'Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha' movie review: No dum in this saga

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

Film: Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
U/A: Romance, drama
Dir: Neeraj Pandey
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu
Rating: ''1/2

In the 16 years since his directorial debut, A Wednesday (2008), Neeraj Pandey has become synonymous with thrillers, owing to hits like Special 26 (2013) and Baby (2015) on the big screen and spy franchise Special Ops on OTT. If MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016), the biographical sports drama on former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, was an exception, his latest, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha (AMKDT), is the filmmaker's attempt at treading off his beaten path. The romance drama narrates the story of star-crossed lovers, Krishna and Vasudha, in two different timelines.

The movie begins in 2001, with a young Krishna (Shantanu Maheshwari) and Vasudha (Saiee Manjrekar) making plans for their future together, while the Bandra-Worli Sea Link is being constructed in the backdrop. Cut to Arthur Road jail in the present, where Krishna's (Ajay Devgn) name is feared and respected. We learnt that he is serving 25 years for double murder, and there is no one waiting for him. Set to be released owing to good conduct, he makes one last effort to delay the inevitable, but it still doesn't alter his release date.

With no family to reunite with, he decides to leave the country immediately. Before leaving, he makes one last pit-stop at home, to relive the memories. And that's where Vasudha (Tabu), now married to Abhijeet (Jimmy Sheirgill) for 12 years, drives in to meet him. What follows is a lot of back and forth on how an incident one fateful night changed the course of their relationship and future.

AMKDT sounds like an interesting tale of star-crossed lovers reuniting after two decades. However, Pandey's screenplay is too long-drawn and laborious. After a point, the frequent flashbacks get to you. While the first half is painfully slow, the twist in the second half piques your interest. However, the manner in which Pandey reveals his cards after building your curiosity seems like an anti-climax.

Devgn and Tabu deliver power-packed performances. To say that they are simply brilliant in an underwritten movie would be an understatement, especially when they convey their emotions through their eyes and in silences. A case in point is their first meeting after his release from prison, set against the backdrop of MM Keeravani's soulful score, with no dialogues. There's only so much Sheirgill can shine as Abhijeet, with the writing giving him no scope to spring any surprise either.

Maheshwari is effective, though he doesn't look like the toughie who'd pick on a dreaded criminal in prison. Manjrekar makes the most of her meaty role. Her performance is quite a revelation for someone who made her big-screen debut with a small role in a below-average fare, Dabangg 3 (2019). Jay Upadhyay brings some cheer as Krishna's friend Jignesh. Particularly, the scene in which he turns on the car stereo and the song, Jeeta tha jiske liye, from Devgn's Diljale (1993) plays. He turns it off when Krishna gives him the resting bitch look.

The soundtrack, composed by Oscar-winner Keeravani, with the lyrics penned by Manoj Muntashir, isn't exactly memorable. And though cinematographer Sudheer Palsane has beautifully captured the myriad hues and moods of Mumbai, in the end, what resonates with you is the last frame of the film, which says, "Sometimes, it never ends." And that's what we often felt during the film's two hours and 25 minutes of runtime.

'YUCK ''WHATEVER '''GOOD ''''SUPER '''''AWESOME