Zindagi 50-50

Story: Set in Mumbai, the film revolves around the lives of three women and their predicament.

Movie Review: It doesn't matter what the intent of the filmmaker is, if the execution fails to live up to the concept altogether. Zindagi 50-50 aspires to stress on the dilemmas of the lower middle class inhabitants of Mumbai. That significant aspect however takes a backseat as the film resorts to sex and sleaze to get the point across. In order to attract the masses, besides the ample skin show, dialogues are loaded with sexual innuendo, all of which is unnecessary. As a result, you do not empathise with any of the lead characters of the film. Why these people do the things they do is not clear either. Portrayal of women as mere victims of lecherous men in power is hard to buy.

Madhuri (Veena Malik) is a sex worker, who knows she is the best in the business. She does not regret anything until she finds solace in Birju (Rajan Verma). Birju is married to righteous Rupa (Supriya Kumar) whose world revolves around her husband. Naina (Riya Sen) is a junior artist who aspires to be a lead heroine. How far can you go to realise your ambition, forms the story.

The film is full of clichés and topics that have been addressed in movies a billion times before. As the film ends, you wonder if the filmmaker justifies adultery, prostitution and exploitation of women in general, including the casting couch. You also wonder if there is an underlying message in the film, which hints that a woman needs to sleep around to get ahead in life! The lewdness in dialogues and scenes puts you off.

Veena Malik is confident. The role offers her huge scope to pout, swear profusely and show off her body. She does it wholeheartedly, thus doing complete justice to her role. Supriya Kumar gets a meatier role and she enacts it well. Riya Sen has nothing much to do. Rajpal Yadav is wasted.

Toh Se Naina, a song sung by Rekha Bharadwaj is beautiful and probably the only good thing about the movie.