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Too many strings attached to this “Kites” that never soars to the heights it should and becomes a predictable tale of star-crossed lovers set in the glittering lights of Las Vegas and the brooding deserts of Mexico. It’s “Matchpoint”, “Bonny and Clyde” and much else rolled into one, failing to take off on its own.

The problem with “Kites” is that it is never truly its own film. The first half constantly takes you back to Woody Allen’s compelling “Matchpoint” with the doomed quartet of Jai (Hrithik), his girlfriend Gina (Kangana Ranaut), her brother Tony (Nick Brown) and his fiancée Natasha (Barbara).

Life is set to roll for the rakish, down and out Jai with Gina, the fabulously rich, hopelessly in love daughter of a Vegas casino owner, until he meets Natasha, the exotic Mexican immigrant also looking out for the good life. The attraction is inevitable – and fatal.

The pull is irresistible. Designer watches, flashy cars and jewels beckon but Jai and Natasha are caught in a relationship that transcends language. She knows no English and he knows no Spanish.

So far so good, before the script decides to meander into a “Bonny and Clyde” caper with the couple on the run from the powerful Tony robbing a bank. Completely unnecessary and giving no time for the intensity of the romance to develop.

The narrative moves back and forth in time, beginning with a bloodied Jai tumbling out of a train wagon and stumbling across the desertscape to look for his ladylove.

So you get a sense of what is in store. The predictability of the script is not really a problem – the opening line of the film lays the tenor, with Jai in a voiceover telling you that two kites flying together can never soar very high or very long because one has to get cut.

This is a chronicle of a tragedy foretold, much in the way of other epic romances. Dare I say Romeo Juliet!

It could have worked. The much talked about chemistry between the lead couple is in evidence, but not enough. Director Anurag Basu is at his best in the intimate scenes.

Like when Jai looks out of his window to see Natasha being roughed up by Tony and goes to comfort her. There are no words but the shadow play on the wall of their fingers intertwining is romance as it should be.

The soul of true love is there somewhere, but it gets lost in the two-hour film that also brings in murder, torture and gunmen galore. Basu seems lost in the larger macro frame of the film.

The two main characters are not fleshed out enough, and the others around them are like caricatures. How many Bobs (Kabir Bedi as the powerful, ruthless casino owner who does not balk at shooting down cheaters) have we seen, or Tonys, the archetypal jealous boyfriend with an army of goons behind him?

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New Delhi, Super duper hit and the successor of “3 Idiots” is how multiplex bosses predict the future of Hrithik Roshan-Barbara Mori starrer international love story “Kites”, which is releasing Friday.

“We have very high expectations from ‘Kites’ as after ‘3 Idiots’ this will be the biggest release. We are going to have 13 shows per three screen and 14 shows per four property respectively for the movie,” Deepak Taluja, senior vice president (business and operations) of Fun Cinemas, told IANS.

“In terms of paid previews, as of now we just have one show (for Thursday night) but if (booking) response will be good, we’ll look for more,” he added.

A senior executive from PVR cinemas said on condition of anonymity that “Kites” has a very good pre-release buzz. “And after ‘3 Idiots’, we have very high hopes with this one. If all goes well, this could anywhere be the successor of ‘3 Idiots’.”

“On an average we are keeping around 10-15 shows per property for the movie. The advance bookings have already opened and it’s picking up well while the paid preview bookings for Thursday is decent so far,” the source added.

Produced by Rakesh Roshan and directed by Anurag Basu, “Kites” is a mega-budget venture worth Rs.150 crore in three versions – English, Hindi and Spanish. While the Hindi version will hit screens Friday, the crisper and racier English version, edited by Hollywood fame Brett Ratner, is scheduled for a May 28 release.

The film also stars Kabir Bedi and Kangana Ranaut in cameos.

Releasing simultaneously on more than 2,300 screens worldwide, including over 500 overseas in over 60 countries, it is being distributed by Reliance Big Pictures.

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Hrithik Roshan at the “Kites” premiere at Times Square, New York.

Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori at the “Kites” premiere at Times Square, New York.

Bollywood is all set for a clash of foreign summer sizzlers.Mexican scorcher Barbara Mori in Kites and Hollywood actress Sarah Thompson in Rajneeti vie for attention at the Indian box office even as Sri Lankan actress Jacqueline Fernandes gets into her hottest mode yet as an item girl in the movie Housefull

The first quarter has gone by and we’re still looking for that exclusive certified hit. Over the last month-and-a-half, the third season of the Indian Premiere League has kept people glued to their TV sets.

But after the grand finale on Sunday, a bouquet of summer releases are getting set to hit the screens, starting with Housefull on April 30. Sajid Nadiadwala’s story of a loser, featuring Akshay Kumar in the company of two ex-wives, a soon-to-be wife and an easily seduced nanny, will be followed by Yash Raj Films’ Badmaash Company,

Rakesh Roshan’s Kites, Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti and latesr Mani Ratnam’s Raavan. It will be a fair of big banners films. We hope that films done well on the box office and gave bollywood some relief.

What will be the widest ever release for any Indian Bollywood production, “Kites”, the eagerly-anticipated romantic adventure starring Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori, will open simultaneously in India, the US, Canada and other countries on May 21.

The Rakesh Roshan production, directed by Anurag Basu, will be released by Reliance BIG Pictures (RBEL) on more than 2,000 screens simultaneously, including over 200 in the US, RBEL announced Thursday.

Shot completely on location in Las Vegas, Sante Fe and Los Angeles, “Kites” is a unique Bollywood film in a number of ways, not the least of which is the fact that a reworked English language version, designed to extend the reach of the original, will be launched in select engagements one week later.

Entitled “Kites: The Remix”, it is being presented by Brett Ratner, who oversaw its creation. In the US, “Kites: The Remix” will be released in association with Mark Urman’s Paladin, and will open in several major markets, including New York and Los Angeles, for the Memorial Day holiday weekend beginning May 28.

Produced on an epic scale, and set primarily against the lavish backdrop of Las Vegas, “Kites” tells the story of two star-crossed lovers who are destined to be together even though each is betrothed to another.

Reliance BIG Pictures CEO, Sanjeev Lamba, commented “‘Kites’ is a very important film for Reliance with a story that has international appeal. By releasing the original Hindi version and Brett Ratner’s ‘Remix’ a week apart, we feel that we can reach the largest possible audience, including the younger demographic for whom 2+ hours is a challenge”.

As of May 21, “Kites” will play at all traditional Indian film venues around the world, including Reliance’s own newly-opened Big Cinema on E. 59th Street in Manhattan, New York.

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