Ram Gopal Varma's film, 'Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya'.

Directed by Sabbir Khan, 'Kambakkht Ishq' is loud, crude, clichéd, campy and utterly predictable. And if you are curious about the (advertised) roles of its Hollywood supporting stars, let's say that their parts are so cheesy, you can open a pastry shop with them. Imagine a geriatric Stallone reprising his Rambo role and you will know what I mean.

The movie is a remake of the 2002 Tamil film 'Pammal K. Sambandam'. It is about a 'super' Indian stuntman in Hollywood (Akshay Kumar as Viraj Shergill) who meets an Indian supermodel (Kareena Kapoor as Simrita Rai) at his brother's (Aftab Shivdasani as Lucky) wedding in church. Both the leads are unhappy about the marriage of Lucky and Simrita's sister Kamini (Amrita Arora) and the battle lines are drawn at the wedding reception where we see the movie's most dazzlingly choreographed number that ends in a tasteless and farcical brawl.

Yeah, Viraj and Simrita hate each other. In Bollywood terms, it means they are gonna do lots of idiotic things before they finally realise that they love each other right from the get-go.

The first half is more tolerable than the second. Sabbir Khan loads the first hour with action-packed stunt sequences and dance numbers that take us from Hollywood to Italy. Then he has to take such a long time to render the outcome of the 'battle of the sexes' plot which everyone in the audience already knows. And if that is not bad enough, Sabbir Khan also does recaps of his scenes - in case we missed them or forget them! The director also could not resist crude 'American Pie' gags like having the protagonist fart in the face of a bride, having the heroine curse like a sailor; and going over-the-top with an 'anal search' scene. Character development is minimal, and the cast are unimpressive, with the age-old device of having the 'hero' supported by a clownish aide (in the form of Vindu Dara Singh). And whose idea was it to have Viraj undergo open abdomen surgery without anaesthesia? Of the stars, Kareena shines brightest in a badly-written role. She is the most watchable but alas, not quite enough good to stop this "Dumbakkht" from sinking.

A weak show...

[namashi_1 · 5/10 · 3 July 2009]

'Kambakkht Ishq' has been in the buzz for a long,long time. The film has been awaited... why? Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor are the lead actors, the film is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and has 3 Hollywood Supertstars, Stallone, Routh and Denise Richards. But with all these trumps does this flick entertain? The answer is NO!

The problem with Kambakkht Ishq is that it's a senseless film. The film hardly has a script, Debutant Director Sabbir Khan makes a disappointing fare. The first hr of the film is yet passable, but the second is just unbearable. The film has 'A' class production value, but script wise, its a complete disappointment.

Pluses of the film: Sajid Nadiadwala is a classy producer, he has left no stone unturned to make this flick. Akshay, Kareena, Stallone, Routh & Denise Richards are the pluses as well. Akshay is in form once again, but he's again done a film that throws even the least amount of logic into the trash bin. Kareena looks great and delivers a good performance. Stallone, Routh, Denise are perfect in cameos. Stallone's action scene, where he bashes up the goons will be will loved by one and all. Aftab & Amrita do their parts perfectly. Vindhu Singh is just right.

Minuses: Sabbir Khan's direction and screenplay. Anu Malik's music is mediocre. Talented actors like Kirron Khan and Jaaved Jaffery are wasted in apologetic roles.

Those 5 stars are in order -- 1 for Sajid Nadiadwala's high class production, 1 for Akki, 1 for Kareena, 1 for Stallone, and 1 is shared by Denise and Routh.

To sum up the review, 'Kambakkht Ishq' is a letdown.

Dumb... dumber.... dumbest

[atulg_nitw · 3/10 · 5 July 2009]

This movie is a strong no-no for any movie lover, even for die hard fans of Akshay or Kareena. Reasons... read below.

Story: This movie is about a dog and a bitch, who cannot say filthy words on-screen because of censorship. So they go out hurling abuse on the opposite sex without any justification. The audience is dumbstruck on their own foolishness to spend 150 bucks and more so 140 minutes on the 'datum of the datums' movie.

Direction: Now they know, every asst director cannot and should not become a director. Even a stunt man could have done a better job on KI.

Guest Appearances: Neither Nadiadwala nor Sabbir has a degree in management. Else they would know that you cannot offer a product whose functionality is unknown to the customer. Stallone is OK, but how many Indians know Routh or Dennise Richards, probably less than 0.5%. Why waste so much money on big Hollywood starts who cannot translate it into revenues??

