Film: Ek Paheli Leela
Cast: Sunny Leone, Jay Bhanushali, VJ Andy, Mohit Ahlawat, Rajniesh Duggal, Jas Arora, Rahul Dev
Director: Bobby Khan
Rating: **
What's it about:
Reincarnation love stories have caught Bollywood's fancy for decades. So how could someone resist making one with Sunny Leone who plays two different roles from different eras, giving her a chance to flaunt those curves and rock that bikini! The film revolves around a royal love story that went wrong centuries before and has come back to haunt super model Meera (Sunny) and a struggling musician Karan (Jay Bhanushali). There are multiple parallel tracks that oscillate between the present and past giving us a glimpse of Meera and Karan's past. What's interesting though is the setting, locales and how director Bobby Khan has managed to interweave these two timelines without making it look jarring. Mohit Ahlawat , Rajniesh Duggal and Rahul Dev play Sunny's suitors in different avatars. There is a certain element of suspense and intrigue that makes Leela a fun watch in parts.
What's hot:
Despite the stigma of being someone who can only prance around in a bikini and make seductive moves, Sunny Leone does manage to shine in some scenes. Especially the ones where she plays Leela. Playing a supermodel and wearing those designer clothes comes easy, but learning that Marwari accent, and dressing up in the traditional attire, might have been tough for the Babydoll actress. Fortunately she seems to have put in ample hardwork in trying to work on the dialect and the body language. Her fans will be in for a royal treat. Jay Bhanushali impresses in his role that might not be lengthy but is important and an intrinsic part of the storyline. Knowing the genre of the film, Jay is able to slink into the role with utmost ease. Music is hummable and the Desi Look track is already a success.
What's not:
Despite the high points, there isn't any shortage of speed bumps in this reincarnation drama. Even if we toss logic and reason out of the window, how can one explain Meera's odd behaviour of resorting to anti depressant pills to combat claustrophobia. Even though the film swings between two different periods I wasn't quite convinced how many times we were asked to suspend our belief. A lot of supporting characters pop up just cause they were signed up for these roles. Editing is shoddy and the second half drags into a climax that is super cliched. Mohit Ahlawat is a let down and unintentionally funny in most scenes. VJ Andy and Ehsaan Qureshi's funny act is barely entertaining.
What to do:
If Sunny Leone gets your temperature rising then Leela won't disappoint. Don't have big expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised.
