Smile, your future is just a click away

My first meeting with Neil Nitin Mukesh left me in a bit of a tizzy. How could such a promising young actor render a room full of journalists comatose every time he drew breath to speak? As the interview rapidly deteriorated into a snoozefest, I couldn't help but wonder how Neil had maintained a firm grip over his audience in 2007's thriller, Johnny Gaddar.

Clearly I was missing a piece of the puzzle and as his second film, Aa Dekhen Zara, hits the marquee this weekend, trepidation and skepticism are the emotions of the hour.

Debutante Jehangir Surti has directed a supernatural thriller that captures shades of Shutter, I'm Proud To Make This Film and even Freeze Frame.

Neil is Ray Acharya, a struggling photographer whose talents go unrecognised. All this changes when he inherits a special camera from his grandfather: One that clicks snapshots of the future.

With the power bestowed on him, Neil turns into an overnight sensation, using the ability to secure money, fame and power.

Along the way, he meets the skimpily-clad DJ Simi (Bipasha Basu) and promptly uses the camera to even score one for the home run.

Unfortunately for him, the joy is short-lived as evil lurks behind the shutter and fate has also abandoned him into the arms of the dark side. Can he live long enough to have a picture-perfect ending with skanky Simi?

The film promos have not been too promising and neither has the music. Neil has even lent his voice to the film's title track, but considering his grandfather Mukesh and father Nitin Mukesh were celebrated singers of their time, Neil doesn't possess even a patch of their talent.

Let us just hope for his sake, he lucks out in the acting department.

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