8x10 Tasveer

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Ayesha Takia, Sharmila Tagore, Javed Jaffrey, Girish Karnad, Anant Mahadevan
Rating: *1/2

Nagesh Kukunoor enters a new zone with 8x10 Tasveer: Suspense-thriller. His choice of the genre and subject material is also right. Yet, 8x10 Tasveer goes wrong, horribly wrong.

Now what was that? This is one question that haunts you at the end of the show. And, seriously, you want to direct this question to Kukunoor, who is also credited as the writer of this film.

Okay, let's dissect... The concept is interesting. The atmosphere is perfect. The mystery deepens with each passing minute. Just when you thought that Kukunoor had pulled it off, a twist in the tale pulls the carpet off your feet. The film crumbles and the impression generated by some brilliantly executed sequences evaporate into thin air.

For any whodunit to succeed, it ought to hold your interest till the very last frame. Most importantly, the answers raised in the screenplay have to be convincing and justified.
To cut a long story short, this tasveer is out of focus!

8x10 Tasveer is about Jai (Akshay Kumar), who possesses supernatural powers. Jai is of Indian origin who works as a forest ranger in Canada. His life is shattered by a loss of an important person in his life - his father (Benjamin Gilani). This personal tragedy leads him to use his unique supernatural powers to unravel the mystery.

Now let's get to the root of the problem: The discrepancies in the script. Of course, 8x10 Tasveer is a whodunit and it would be sacrilege to reveal the end or the identity of the killer, but the reasons that compel the murderer to commit crime after crime are unbelievable and far from convincing.

The moment the truth is out in the open, from that point onwards, the writer doesn't have convincing answers to offer. There are so many gaps that remain wide open till the end.