Acting: Akshay is the least exploited actor in last few years. He has such great acting potential last seen in Hera Pheri and Namaste London. But since then, he has done some of the worst movies of his career. KI is just an addition to the list. Kareena is the biggest letdown of the decade. No point hailing her as a superstar, we all know how her acting has deteriorated over the years. Her acting in Refugee, Asoka and Chameli showed such great promise. But its all gone now. In KI, she not only acts poorly but also looks ugly. Sorry to say, she looks like a transsexual in her zero figure. Instead of Kareena, they should have gone for any voluptuous babe with sexy figure like Bipasha, Shilpa or even Deepika. Aaftab and Amrita has gone down from supporting actors to side kicks to now kicked in the corner. And what the hell are Boman Irani and Javed Jaffery doing in here?? This movie is not meant for them.

Music: This could have been the saving grace for this dumb movie, just like Singh is king. But alas, music is more pathetic than the movie itself. I don't remember even one nice song to hum.

Once again, a complete disaster.

How dumb do they think we are ?

[Fatume · 1/10 · 24 September 2009]

I honestly truly believe that this movie is the worst movie I have seen in years. I hold a great respect for Indian cinema and I have been in love with Bollywood since before I could even walk my first step.

The thing about this movie is that it is ridiculously illogical in every single aspect, not to mention the lead actors serious problem of over-acting. I loved Kareena in 'Jab we met' and I thought "well this girl finally proved that she can indeed act normally", but this movie changed my mind.

To be fair though, I did laugh at times. Not because the scenes were funny, but because they were sooooo stupid that I just couldn't help myself.

Nothing Special - A Cheap Movie

[sushilonlines · 1/10 · 3 July 2009]

Kambakkht Ishq is a very cheap comedy. Akshay Kumar once again fails to prove and bring new in himself. For me, this movie is nothing. Just bores you. Total waste of time and money. Very cheap comedy throughout the movie and the story says Kambakkht Ishq = SEX. I was expecting Akshay will prove himself. The only thing I found worth was Kareena Kapoor's body which director has focused very much. Anu Mallik's music is totally disappointing. Doesn't entertain you any moment. The film has no story, revolves around just one aspect sex and affairs. So, to take my word don't go for this movie. Instead sit in your home and hire some great DVDs and watch them. The film is not worth watching. Let god save Akshay...

do not watch movie Kambakkht Ishq

[itsravie · 1/10 · 2 July 2009]

please, do not watch movie Kambakkht Ishq .....

Kambakht Ishq is an illogical flick

its just cheap n head paining. its not just vulgar, but a high make-up of overacting.....

just few stunts are good..... i must say there r no real stunts rather.... no good.........

there is nothing entertaining or logical in movie.....

the actor did the job, as expected, nothing extra-ordinary.

as usual actress has its over-acting on.... and this time it was head paining i hate actress more after watching movie....and characters.......

Javed Jaffrey did his part well, but i must say, movie is getting on community(he belongs in movie), in a wrong way. That is totally, not at all appreciating :(

Don't waste your time and money by watching this movie, please.... :)

Its just Non-Sense movie.........

Utter Rubbish and Wate of Time and Money

[addybhai786 · 1/10 · 3 July 2009]

Well, this movie does not deserve any comment. But i had to warn people if they read this before going to watch this movie.. Its not the money that i fear, will be wasted. But it is more the time and intellect that might be hurt. After the movie started, my misery also started. I had no idea what i watching. Anyways, now to the movie. The movie is neither a comedy, nor a romantic one. It falls short on all grounds. The worse part, there is no story. Just a guy who wants to impress a girl, the girl who resists men and their love. Then the whole movie rounds about the same theme with cheap jokes, stupid dialogues and worst acting from really good actors..

I just pity Akshay ... who has lost it... completely.

Poor Guy. this flop will three in a line.

Lower your expectation and presto - its total time-pass!

[AvinashPatalay · 4 September 2009]

Well, with the media taking its toll on Kambakkht Ishq & Akshay Kumar - the expectations runs low and the movie turns out better than expected. Akshay Kumar must be kicking himself not having exercised caution (read that "choose wisely") when he was just between the cup-and-the-lip. Lightning doesn't strike twice my dear friend.

Anyways, the love-you & loathe you sequences start from the word go and until it reaches finale there is a fair share of story interlaced with emotion, drama, comedy, tragedy etc. Having said that, there was immense potential to improvise - but hey, who am I to say!

¤ Akshay Kumar:: Much before he struck gold I always carried an opinion that give him a nickel and Akshay delivers in dimes. Post success streak that became his style. And now - I am back to my original opinion.

¤ Kareena:: The "Poo" character return (albeit in size zero!).

¤ Javed Jaffery:: Seriously, what was he doing there?

