Morning Walk

What a disappointment! A look at the publicity material of ?Morning Walk? reveals names such as Anupam Kher, Sharmila Tagore, Rajit Kapoor and Divya Dutta. But, what we see in the end is a poor canvas that fails to showcase the immense talent of these fine artistes. It is an amateur attempt at movie making and a frustrating move watching experience. Why I say it is frustrating is because the basic theme of the movie is interesting. It deals with a retired and widowed professor from Kolkata who seeks to re-unite with his son and estranged daughter-in-law in Mumbai after years of physical and emotional distance. While in Mumbai he encounters an old flame, also widowed and who is living with her daughter. He discovers that the girl is actually his daughter and must now decide on what to do with the proceeds of his house sale in Kolkata. Should he give it to his son and daughter-in-law to build a new house with him in it, or should he give it to his new-found daughter to complete her education. The film attempts to showcase this struggle. But, the struggle is that of the viewer as he tries to sit through this mess of a movie. The first 15 minutes are promising but beyond that, the story goes haywire with an inept and illogical screenplay, bad and misplaced songs, amateur acting and shabby camera work. There is not a single dramatic sequence in the movie that is well executed. It seems as though director Arup Dutta has stitched together a shirt with multi-colored rags. The only thing that stands out is Divya Dutta?s acting as she adeptly plays the hurt daughter-in-law. Even her character is made out to be extreme and neurotic towards the end. Rajit Kapoor as the husband looks lost, startled and hassled. Anupam Kher sleep-walks through his role. Sharmila Tagore looks elegant in her saris. Nothing more, nothing less. ?Morning Walk? is eminently avoidable as a film. It is shocking to note that actors of this caliber chose to be a part of this project and someone decided on spend money on making it. Take a walk!