CREW is a fun entertainer and rests on fine performances.

Crew Review {3.5/5} & Review Rating

Director: Rajesh Krishnan

Crew Movie Synopsis:
Crew is the story of three air hostesses. Geeta Sethi (Tabu), Jasmine Kohli (Kareena Kapoor Khan) and Divya Rana (Kriti Sanon) work as air hostesses for Kohinoor Airways, run by Vijay Walia (Saswata Chatterjee). The trio and 4000 other employees haven’t been paid for 6 months. Geeta stays with her husband Arun (Kapil Sharma) in a modest home after they had to sacrifice their riches in a family feud. Jasmine lives with her maternal grandfather (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) after losing her parents at a young age. She learned very early in life that money can buy anything. Divya, meanwhile, has learnt to fly a plane. Due to the recession, she failed to find the job of a pilot though she told her family that she has got one. All three already had a money crunch and the non-payment of salary adds to their woes. One day, while flying to Al Burj, their senior Rajvanshi (Rammakant Daayama) dies all of a sudden. While trying to give him CPR, they find gold biscuits attached to his vest. They get tempted to steal the biscuits but they don’t. The plane returns to Mumbai airport where the customs official turns out to be Jaiveer (Diljit Dosanjh), an old friend of Divya. Meanwhile, the news channels have been regularly reporting that Kohinoor Airways is going through a financial crisis. Vijay Walia, however, rubbishes the reports and assures his staff that their dues will be cleared. But one day, the HR of Kohinoor and an old friend of Geeta, Mittal (Rajesh Sharma), blurts out to her that Kohinoor Airways is indeed bankrupt. Realizing that they will never get their salaries ever, the trio decides to start smuggling gold biscuits like Rajvanshi. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Crew Movie Story Review:
Nishi Mehra and Mehul Suri’s story is entertaining. Nishi Mehra and Mehul Suri’s screenplay is swift and packs in a lot. The writing, however, gets very convenient in the second half. Nishi Mehra and Mehul Suri’s dialogues are sharp but could have been funnier.

Rajesh Krishnan’s direction is fine. He keeps the mood of the film very light and this ensures that the film appeals to all sections of the audience. The back-and-forth narrative adds to the intrigue value, meanwhile. The introduction of characters is done in style and sets the mood. The best, however, is reserved for the climax when the trio decide to teach baddies a lesson.

On the flipside, the humour is very limited in the film. This can be slightly disappointing for some viewers as there’s a lot of scope for humour in the story. Secondly, the director, in order to keep the run time in check, often rushes into things. As a result, the audience doesn’t get time to process the goings-on. The fight that takes place between Jasmine and Divya, for instance, happens quite suddenly, catching the audience unawares. Also, the manner in which the trio is able to get out of any problem quite easily gets unconvincing after a point.

Crew | Trailer | Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon, Diljit Dosanjh, Kapil Sharma

Crew Movie Performances:
The performances of all three actresses are spot-on. Kareena Kapoor Khan plays the immoral part with aplomb. One won’t hate or despise her and that’s a feat because despite her character’s shortcomings, we all want to root for her. Tabu delivers a smashing performance and raises laughs with her expressions and at times, abuses. She also keeps her performance understated. Kriti Sanon maintains a strong position though she is performing with two stalwarts. She doesn’t get lost in the crowd and is quite impressive. Diljit Dosanjh and Kapil Sharma are lovely in supporting roles. Rajesh Sharma is dependable as always. Saswata Chatterjee doesn’t have much to do but he’s passable. Trupti Khamkar (Mala; customs officer) is the surprise of the film; she’s too entertaining. Charu Shankar (Sudha Mittal) is fair. Rammakant Daayama and Kulbhushan Kharbanda are okay.

Crew Movie music and other technical aspects:
Songs add life to the film. ‘Ghagra’ and ‘Choli’ appear at important junctures and are quite catchy. There’s also a recreated version of ‘Sona Kitna Sona Hai’ and it’s foot-tapping. ‘Naina’ is played in the end credits and is visually stunning. ‘Zaalima’ and the sad song in the second half are okay.

John Stewart Eduri’s background score is superb, especially the different versions of the instrumental theme of ‘Choli’. Disha Dey’s production design is theatrical. Manisha Melwani, Chandni Whabi, Meagan Concessio and Abhilasha Devnani Baweja’s costumes are very glamorous, especially the ones worn by Kareena. VFX is tacky. Manan Sagar’s editing is sharp.

Crew Movie Conclusion:
On the whole, CREW is a fun entertainer and rests on the fine performances of Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon. At the box office, the strong buzz and open window of two weeks will prove beneficial.