Crew Movie Review: A quirky heist-comedy with some turbulence

In Rajesh Krishnan’s Crew, glamour and stardom take centre stage. With the song, ‘Choli Ke Peeche’ as a theme that plays throughout in different ways, the film places the playful sensuality evoked by its music and lyrics, with the flamboyant visuals of the leading trio. A song that has been in the collective imagination since the time it came out in the 90s becomes a moment of glory for Kareena Kapoor Khan and Tabu, both of whom started acting in films in the early 2000s. The film is conscious of their stardom, which has only grown with age, to mint away some gags where Tabu’s character, Geeta taunts Jasmine, played by Kareena, on getting old. Joining the two “senior” actresses on the quest is Kriti Sanon as Divya Rana, who is creating her own on-screen persona through her films lately. It is like a union of two eras, with the raw instrumental brilliance of the original song from Khalnayak (1993), finding a contemporary electronic recreation in Crew. Further, the filmmaking takes a sharp focus on the fancy clothes that they wear and how gracefully they walk in front of the camera as if posing on the ramp. More than anything, it feels like a celebration of the three, of the roles that stood out and films that left indelible marks over time.

Director: Rajesh A Krishnan

Cast: Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon, Diljit Dosanjh, Kapil Sharma, Rajeesh Sharma, Saswata Chatterjee

Geeta, Jasmine and Divya are three friends working as air hostesses for Kohinoor Airlines, owned by Vijay Walia (Saswata Chatterjee). Being unpaid for the last 6 months has created some hassles among them as there are loans to pay, businesses to handle and dreams to achieve. Writers Nidhi Mehra and Mehul Suri have tried to give some back story to the three but it is not sharp enough to create as much resonance. The stakes are never too high to keep the tension boiling and so, the resolution fails to deliver the desired impact.

Sisterhood and friendship are among the underlying themes of the film. It’s the girls who are looking out for each other and even for their families, as in the case of Geeta who is the sole breadwinner. Her brother is abusive to his wife, who is, in turn, given money by Geeta to leave the marriage. A woman janitor at the airport helps the three during a heist which they plan to carry in the second half. There is agency and power given to all the female characters in the film, who are the conspirators and also the victims. A female customs officer has an eye on the three and acts on things on her own accord. Using these things, the film creates some scenarios in order to pave the way for some emotional release, but it is not entirely satisfying. Something seems amiss and it leaves you with an incomplete triumph. As if the storm that was waiting to come, turned out to be a drizzle.

The energies of Tabu, Kareena and Kriti lend a flavourful appeal to the film. As flowery as her name, Jasmine embodies a carefree serenity as someone who is struggling to look after her business. There is also some reminiscence of Poo from Kabhi Khushi Khushi Gham (2001) minus the arrogance in the way Kareena brings her up. She carries an ambitious allure and performs with a certain maturity and sparkle. Matching her up is the anxious Divya (Kriti), an intelligent girl who has lied to her parents that she is a pilot. Tabu is in a light-hearted role that is in delightful contrast to her image as a serious actor. She seems to be having the most fun with her ‘main character’ energy.

Together, Kriti, Kareena and Tabu entice us into the world of Crew with a charming allure. Yet, none of it is enough to arouse curiosity and laughter. They are surrounded by a weak and undercooked script where the three revel in their own ways and still fall short of blossoming to the fullest. The trailer of the film showed a lot of promise as it seemed to contain a certain freshness in the story. As a logline, it sounds fascinating and fun, but it is in the unfolding that it struggles to live up. The interesting premise is not utilised to go further into the details of smuggling which would have elevated the adventures. Moreover, the thematic ends are not as strongly tied up and neither are the individual motives of characters much developed. As a result, the film remains in the safer zones of both comedies and heist dramas, making the overall experience just barely good.