Swardhrupad Productions’ Navras Katha Collage (A) is an assemblage of nine different stories titled ‘Babamai’, ‘Kyu?’, ‘Not Fit The Bill’, ‘Khilona’, ‘Main Bhagat Singh Banana Chahta Hun’, ‘Samay Chakra’, ‘What Happened In Suhagrat’, ‘Happy Marriage Anniversary’ and ‘Santaan’. These stories represent the nine ras of life.
Praveen Hingonia has written nine different stories that appear completely random. Some of the stories hold the viewers’ attention to a small extent but the others are so boring and predictable that they absolutely fail to engage the audience. Hingonia’s screenplay is full of jerks, and the lack of continuity shows all through. At the end of the nine dramas, the viewers wonder why Praveen Hingonia must’ve written the nine stories. His dialogues are okay.
Praveen Hingonia enacts nine roles, one in each story. He doesn’t look like a hero but plays the central character in each of the stories and is, therefore, unable to carry the nine stories on his shoulders. Sheeba Chaddha is alright as Shreemonti Roy Sanyal. Revati Pillai does an average job as Koyal. Swar Hingonia is so-so as Swar Arora. Atul Srivastava acts ably as S.S. Dutta. Dayanand Shetty is ordinary as Abdullah Khan. Rajesh Sharma is okay as Rajesh Sharma. Alka Amin lends fair support as Kuljeet Singh. Paritosh Tripathi is okay in a tiny role as Rohit. Amardeep Jha is alright as Shivsundari. Pankaj Khamkar is average as Ajay. Sunita Rajwar (as Pushpa), Alka Kaushal (as Pammi), Shrikant Verma (as Pinky), Prachi Sinha (as Hemlata), Ruhana Khanna (as Ruhana), Shreya Jha (as Angana), Eshaan Shankar (as Sonu), Neelu Kohli (as mother of Angana), Shaji Chaudhry, Asmita Sharma, Rohit Chaudhry, Bhuvnesh Maan, Paritosh Sand, Mahesh Sharma, Dolphin Dubey, Gyan Prakash, Sanjay Swaraj, Ram Awana, Jay Shankar Tripathi, P.R. Dave and the others provide routine support.
Praveen Hingonia’s direction is as pathetic as his meandering script. Asif Chandwani’s music is dull. Lyrics (Salim Begana, Prity Kashmisagar and Harry Malliya) are routine. D.J. Bharali’s background music hardly deserves mention. Rupam Chetiapatra’s cinematography is average. Robin Lopes’ art direction is okay. Ajay Varma’s editing could’ve been sharper.
On the whole, Navras Katha Collage is a misdirected enterprise and will go largely unnoticed.
Released on 25-10-’24 at PVR Lower Parel (daily 1 show) and other cinemas of Bombay thru Cinepolis India. Publicity: fair. Opening: poor. …….Also released all over. Opening was weak everywhere.