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Masand's Verdict: Black & White 
Published on Sat, Mar 08, 2008 at 01:36, Updated on Sat, Mar 08, 2008 at 10:41 in Entertainment section
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Black & White falls like a pack of cards because it's meant to be a serious, even realistic film, a departure from Ghai's trademark masala musicals.
But problem is the director is so unfamiliar and uncomfortable with minimalism that he cannot resist the urge to throw in some of his typical formulas, as a result delivering a film that is both confused and sloppy.
Look at that presumably symbolic scene in which a deaf-mute child plays out a patriotic tune on her piano to a man just hours away from committing a ghastly act of terror.
Or that supposedly comic scene in which an elderly poet makes repeated telephone calls to the professor's home late one night. Or even that indulgent dream song between the terrorist and the young student who's clearly falling for him.
The sad thing is, for a film that was meant to address an issue, Black & White doesn't say anything that you don't already know.
The film makes only token nods to patriotism, and if you ask me, I'd say the very themes of terrorism, patriotism and nationalism are just incidental to Ghai's story which is in fact, about the power of goodness and love which can convert even the serious non-believers.
And that, my friends, let's not forget, is one of mainstream Bollywood's oldest and favourite themes. So you see Ghai never ventured too far from his comfort zone anyway.
I'm going with a very generous one out of five for Subhash Ghai's Black & White, it's a miscalculation in every sense of the word, a film that makes Kisna and Yaadein seem watchable. When it comes to Subhash Ghai, I'd much rather watch his masala musicals any day.
Rating: 1 / 5 (Poor)
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the movie could have been a whole lot better, yet at the same time calling it amateurish is a gross
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i watched black and white first day and the same day heard rajiv's review on it. i thought rajiv was
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subhash ghai must stop directing da movies.....he is better to be as producer and give chances to guys like Nagesh
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The message of peace and the facts of the reason behind the terrorism in india is shown well in the
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The movie has a message to the world all right...but the envelope its wrapped in is not that big deal.The
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