Search - Sin on DVD

Beautifully filmed 'Witness' a la Bollywood. The cover (and

Lyn | Melbourne Australia | 05/20/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is basically the story of 'Witness moved from the Amish community to the mountains of India in Tibetan monastery and Nepalese looking surroundings. The cover would make it look like a skin flick but its nothing like that and the closest touch is a circumspect kiss. The 'sin' is the dilemma in the girls mind as she is being groomed to become a Tibetan nun yet has fantasies of a romance with the hero that are regarded as sin in that context.

The girl (beautifully rendered by newcomer Udita Goswami) is sent on a mission to Delhi to collect a boy who is the reincarnation of the monastery's Lama. When she collects his the boy witnesses a murder which turns out to have been committed by high up police with links to local gangs. A good cop (John Abraham), although shot, escapes with the girl and boy and returns them home. He nearly dies and so is nursed back to health by the girl and the monks. This is then the story of their connection and what happens when the rogue cops track him down.

I though this was beautifully done. The cinematography and location are superb and there is a sensuous feel for the material - which really isn't at all sexual or explicit - despite many of the covers to this DVD and the name 'Sin' (Paap). There is a lot conveyed through sensuousness and nuance. It looks at times at core Buddhist values and the inner battle of the girl and her father to find their way according to those values. I actually thought of 'Samsara' a bit watching this one (though that was much more explicit). So it actually had a bit more depth than 'Witness' did.

There is some haunting music but no song and dance in this Bollywood. It is one of the best things I've see John Abraham do. He was just very good and showed a lot more diversity and subtlety in his acting than the more frozen version he did seem to do in some other movies (though I see this shifting more recently). The monks and the girl's father (Mohan Agashe) are also very good.

For me this is quite an underrated movie. It tends to score average but I'd put it above that. Its cinematography is superb, acting good and the 'Witness' plot is still a good one in the meeting of worlds and how both are changed in the process. The extra depth with the girl's inner conflict over her Buddhist ideals is also added depth. Definitely a keeper for me."