¤ Aftab & Amrita:: Glorified junior-artistes. Reminds me of Rajendranath/ Shobha Khote of 60's.

¤ Vindu:: Good to see after a long hiatus. And trying a hand at comedy, eh?

¤ Boman Irani & Kiron Kher:: Under-utilisation at its best. Seriously - is money everything?

¤ Hollywood star-cast:: Beyond my comprehension as to why they were there in the first place. Too much of money to flaunt around I guess. The plot could have easily been based in India.

¤ Sabir Khan:: Obviously, the master doesn't teach everything to the disciple (ref. Mujhse Shaadi Karogi!)

¤ Nadiadwala:: Time to pull up your socks and ensure quality goods are delivered under your baton.

Finally, the movie is completely inspired (should I abstain from the word plagiarised?) by Pammal K. Sambandam. Had the project been executed legally involving the great thespian to overlook the proceedings - the results would have been far more superior. On that same note, yesterday I read the producers of Namaste London suing the Bengali filmmaker for copyright infringement. Hello Mr. Akshay Kumar... pot calling the kettle black eh?

Worst Movie I Have Ever Watched!

[debamalya_das · 1/10 · 31 August 2014]

This movie is awful, just about everything in the move is bad. If you are a normal human being & never been to any mental asylum this movie might make you puke. Whats sad is that this movie stars Stallone & Denise Richards, so many non-Indians might watch it for them and make a wrong assumption about Indian movies. To all them I must say, this is not what a Indian movie is. This is not even a film, its just a caricature to make money pleasing the uneducated sex-starved class. This ones doesn't have any story, acting is terrible. The leading lady Kareena Kapoor has a song where she is seducing a man & is fully clothed, but her dance moves & hand gestures are so vulgar that you will feel ashamed. The film is a misogynist film, showing women in poor light. The Hollywood talent are wasted & made fun of. Avoid is if you love yourself.

Incredibly underrated movie!

[chrichtonsworld · 7/10 · 10 November 2010]

While this is no masterpiece of any kind it does do what it is set out to do. And that is entertain. The problem however is that it entertaining for a certain kind of audience. In it's heart this is a romantic comedy that distances itself from the traditional Bollywood love story. Although it does contain elements from that genre. Basically the love story is more westernized and that apparently is too much for your typical Bollywood fan too handle.Bollywood fans want to see the same thing over and over again. Any change or modernization is felt as a slap in their face. And this is something I just don't understand. Since most of what is happening in this movie is pretty universal especially the conflict between the main characters. I have to admit that some scenes are far too silly and drag the movie a bit. But for the most of it is all good fun. Ignore the critics and you might be surprised how entertaining this movie actually is.

Kambakkht Ishq

[mokshjuneja · 2/10 · 4 July 2009]

Let me start saying what i liked in the movie, the song - Om Mangalam - (Reprised) Kambakkht Ishq and the extras behind Kareena Kapoor (Bebo) and Akshay Kumar in every song.

Akshay Kumar previous movie Singh is King is much better than this movie. Akshay Kumar please get back to the Khiladi mode or get into the mode the reel son of Amithabh Bachchan.

Kareena Kapoor is way toooo loud in the movie, i do not know was it for emphasis or was the acoustics in the new theater. At the same time, if you want to see whats "in" fashion, you need to check out the outfits that Kareena Kapoor is wearing. If the clothes were any shorter, then this movie would have been given a "A" grade certification. Talking about the much hyped swimsuit sequence of Kareena Kapoor, yeah, swimsuit was good, but it was not that great on her.

From the Hollywood brigade there is Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards, Branden Routh, i think all of them are wasted to some extent, they should have be given some more meaty role. Starting with Brenden, Akshay is his body double, the first action sequence is the only one that might be original. Then, there is Stallone who has just his presence Then there are these action sequences that are have used the sets of Beverly Hills Cop III starring Eddie Murphy and Waterworld starring Kevin Costner.

If we want to watch the swimsuit models, i will still prefer going back to watching Baywatch, but a whole, movie where all of the extras wearing swimsuits. Someone must be having a very hard time to choose two different swimsuits, which cannot repeated in very scene. That would be the worlds best and worst job to do, specially if you are suffering from amnesia.

Aftab Shivdasani, Amrita Arora get overshadowed with loudness of Akshay and Kareena. Javed Jaffey is also there in the movie as a Sindhi Mr. Keswani, was hoping that he might save the day with another act like Crocodile Dundee in Salaam Namaste. Like most of the scenes end very abruptly.

