Random Expressions

Film Review

If you think you are going for another Khosla Ka Ghosla, keep back the car keys right away. Stay back home and probably watch the Jahnvi Kapoor-Abhishek-Aishwarya drama re-run on television instead of watching the neo-modern-yuppie-multiplex-supposedly-funny (and borrowed plot from a French film - how exotic are they getting in their filching!) but essentially witless film.

Human quibbles are source of good clean harmless laughter don’t we all know how Hrishida drew on them effectively in Khubsoorat and Golmaal, and more recently Dibakar Bannerjee brilliantly utilized the Punju-Delhiite quirks in KKG? But the problem with Sagar Bellary’s debut is that he is not laughing with the idiot , but at the poor soul. And that disturbs. The director is as guilty as the arrogant self-centered tycoon Ranjeet Thadani (Rajat Kapoor) whose gang of friends invite bakras every Friday to secretly make fun at them. Bellary(ok, it s Thadani who mouths the dialogue but I suspect it is the director actually speaking) justifies by saying that it s like in college you give the rose to the ugliest girl on a Rose Day just for the kick. College, yes it’s fine, we all do these silly kiddish things; but business barons indulging in these pranks? Grow up, get a life! And probably, a shrink as well.

The film’s disturbing trend doesn’t stop here. Bikas Mishra directs attention to another irritating issue in the film - the supposedly Muslim shown as Pakistan supporter. Eh? Stereotypical, did you say? Wait, there’s more the bimbo, the Parsi, and the ghastly love (or rather, lust) triangle! And why are all the three married women characters (whether present or simply mentioned) shown walking out on their husbands?

But the most distressing aspect in the film (for me, at least) is the complete irreverence towards old film songs. By making Bharat Bhushan, the central character portrayed as an idiot , a lover of old film songs, Bellary has at several times crudely ridiculed those eternal melodies which I swear by. I watched the film in sheer disgust as in one scene after the other Bellary unnecessarily poked fun. Since the film is from Thadani’s point rather than Bhushan’s, the effect is chillingly distasteful. Even if this weren’t Bellary’s intention, well it comes across just at that. I am sorry; I couldn’t even heartily laugh at those few places where the humor was genuine.

The script is fine (though I couldn’ t really grasp the exact reason for Thadani’s wife to leave him) and the dialogues (in Hinglish) are okayish. The film has a feel of a drama since a bulk of it is set in Thadani’s drawing room, where both play out the farce.

The performances help especially Vinay Pathak slips into Bhushan’s character flawlessly, though he could have avoided that silly affected laughter. Rajat Kapoor is okay, but how many times is he going to play a self-absorbed busy business person? Ranvir Shorey and Milind Soman have smaller parts and are adequate. Sarika and Harsh Chhaya are wasted in minor roles.

Overall - Average, Better for a DVD/Cable view!

Technorati : Bheja Fry, Film Review, Vinay Pathak

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 24th, 2007 at 6:17 am and is filed under Film Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.