Fanaa

Fanaa
(translates as "love destroys")
2006
4/5 stars

Zooni  (Kajol) travels for the first time to New Delhi with friends to perform in a ceremony for Republic Day.  While there, she meets and falls in reciprocated love with a tour guide, Rehan (Aamir Khan).  Her friends are over-protective of Zooni, as she is blind, but eventually help the two spend time together.  It seems that Zooni's romance will have a happy ending, but tragedy happens.

Seven years later,  Susheel Rawat (Sharat Saxena) of the Anti Terrorist Special Force and special agent Malini Tyagi (Tabu) are trying to track down the leader of a Kashmiri terrorist organization before he can get possession of the final piece needed to make a nuclear weapon.  Zooni becomes unwittingly involved when a wounded stranger appears on her doorstep.

The first half of this romantic thriller was good, but not great -- it played out like a mostly typical Bollywood romance.  The second half, however, kept me riveted.  The suspense and uncertainty were both written and portrayed well.  Khan and Kajol were average in the romantic beginning, but were excelled during the thriller portion.  Zooni's parents were played by veteran actors Rishi Kapoor and Kirron Kher, who were excellent. Child actor Ali Haji gave a convincing performance as well. The songs were a mixed bag, some just okay but some memorable; the incidental music, however, was quite effective.  Overall, Fanaa delivers near perfect entertainment.