If this an entry of Hollywood stars in Bollywood movies then for a fact then we can surely see a trend of Johnny Depp fighting a battle with Aamir Khan, then Depp loosing the battle, Megan Fox and Frieda Pinto setting a ramp walk on fire, then Frieda taking the crown away. Or the movie producers will make two version of movies, one for the Indian audience where the Indian actor wins and the other one for the global audience where the Hollywood actor wins, that would be ultimate movie customization, based on bias.

Extremely silly but still enjoyable

[RRHowell41 · 6/10 · 6 July 2009]

Don't go expecting a great movie, it's not.

But it is also not "the worst of the worst" etc. It is uneven. There are jokes that might appeal to a 13 year old that are dreadfully stale and in poor taste for adults. The scriptwriter's sense of how a person becomes a doctor in the US is bizarre. I don't know if this matches Indian practice in some way but it certainly doesn't represent even a nodding acquaintance with the American hospital scene.

The situations and language will not shock anyone used to US films, though they are probably fairly shocking for Bollywood, and I do not know to what extent the subtitles represented a taming of the language in Hindi. Someone complained about nudity--I don't count presumed nudity under sheets as nudity.

That said, there are some nice moments, and a great sense of energy throughout. If you have high tolerance for silliness, this is fun. My husband who is not a Bollywood fan, enjoyed it.

please, don't see this piece of rubbish

[voyage_rahul · 1/10 · 22 September 2009]

i don't know why BOLLYWOOD let this movie come out?? it's just a waste of time. that's the first time that i see a Indian movie with this crappy things. that'ts not a comedy, but it's a disgusting movie without any sense of cinema.

if you have seen this movie, please forget it, because It's a shame for Indian movie. and of course, no one can say it's a good movie, because all the world know how bad it is.

so i think that AKSHAY KUMAR has to say good bye to comedy because he can't do it, he is is good in drama and action, but in comedy he is just a bad actor. for KAREENA KAPOOR really i respect this actress, but in this movie, she think that's is the most hotter girl in the world, sorry KAREENA but really you don't deserve 2 hours of our time safe your time and you money! and don't see this piece of rubbish

Kambakkht Movie

[jaskunwar993 · 4/10 · 3 July 2009]

The review I had read before the release gave it a 3.5 stars stating that it was a solid entertainer, brilliant, hilarious comedy, and if not always laughing, but it'll always have you smiling, at all times. I've been through worse, so I sat through it. And, for once, HYPE didn't kill this movie. This movie was dead before it hit the screens.

Akshay Kumar with his stupid stunts, worse-than-ever performance at some points, irritating cliché expressions is the most destructive factor of the movie. He did it in Chandni Chowk, then in Tasveer, and now Kambakkht Ishq. The direction is so stupid and abrupt, you just wonder why did they show this scene? What was the point of that line he said? The cinematography and editing was good, and so were three of the songs. The script was bad, and seriously, it was bad. And the only thing about the movie which I liked was, well, Bebo.

How the hell did a superstar like Sylvester Stallone wind up in the middle of a gang-way alley to save Bebo from gangsters? Yes, Sylvester Stallone is himself in the movie. How can a superstar of his fame arrive there, JUST at the time required?? Age-old-traditional bollywood rigidity, one that shall never change, I guess.

Time's up Akki. Time up. 4/10, ONLY for Bebo and the songs.

Horrible...simply horrible!

[bigtimelover2001 · 1/10 · 14 July 2009]

I give it a 1 on the scale of 10. If IMDb had negative ratings, I would have chosen -10. It is a typical bollywood crap of a movie showing how desperate bollywood directors, producers and actors are that they would do just about anything to associate themselves with Hollywood. What they don't realize is that there should be a good storyline, good acting skills and some class that would result in making the movie a hit. Just by having Hollywood actors act in a few scenes would not make a horrible movie any better. I heard this happens to be one of the most expensive bollywood productions. I'm sure it would have taken a lot of money to convince Hollywood actors to star in the film. I'd rather watch Hollywood actors in a Hollywood movie rather than in a bollywood movie.

The stunts were unimpressive and not really required. I know Akshay was playing a stuntman but there was no need to have all the expensive sets and stunts in the movie, stunts on a smaller scale would have done the job. The story as I mentioned earlier was a waste and the acting just made me feel agitated. I couldn't help rolling my eyes through out. By the way, I couldn't wait for the movie to finish to write my comments here. For people who are into cheap, low class comedy or who are big Akshay and Kareena fans might like this a lot. For me, it was a waste of time. I wonder what all the good Indians actors and directors are doing these days. Maybe making money in buying cricket teams.

