Chand Sa Roshan Chehra

A love story with newcomers, if well told, always proves the dark horse.

CHAND SA ROSHAN CHEHRA follows the same path that Nasir Husain pursued in HUM KISISE KUM NAHIN [Rishi Kapoor, Kaajal Kiran, Tariq], Mansoor Khan embarked upon in QAYAMAT SE QAYAMAT TAK and Sooraj R. Barjatya tackled in MAINE PYAR KIYA.

CHAND SA ROSHAN CHEHRA is the archetypal love story, with mushy romance, lovers' tiffs and misunderstandings, parental opposition et al packed in those two hours. But what works in its favour are three factors -- the lead man's performance [Samir Aftab], melodious music [Jatin-Lalit] and some dramatic moments the film has to offer.

But what also goes against it is its mundane plot, witnessed since time immemorial. CHAND SA ROSHAN CHEHRA has its share of loose ends, with a predictable plot topping the list.

CHAND SA ROSHAN CHEHRA tells the story of Raj [Samir Aftab] and Jiya [Tamanna], who love each other since childhood. But Jiya's opportunist father Oberoi [Kiran Kumar] does not approve of the alliance.

 

Raj has not been able to forget Jiya for even a day. Before her demise, Raj's mother desired that Raj should marry Jiya. In a sudden twist of fate, Raj gets a chance to go abroad [Switzerland], now Jiya's home.

Raj bumps into Jiya time and again, but they don't see eye to eye. The duo is completely unaware of the other's identity. Raj also meets Firdaus and a friendship develops between them, which is not liked by Firdaus' fiancé and Raj lands in trouble, only to be bailed out by Firdaus herself.

Raj wins the music competition which infuriates Jiya no end and she gets Raj beaten up by some local goons. Raj now seeks revenge and in the process, both get to know that they are each other's lost love.

Raj visits Jiya's engagement ceremony and is heartbroken to see Jiya getting engaged to someone else [Dilip Thadeshwar]. Jiya is heart-broken as well and wants to call off her engagement. Soon, Oberoi also gets to know the truth about Raj.

How Raj confronts Oberoi forms the crux of the story.

CHAND SA ROSHAN CHEHRA relies on the age-old concept of a man going all out to win his love. Any love story is incomplete without dramatic moments and CHAND SA ROSHAN CHEHRA has that in ample doses.

CHAND SA ROSHAN CHEHRA starts off rather impressively, but it slowly turns out to be a routine saga. But things gather momentum when Jiya learns of Raj's true identity. Post-interval, the drama continues to soar, with the engagement song, 'Woh Din Yaad Karo', being the highpoint.

However, once the battlelines are drawn -- between Raj and Oberoi -- you expect the story to reach the culmination, but the time it takes to reach the climax is long drawn and very, very predictable.

Director Shahab Shamsi has handled a few dramatic sequences well. But the narrative is quite inconsistent, with a number of songs coming back to back soon after the interval. Also, the film is very lengthy in the second part and should've been trimmed by at least 15-20 minutes.

Writer Jalees Sherwani's screenplay gets interesting towards the second half. But for any love story to succeed, it ought to be embellished with clap-trap situations and scenes that tug your heartstrings, which CHAND SA ROSHAN CHEHRA has in minimal doses. Jalees' dialogues are quite nice. Cinematography [Karim Khatri] is appropriate.

Jatin-Lalit's music is an asset. 'Woh Din Yaad Karlo Sanam' and 'Doli Leke Aaye Hain' are the best tracks.

CHAND SA ROSHAN CHEHRA acts as a showreel for Samir Aftab. He gets to do what the conventional hero does in Hindi films. And Samir does it very well. The debutante is photogenic, acts confidently and carries the film on his shoulders. Incidentally, he reminds you of the young Aamir Khan at times.

Tamanna is quite raw at places, but you gradually start liking her. She acts better in the second half. Kiran Kumar is in form after a long time. Talat Aziz is appropriate. Kishori Shahane Vij and Himani Shivpuri [music teacher] are efficient. Vijayendra is alright. Dilip Thadeshwar doesn't get much scope.

On the whole, CHAND SA ROSHAN CHEHRA will have to rely on the youth to leave a mark.