Newly reinstated Railway Minister Nitish Kumar might want to watch Guddu Dhanoa's Jaal The Trap. The minister's dismal 'track' record of one major railway accident every 45 days is a contrast to the climax sequence in Dhanoa's film where a train (and the immortal track it's running on) withstands every possible explosive Action Director Tinnu Verma could conjure up, including rocket blasts and blazing fires. What's more, it ignores all signals and stations in its path and yet manages to avoid collisions!
But then we have to remember the invincible Sunny Deol is at the helm of affairs and he can't do anything wrong!
Instead of beating up hapless goons with his bare fists, Ajay (Deol) is shown singing and dancing on stage in tight leather pants and a few minutes later, we are told the he-man is an aspiring singer! But never one to disappoint his fans, Sunny's song is about India and it has Punjabi lyrics.
Meanwhile Ajay's father Major Kaul (Amrish Puri) is busy in New Zealand overseeing security arrangements for the home m spoilt daughter Anita (Reema Sen), who is apparently kept there because there is a threat to her life from Kashmiri terrorists. These days, it seems, Sunny does not sign any film where he cannot save the country from terrorists.
On a visit to India, Major Kaul confronts his son about his career choices. Now, Sunny looks every one of his 46 years (he will be 47 in October!), but we are supposed to believe he has just completed commando training six months ago and is oscillating between joining his father in the army and cutting an album.
In the interim, he zooms up and down the slopes of picturesque Shimla following school teacher Neha (Tabu) whom he has fallen in love with at first sight. Why the ever-gallant Sunny does such a roadside Romeo-type act remains a puzzle! An entire half-hour is spent in this wooing routine with Ajay bumping into his widowed ladylove's father-in-law (Anupam Kher) more often than he gets to meet her.
Eventually everyone agrees to the alliance and the happy duo have just broken into song (mercifully not accompanied by dance) when the aforementioned terrorists kidnap Neha. Their leader (Mukesh Rishi sporting a very fake beard) informs Ajay that if he wants his girlfriend back, he has to fly to New Zealand and kidnap Anita for them.
Love-struck Ajay falls in line and promptly takes off to Kiwi-land where he joins his father. Wonder if Major Kaul is attached to the Indian army or merely heading a private outfit where he can induct his son as and when he pleases.
Tantrum queen Anita hates Ajay before she falls in love (because he sings and dances before her!) with him and eventually elopes with him. But how can the patriotic Ajay hand over his prize catch to a bunch of anti-national terrorists? So another hour of Jaal must be seen before we finally arrive at the train climax.
One of the most intriguing aspects of this film (of which, there are many) is Sunny's wardrobe. The guy saunters around the snow-capped mountains of Shimla and New Zealand wearing sleeveless jackets of the most innovative colours and designs complete with matching headgear (another Sunny trademark) and shoes!
We should refrain from discussing Reema Sen's wardrobe since it is in tune with the outlandish dress sense most contemporary wannabe actresses display.
Another notable feature is Amrish Puri's double having an (en)field day on a mean motorcycle. But the 73-year-old Puri must still hop up and down helicopters and sit on a snow scooter himself. Desi Sean Connery, anyone?
Tabu's presence is a mystery of sorts, but then she seems to have a soft corner for Dhanoa. Didn't she agree to play the lead in his Hawa, which is being promoted as a film about 'sexual violence'?
The occasional moment of relief in Jaal comes in the form of Shripad Natu's camera which skillfully captures the lush white Kiwi peaks, and the old-world charm of Shimla. There's also a noteworthy chase sequence at the beginning of the film (which looks suspiciously like a scene from The World Is Not Enough).
Lastly, one must make a mention of Aadesh Srivastava's background score (better not to discuss Anand Raaj Anand's music!). Every time Sunny is shown out-witting (or out-beating) the terrorists, the background track starts chanting, "Shakti, shakti shakti" or "Om Namah Shivay."