Oh and the character of Kareena comes from greys anatomy's Izzie Stevens character, a girl from a middle class family trying to make money from a little modelling prior to getting into med school in an attempt to fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor. Unlike Kareena, she wasn't all dolled up and expensively dressed. I think they've shot scenes in the same hospital set grey's anatomy is shot in.

One last thing, the real English translation of 'kambakht' is not 'incredible', it's 'pathetic' and thats exactly what this movie is...simply kambakht.

Kambakkht Ishq is Pathetic!

[raghavramaiah-1 · 2/10 · 5 July 2009]

Now i apologize if i said Kal Kissne Dekha had the potential to be the worst movie of the year, now here's bollywood's much awaited and talked about movie which will quite simply go ahead and win the award comprehensively in the worst movie category this year. Directed by Sabir Khan, Kambakkht Ishq in one word is "nonsense". I know one could hardly expect anything from Akshaye Kumar after CC2C, but this really broke the barrier of making some real hard core senseless cinema. Its quite impossible to believe the fact that the makers of Kambakkht Ishq actually thought just Akshaye Kumar and Kareena Kapoor could make a movie run at the box office and not the script.

Kambhakkt Ishq's protagonist Viraj Shergill(Akshaye Kumar) a stuntman by profession who strictly believes in the fact of staying bachelor and is quite successful to pass on the same values to his brother Lucky Shergill(Aftab Shivdasani) another stuntman by profession until the day he finds out himself about Lucky's marriage plans with Kamini(Amrita Arora) a model. Now here's where he bumps into Simrita(Kareena Kapoor) , Kamini's friend who thinks the same way about men as Viraj does about women.

Now till about this point, i think director Sabir had a script in place and was seriously planning on something really good with the movie until the first song rolled out. I wonder what the director was thinking while filming this song. The scenes right after the song make you feel like walking out of your seat right away. Kambakkht Ishq, is not a comedy movie if you think it is. Its a movie that even the director is not sure to which genre this movie belongs to. You can actually count the parts that are actually funny ignoring the cheap scenes which lack every hint of homour. Actors like Javed Jaffri, Boman Irani and Kirron Kher are seen on roles which are poorly written and absolutely make no sense in the movie. The cameo's by Hollywood stars adds no value whatsoever. The scenes meant for a star like Sylvester Stallone are lame and adds to your frustration.

The music by Anu Malik is as pathetic as the script. The songs are lousy and definitely something that you would love to fastforward if given a chance. I waited patiently till the credits actually rolled for something that could make me like this movie. But sadly, there's wasn't one thing that you can like abut the movie.

For fans of Akshaye Kumar, please avoid this flick if you want to remain his fan for long. And the rest looking forward for this movie this weekend - A big NO !!

I will go with 3 out 10 for Sabir Khan's Kambakkht Ishq. Double thumbs down to Nadiadwala for making it and Akshaye Kumar for acting in it.

www.raghavthecritic.blogspot.com

Does Not Live Up To expectations

[Pratik112 · 4/10 · 6 July 2009]

A lot was expected from this movie and more so since it was the second one which was much publicised before the dispute began a few months ago. Unfortunately, it has not lived up to what was expected. An Indian stuntman, working in Hollywood, who is a womaniser, who seems to believe that women are just good for making love to. On the other hand, there's a woman, who is a firebrand and believes that there's no love.

Starring Akshaye Kumar, Sylvester Stallone, Kareena Kapoor, Denise Richards, Aftab Shivdasani, Brendon Routh, Amrita Arora, Diane Sellers, Kirron Kher, Ashwin Mushran and Reann Giles, this is directed and written by Sabir Khan and Ishita Moitra and is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and the music score is by Anu Malik.

Akshaye performing some of his own stunts was good. But there were scenes in which he could have done better and perhaps made to look a bit younger then he is. It is known that he is able to perform good comedy and he has done it before in films such as "Hera Pheri" and "Mujse Shaddi Karoge," just to mention a couple but not in this.

For Kareena, comedy genre doesn't suit her and also her character was hard to know whether was a model or a doctor as it changed a couple of times to model and then back to doctor – simply odd. There could have been more of Amrita Arora and Aftab Shivdasani but there was none and Kirron Kher's talent was wasted.

Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards and Brendon Routh, all make appearances a couple of times when more could have been done. After all a lot was publicised about such Hollywood talents making an appearance in this movie. A lot could have been achieved with such actors a well but it was not.

Lastly music by Anu Malik is as usual good but unfortunately, the jokes were near stale although there were some that were quite funny but the film still is not able to live up to the expectations.

This film could have been better but it was let down and some may find this a bit sexist and may prefer their children not to watch.

