Before you saunter into the theatre to watch BEWAFAA, you expect a story similar to MURDER/HAWAS [wife cheating on her husband] and BEZUBAAN [a man blackmailing a woman for an extra-marital affair] to unfold in the next three hours.

Yes, BEWAFAA is about a woman, her present [husband] and her past [lover]. But, as the drama unfolds, you realize that BEWAFAA bears no similarity other than the basic characters.

But the crucial question is, Does Dharmesh Darshan narrate a tale that's as captivating, hypnotizing and mesmerizing as one of his earlier hits RAJA HINDUSTANI? With an A-list cast on his hands, besides the best of names involved in the project [producer Boney Kapoor, music composers Nadeem-Shravan, screenplay writer Robin Bhatt, cinematographer W.B. Rao], does BEWAFAA meet the gargantuan expectations? Most importantly, does BEWAFAA deliver?
 

The answer to all the three vital questions is, Yes, to an extent!

BEWAFAA could've been one engrossing flick, but the post-interval portions and the climax specifically throw a spanner.

Anjali [Kareena Kapoor], the younger daughter of a Canadian mother [Nafisa Ali] and an Indian father [Kabir Bedi], lives in Montreal. She shares that perfect relationship with her parents, but has a secret to hide: She's in love with an aspiring singer Indian Raja [Akshay Kumar].

Enter Anjali's elder sister Aarti [Sushmita Sen], who flies to Montreal since she's expecting a child. Aarti assures Anjali and Raja that she will convince the parents of their true love.

But, unfortunately, fate has different plans for them. Aarti passes away while delivering twin babies. Circumstances force Anjali to marry Aarti's husband Aditya [Anil Kapoor]. Anjali migrates to New Delhi.

Aditya, a tycoon, hardly has time for his sister-in-law turned wife Anjali or his two lovable daughters from Aarti. Anjali fulfils every role that one expects from a housewife, but cannot bridge the gap between Aditya and herself. She finds herself trapped in a marriage that seems more like a compromise.

Raja walks back into her life, as he arrives in New Delhi for a show. Anjali is torn between the two men - her indifferent husband and her ex-lover. By the time Aditya wakes up to reality, Anjali has embarked upon an extra-marital affair with Raja.
 

But there's trouble brewing. Dil [Manoj Bajpai] and his wife Pallavi [Shamita Shetty], Aditya's close friends and confidantes, get to know of the clandestine meetings. Anjali finds herself at the crossroads. Whom will she choose?

Dharmesh Darshan peels the layers of this human drama slowly and carefully. The director introduces three principal characters in the first 20 minutes itself - Sushmita, Kareena and Akshay. The proceedings constantly give you a feeling of d? vu, you realize what's in store next, but Dharmesh's execution keeps you engrossed right through these portions.

The pace begins to slacken when Kareena shifts to New Delhi with Anil Kapoor. With a twist in the tale, you expect the narrative to get more absorbing, but that doesn't happen. Partly because the director and writer [perhaps] wanted to have that 'lull before the storm' kind of an impact and partly because the narrative moves at a leisurely pace.

The film changes gears in the post-interval portions, with the re-emergence of Akshay in the story and the introduction of two new characters - Manoj Bajpai and Shamita Shetty. It's at this stage that the narrative gathers momentum. Shamita bumping into Akshay and Kareena at a coffee shop, then Anil, Manoj and Shamita meeting Kareena in the metro rail, followed by the 'Kabootar' song - things begin to hot up at this stage.

But just when you thought that there would be fireworks, the screenplay lets you down. Pre-climax onwards, the graph of the film starts slipping and by the time it reaches the climax, the impact is missing. The climax, when Anil reveals all about his game plan as well as Manoj breaking into a song, is difficult to digest. A better conclusion would've only elevated the film.
 

There's no denying that director Dharmesh Darshan has handled the drama with sensitivity. The film does boast of some well executed sequences, like the verbal confrontation that ensues between Anil and Kareena soon after Kareena has met with an accident, and Kareena-Akshay's meeting at the start of the second half. Sequences such as these are expertly penned, performed and of course, executed.

But the pacing of the narrative gets painfully slow in the post-interval portions and by the time the story reaches the culmination, it actually tests the patience of the viewer. Besides, only a handful of emotional sequences strike a chord.

Nadeem-Shravan's music conveys the various moods of the characters effectively. 'Ek Dilruba Hai', 'Pyaar Ka Anjaam', 'Kehta Hai Kabutar' and 'Ek Bewafaa Hai' are tracks that the viewer carries home after the show has concluded. The filming of 'Ek Bewafaa Hai' specifically is mind-blowing.
Dialogues [Dharmesh Darshan, Raj Sinha] are poetic at times and straight out of life at places. Cinematography is of standard. The film bears a rich look throughout. Sets [Bijon Dasgupta] are opulent.

BEWAFAA is embellished with fine performances, with Kareena Kapoor topping the list. This is Kareena's film all the way and the talented actress knows how to absorb a meaty role like this. She looks stunning, emotes with complete maturity and delivers a knockout performance.

Akshay Kumar does well in a role that fits him like a glove. Anil Kapoor handles his part with effortless ease. Sushmita Sen is first-rate in a brief role. Manoj Bajpai goes completely over the top. He hams and irritates to the hilt! Shamita Shetty's role has negative shades and she carries it off well. Kabir Bedi is, like always, extremely efficient. Nafisa Ali is alright.

On the whole, BEWAFAA will meet with mixed reactions. At the box-office, the film will have to rely on patronage from ladies mainly to leave a mark.