Kabul Express: Starring : John Abraham. Arshad Warsi, Salman Shahid, Hanif Hum Ghum, Linda Arsenio. Direction: Kabir Khan.

What a disappointment! Docu film maker who comes with an experience on Afghanistan comes with the dud of the year. After all that promise and promos the film meanders through the deserted and destroyed Afghanistan. Yashraj films have made global tourism a part of their story department. Having travelled to Switzerland, Kiwi Island and Pakistan it is now time to reach Afghanistan.

That appears to be the only purpose. The road film carries neither the sensitivity of the political ruin nor the drama of the Talibans . Instead it takes a  member gang through the desert lands and ravaged cities without any purpose.

Suheil(John) and Jai (Arshad) are two Indian media guys in search of an interview with the Taliban sources. In Afghan territory in the post 9/11 scenario they get a language aid in their guide Khyber ( Hanif Humghum) . They are once saved by a fellow photo journalist from the West Jessica (Linda)  in the course of a Buzkashi shot with not even half the excitement that Feroz Khan did.  In the midst of the chaos and  the search for the impending scoop the journalists are kidnapped by an ex Taliban Imran Khan( Salman Shahid) who holds them to ransom in an attempt to cross the border and go back to Pakistan.

In the process what happens is what the road narration is all about. Wait a minute. There is yet another flaw in this all. Is the kidnapper a good guy or does the script writer himself suffer the  Stockholm   syndrome?  This confusion goes to the very root of the feel and text of the film. It is not  just a theme concern. It is also a treatment function. This is the major tragedy with the film.
 

Yet another major flaw with the film comes with the main characters lacking in conviction. They turn out to be cardboard characters.    Both the Indian journalists display  lack of political understanding and geographical sensitivity and thus credibility as journalists. The western journalist is a pale aspiration of Noam  Chomsky willing to make a few  feeble noises of protests and nothing more. Strangely it is the guide and the Taliban representative who come alive.

IN terms of sheer performances the non Indian actors show greater class and add flesh to the roles. John sleep walks the journey. Arshad believes a few quips are what a film is about and you cannot blame him when the director also perpetuates the same belief.
 Like in the past this  Yashraj films tempt  you to a new spot on the atlas. Do not mistake that for a good film. Give this Express a miss. Not worth the while. In case you conjure images of the Kite Runner you could not be more embarrassed.

L Ravichander.