Akshay is finally back in form but could not hit a clear six.

[bobbysing · 6/10 · 5 July 2009]

Once again, Bollywood delivers a half baked product called "Kambakkht Ishq" which has an enjoyable and entertaining first half but miserably fails to sustain the same energy in the second.

The director Sabbir Khan starts off shiningly and straight away comes to the point. Introducing all the lead characters in the first five minutes only, he brilliantly directs the opening sequence of a church wedding, where Akshay & Kareena have their first verbal clash. From here on you start expecting more entertaining stuff coming down the lane related to the battle of the sexes, but sadly you are not served a better dish later on.

The good news for all Akshay Kumar's fans is that he is back in form with his impeccable comic timing in the first half. Portraying the role of a Hollywood Stuntman, he is simply superb, fighting with Kareena in his own freak out style, trying to prove the supremacy of men over women. And equally good is the ravishing Kareena Kapoor who tends to burn the silver screen with her electrifying hot persona. In fact Kareena is only one, who truly deserves the title of "Bollywood Diva" among her current Bollywood contemporaries. Her performance in the movie also proves the immense acting talent she has, as expected from a lady from the Kapoor Family.

So, the first half is high on entertainment where you keep on enjoying the scenes even when there is no story being developed. As seen in Akshay's last successful movies, this one also has no story plot as such and the movie revolves around only an idea of a Hollywood Stuntman having an affair with a hard to convince girl. The second half talks more about the love affair and the emotional misunderstanding between the characters, which unfortunately falls flat as compared to the initial moments of the movie. Though from the scripting point of view, post interval the movie has a very interesting plot where Akshay is hearing "Om Mangalam" mantra everywhere around him, due to an alarm clock left in his body during an operation. But the writers couldn't develop the hilarious plot for long, which could have been the highlight of the movie.

Coming to the grand budget of the movie, it had a highly supportive producer who actually spent more than required on the project, to make it look glossy, majestic and larger than life. And the movie does have the Royal look with all those famous Hollywood actors featuring in it for the first time. Though, it gives you a feeling that it was all done for bringing in the international audiences, still the foreign Icons have performed pretty well more than what was being expected. Among the three, Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards, the most famous in India is THE RAMBO (Sylvester Stallone), who also gets the maximum scenes in the movie. Brandon and Denise are just fine in their short cameos, but Stallone is super cool in his scenes and leaves an impression.

In the supporting cast, Aftab Shivdasani and Amrita Arora play their roles perfectly. Javed Jaffery and Kiron Kher are cast in an underwritten role giving them the same characters which they have already played in many of their previous movies. Boman Irani is completely wasted in a one scene performance and Vindu Singh, surprisingly comes up with a calm comic performance. Annu Malik's music does have a new sound but the compositions still have his unique Annu stamp written all over them. Out of the numbers being played all over, only the title song by RDB has the right groove and beat to catch on. "Bebo Main Bebo" is not as enjoyable as projected by its promos on air. Cinematography is first rate capturing the Hollywood Studios, Kodak Theater and the grandeur of the subject magnificently.

Talking about the drawbacks of "Kambakhht Ishq", there are many to state, but since it's a comic movie made only with an intention to entertain without any social message, so logic has to be kept aside for this particular genre. The movie goes on the similar lines of "Welcome" and "Singh Is Kinng", having a very weak script but an enjoyable narration with entertaining moments. This time, we have a flick surely better than "Chandni Chowk To China" but still not a clear winner all the way.

However there were some major flaws in the movie which should have been looked upon importantly. Firstly, in a movie based on the life of a Hollywood Stuntman, you don't find any amazing stunts and action sequences performed by Akshay Kumar. All the fight sequences are too fast, routine and executed in a clumsy manner. Secondly, it was quite strange to find out that Kareena Kapoor is actually there as a professional surgeon in the movie, whereas in all the promotional campaigns she was shown as a Top Model. She only does one modeling assignment in the movie and that too for raising funds to pay her medical fees.

In a nutshell, "Kambakkht Ishq" falls in the same genre of senseless movies, based on a thin plot, made only with a motive to entertain. It is also said to be the remake of a Tamil film "Pammal K. Sambandam" (2002) featuring Kamal Hassan & Simran which was a huge Hit in the south. Regarding its Hindi version, the excited fans of Akshay & Kareena are sure going to have a good time, but the rest may not take it in high spirits. In other words, Akshay is finally, back in form but could not hit a clear six.

