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Summer of 2007

Summer 2007 : Movie Review
13th June 2008 18.40 IST
By Aparajita Ghosh

It is pity when noble intentions fail to translate onto the silver screen and only end up as a work of director’s self-indulgence.

Such is the case with Summer of 2007 , which is based on a pertinent issue, but lacks in conviction and clarity of vision. The fault lies not in the subject, but in its telling.

Starring Sikander Kher , Gul Panag , Yuvika Chowdhary, Arjan Baweja and Alekh Sanghal, the movie tells the story of five medical students who undergo a rude awakening of sorts when they visit a village in rural Maharashtra.

The quintet, who lived a fun-filled, carefree city life with ‘who cares’ attitude, are forced to look within and do some serious soul searching when they see the appalling conditions in which the villagers live. It’s a bleak place with no medical facilities, where hapless and hopeless farmers commit suicide in the face of government’s apathy and moneylender’s greed.

In such a scenario, the five friends are faced with the tough option – to return to their comfortable lives or to do something for the villagers. But given the rural politics and the influence of those who are opposed to change, the going would certainly not be easy for the five.

‘Summer 2007’ seems like a film made out of angst. But the biggest flaw in the movie is that it doesn’t follow a single course. And this is because the director tries to blend some commercial masala into this otherwise arty endeavor. So, alongside the plight of villagers, we are treated to a developing romance between two lead characters. And let us not forget the songs that stand out like speed breakers on a highway.

The actors turn out to be the main drivers of ‘Summer 2007’. Sikander Kher, who impressed in the forgettable Woodstock Villa , turns up trumps yet again with a restrained performance as a man undergoing inner transformation. Gul Panag shows flashes of brilliance while Yuvika chips in a bit of glamour. Arjan Baweja and Alekh Sanghal play their parts well.

Director Suhail Tatari, however well intentioned he may be, fails to impress you in ‘Summer 2007’. In his endeavor to put in a little bit of everything, the director makes his movie into a time-consuming beast that swells out of his own control in the second half.

Rating: *

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