Footpath   Producer: Tips Films Director: Vikram Bhatt Starring: Aftab Shivdasani, Bipasha Basu, Rahul Dev, Farhan Hashami and Arpana Tilak Music: Nadeem-Shravan, Himesh Reshammiya Lyrics: Sameer Genre: Drama Recommended Audience: General Film Released on: 15 August 2003 Reviewed by: Gaurav Malani  - Rating: 3.5 / 10   Let us know what you think about this review Music Review

Exhausted from the Hollywood gamut, Vikram Bhatt dips into their own storehouse of movies, regurgitating Mahesh Bhatt’s 1998 Akshay Kumar starrer super flop Aangaray

(just don’t ask here was that derived from). But one wonders why did he chose to remake a film, which in first place was then rejected by the audience miserably.

So you are forced to believe that Arjun (Aftab Shivdasani) can avoid himself from being arrested for a crime he committed 12 long years ago if he helps the police. He has to infiltrate a drug gang headed by his childhood-separated friends, for whom he still has a soft corner. Arjun’s heart also suddenly starts beating for his childhood love Sanjana (Bipasha Basu) whom he had left when he was 10 which brings us to the stupid conclusion that love blooms at 10 (so very filmi. After this, you guess it and you get it. Corrupt police officers, a mandavli mentor don, the one-way underworld trade or the no brothers-in-business funda, you have it all. All predictable.

The direction is neither realistic nor hard-hitting. The production design is too tacky with the movie entirely shot in a single lane shoddy studio. The dialogues boast nuggets of 70’s like "mein tumhare bacche ki maa banne wali hoon". Which as you can see, is so very clichéd. Don’t expect any smooches or skin display from Bipasha. She’s just restricted to puffing, panting and heaving her bosom. Aftab and Rahul Dev

are ok but the scene-stealer is newcomer Emraan Hashmi who impresses with his mannerisms as the bullied younger brother. Some fine-tuning and he will come good. Nadeem-Shravan´s music is poor beyond belief and their presentations are just as such. While Vikram Bhatt has often tasted success with his many re-makes, like Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage, the ones he doesn´t remake often turn out bad. Sadly Footpath runs on the much tried and tested ghisa pitaa path.