Not Entertaining, But Very Irritating

[cybersupam · 4/10 · 19 February 2010]

Kambakht Ishq is more irritating than entertaining. Kareena's worst performance till date, even worse than her role in Tashan. After watching her poor performance I just realised that Indian film industry board should also introduce award for worst performances and worse movies, just like Hollywood's Razzie Award. If it was introduced than Kareena would have been lucky for this award. But Akshay is so normal and interesting, though I'm not his fan. His performance is better than other roles he has been offered, and he proudly handled playing his role along with some renowned Hollywood celebrities like Stallone, Denise Richards or Holly Valance. There is not a single sign of tension in his appearance. So far he is lucky of getting such chances.

It is not necessary to describe briefly the story of Kambakht Ishq, because there is nothing new which can be pointed out. But it is just a Love-Hate, Hate-Love and finally a Marriage Story.

Only impressive moments were when both Viraj and Simrita shout wildly against each other, and they performed it uniquely. Aftab Shivdasani had nothing much to offer than a sidekick to Akshay. The script of Kambakht Ishq is totally wastage and most of it is out of sense. As the characters roll on it is not hard to guess or predict as to what can we see in the next few scenes. According to me, the most minus point in the movie is with short role of Boman Irani. I feel really pity for his short and useless role. If it was extended then I hope it would bring more attention in the boring story. One more is with Kiron Kher. Her role is so neglected, less important and can easily be compared to her parts in Dostana with Abhishekh and John.

Amrita Arora, Javed Jaffrey and Ashwin Mushran hardly come into notice, as they are most boring roles played here. But Vindu Dara Singh's role as Tiger who is co-stuntman of Viraj, is completely well balanced and justified to his character. It is clear that the American celebrities with short appearance were just to bring out some magnetic touches to market the film for large number of audiences. No doubt, it failed finally. Even Akshay could not carry out the whole movie alone himself.

Reality of Bollywood, that is, its not real...

[amars_1 · 9/10 · 23 July 2009]

Please do not hate me for purposing such a high rating. But its just so rare to see a Bollywood movie that actually succeeds in what its trying to present... Bollywood movies simply lack the creativity, concept all but flaws and man I cheesy stunts they put on... they are so not entertaining... so much imitation ( THE REMAKE IDEOLOGY) of Hollywood...

Now considering all these facts, I shall rather sum it up in one line. This movie severed its purpose of "PURE ENTERTAINMENT". I walk into the theater to get entertained and I am entertained, now thats all I care about. Except for the fairy tale ending(man i would have been breaking chairs/ going crazy if somebody was to interrupt my wedding not waving good bye with a creepy smile on my face, after they stole my husband to be)and also inviting an all time best actor/writer "Sylvester Stallone" and giving him a cheesy GADAR SUNNY DEOL TYPE OF SHOT wow....

Judged purely on screenplay, Kambakkht Ishq spirals downwards in its second half.

[sumanbarthakursmailbox · 1/10 · 21 December 2009]

How much you enjoy Kambakkht Ishq is directly proportionate to just how low your standards have fallen. This battle-of-the-sexes saga starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor is a loud, vulgar and seriously offensive film that has reportedly been made at a price of Rs 60 crore. In that much money, you could feed an entire starving nation. And you'd be blessed for it.I'm not saying the makers of Kambakkht Ishq have no business spending so much money. I'm just saying, if you must spend Rs 60 crore, the least you can do is give us a good film.Watching Kambakkht Ishq, you know you can't apply logic to a film like this. There are dozens of questions that have no answers - Who allowed her to keep her watch on while performing surgery? What kind of battery does this watch run on for it to break into music every hour inside a man's stomach? What kind of stuntman can afford a luxurious condo overlooking the sea? Where in the world can you expect to find Sylvester Stallone lurking in alleys waiting to come to the rescue of hapless girls?Provocative, but just for the sake of it, director Sabbir Khan resorts to cheap gimmicks for the sake of cheap thrills - like a group of girls flashing their breasts to the men at a wedding reception, and Akshay Kumar grabbing Kareena and smooching her forcibly on the lips.In terms of performances, there is very little that can be said about both leads. Kareena Kapoor, an actress blessed with scorching screen presence and immense talent, stoops to a new career low with Kambakkht Ishq. I can't imagine why any respectable actress would agree to play such a crass character and participate in the film's sexist jokes which include - on at least two occasions - her yanking her neckline down to reveal more cleavage and raising her hemline up to show more leg. Think of it as Welcome or Singh Is Kinng but about twenty times more tasteless. Of course it worries me that that description might excite some viewers to check it out!

Another Akshoy Komor Flop

[gei-16231 · 1/10 · 17 May 2021]

Another flop in the long list of flops by Akshoy Komor. Movie made my health bad I had to take medicine to recover from this taatii.

