Himesh Reshammiya: Payback time!

Himesh Reshammiya has a ‘Karzzzz’ to pay his detractors!
By Aravind Ramachandran
http://entertainment.in.msn.com/bollywood/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3071212



The world stands divided at the mention of his name. And Indian music’s new age narcissist Himesh Reshammiya stands baffled before an epic.

For a man who entered professional music at a tender age, Himesh Reshammiya has kept his personal life away from media glare for an appreciably long time. The young Himesh had little space for ambition. Gujarati music director Vipin Reshammiya had charted out the path he wanted his son to take. A short stint in soaps and Himesh Reshammiya was soon standing in the queue at the gates of Bollywood.

But destiny kept churning out an incessant surge of critics. Everything from his exasperating nasal tone to his tasteless dress sense came under fire. Himesh was desperate and running out of excuses. He just couldn’t come to terms with the idea that a bold baseball cap would clash with an elegant Sherwani. He turned to the legends in a misguided attempt at consolation, accusing RD Burman and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan of having voices more nasal than himself. He was literally seeking solace in numbers. India was not ready to forgive this crime. Asha Bhonsle, it is said, hinted that she wouldn’t hesitate to slap this “upstart”.

And then, time stopped. India was swept up in a Himesh Reshammiya wave. A blink of an eye later, a succession of hits turned Himesh Reshammiya the musician into HR the superstar – India’s first ever rockstar. An unrelenting obsession with himself added to the charm.

Drunk on success, it was only a matter of time before the acting bug bit Himesh Reshammiya, to cite a cliché. 'Aap Kaa Surroor - The Real Luv Story’ happened, marred by new controversies regarding stolen songs. Bollywood pundits wrote off the movie as well as HR the star, suggesting he should stick to music. They did have a point. There is only so much you can do with a single facial expression and an edgy script. But the masses thought otherwise and lapped up the movie, rendering it a fairly big hit. Himesh the actor had lived to see the light.

In his latest gamble, 'Karzzzz’, Himesh Reshammiya takes what one hopes is a calculated risk to confront two legendary talents at the same time. The dream duo Laxmikant Pyarelal’s music in the original 1980 `Karz’ merely challenges Himesh to get the most out of his already established gift. But essaying the role of Monty Oberoi, a parallel to the one played by Rishi Kapoor in the original, calls for much more than the 'just an ordinary actor' tag.

The ambitious star is leaving no stone unturned. With nineteen tracks in all, it is safe to say he has reworked a major portion of the music score for the new 'Karzzzz' rather than falling back on the time-honoured original. It works well to a certain point, for he does live up to his credentials. But he does manage to murder the sole remnant classic piece. One can’t doubt his sincerity. If he doesn’t offer his best in a movie designed to catapult himself into megastardom, when will he? It is evident his first priority is himself.

His courage is driven by the sheer numbers of his fan legions. But how far can the talent in music mask the flaws in the actor? Himesh has since gone on record to say Ranbir may have been a better choice for his role in 'Karzzzz’. Is he fishing for compliments or is he running scared?

We need to look no further to crown Aaj Ka Fankaar: It’s Himesh Reshammiya! Don’t you dare doubt it!!!

Source: India Syndicate