The more you watch it the worse it gets

[ian959 · 3/10 · 28 April 2011]

When I first watched Kambakkht Ishq I thought it was a mildly entertaining piece of flotsam to fill in the time until something better came along. But the more times I have watched it, the worse it gets - big time.

Sure it has it moments - I mean Amrita Arora in a bikini is well worth watching and Kareena Kapoor looks pretty fine. But a two hour film needs more than ten minutes of high quality eye candy to live on. Unfortunately, you will not find it here.

Its hard to know exactly where to begin but really the screenplay here is diabolical - clichéd to within an inch of its life, you know just where this is headed after the first five minutes. Then it has the temerity to stretch the obvious out for two more hours. The dialogue is atrocious to say the least, and even by Bollywood standards the plot holes here are roughly the size of the Indian Ocean. Whoever thought the Keswani character was a good idea should be taken outside and beaten to death. That one character alone is all the proof you need to explain why this is a festering turd of a film (to paraphrase Billy Mack from a rather good film).

Its hard to know exactly where Akshay Kumar's career started to really hit the sewerage farm. I mean Namastey London wasn't too bad and Heyy Babyy was tolerable, but something went seriously wrong after there and it has been getting progressively worse ever since. This? Woeful overacting, with all the emotional sense of a piece of granite, that grates more every time you see it. Kareena Kapoor was okay but boy did she have some crap to play with. From there it gets worse. Amrita Arora cannot act to save her life (but kudos for looking very good in a bikini), Aftab Shivdasani was awful (what happened to him after Koi Aap Sa?), and the rest of the Bollywood brigade don't exactly shine in any way. However, special mention should be made of Rajesh Khera for the finest display of atrocious overacting since the last Under 12's school play you saw. As for the Hollywood crowd, oh lord they must have been desperate, not that I really expect much from the likes of Sylvester Stallone or Denise Richards, neither of whom could ever be accused of being great actors.

Even the music here, which can often redeem at least partially any Bollywood film, is sadly way off the mark.

Not even the visual delights of Amrita Arora and Kareena Kapoor could entice me to watch this piece of rubbish in its entirety ever again. Its hard to imagine a film as bad as this across the board (although some comments passed about Akshay Kumar's more recent films would indicate that he is trying to make this look like a pinnacle of his career).

Believe me, you do not need to watch this film - find the stills of Amrita in bikini that are floating around the internet: you would then be seeing the highlights of the film just about.

3/10 only because its got Amrita in a bikini and Kareena looks good.

One time watch

[ayonbhunia · 4/10 · 29 August 2021]

This movie is good at somewhere but.......the story has no story at all ! Lmao ! I couldn't got the point of bringing the legend like sylvester stallone! Overall the movie is average but a one time watch !you can also watch it to pass your time ! 2/5 !

Appalling

[mayurdeepz · 1/10 · 6 July 2009]

Neither the Indian film industry nor its ardent patrons are acquainted with the idea of hiatus. Whatever may have been the reason, the truth is everyone wanted new releases, to quench their thirst of regular does of melodrama, fun frolic and silver screen dreams that only Hindi cinema can serve. That could and should be the only saving grace for this movie.

Having watched it not more than an hour ago, I am at loss of expression and appropriate adjectives to express my dissatisfaction over the enterprise, as a moviegoer. Calling it the worst movie ever will be giving it the importance it does not deserve. Every piece of cinema deserves its kind of audience. I will be honestly saddened if this finds one. Art is touted to be a release of creative flair by superior craftsmen. This was a pathetic joke.

There were characters that not only seemed forced, but suffocating. Not only to the script but to the audience as well. There were scenes that were not part of the narration. The first couple of acts seemed mildly entertaining and I sat there with the anticipation that now it will change course. Change course it did, but went only as far as to make it bad to worse. Everyone in the movie from the big names to all the supporting cast looked like they were invited to this big fancy party, where right from the drinks to food to the clothes was free. The problem was that they did not have a reason to celebrate. Even if there was one, no one looked like they knew what it was.

I am annoyed that the makers assumed that the audience has not matured enough to tell good from bad. But if there are some gems being lapped up by the average ticket buyer, they should have the rights to stand up to such ludicrous waste of money, time and energy. I for one cannot stand disrespect and that is exactly what was dished out until the last frame of this excuse of a movie.

Last but not the least my biggest complain to the producer & the director is that no where during its runtime did I feel that it was chaotic or the narration being out of control. This was a well intended joke that was meant to insult the insignia of taste of every Hindi movie buff. I am one of them and this is most consciously just my honest opinion.